Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: John 13:1-15
It was before the feast of the Passover. Jesus realized that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father; and as he had loved those who were his own in the world, he would love them with perfect love.They were at supper, and the devil had already put into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had entrusted all things to him, and as he had come from God, he was going to God. So he got up from the table, removed his garment, and taking a towel, wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing.When he came to Simon Peter, Simon asked him, “Why, Lord, do you want to wash my feet?”

Jesus said, “What I am doing you cannot understand now, but afterward you will understand it.” Peter replied, “You shall never wash my feet!”Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you can have no part with me.” Then Simon Peter said, “Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!”Jesus replied, “Whoever has taken a bath does not need to wash (except the feet), for he is clean all over. You are clean, though not all of you.” Jesus knew who was to betray him; because of this he said, “Not all of you are clean.”When Jesus had finished washing their feet, he put on his garment again, went back to the table, and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I, then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another’s feet. I have given you an example, that as I have done, you also may do.

Reflections

“If I do not wash you, you can have no part with me.”As the whole nation and the group of Jesus celebrate the Passover to commemorate their ancestors’ passage from slavery in Egypt to freedom in Canaan through the Red Sea and the desert, Jesus announces that his time has come. He is about to die. The hour has come for him to pass over from this life to the Father.As they are eating the sumptuous Last Supper, the devil enters the heart of Judas. Jesus is aware that he will hand him over to his enemies. Before that happens, he washes the feet of the apostles. He wants to teach them service to the brothers. Like Jesus, his disciples must stoop down to support and strengthen one another.The disciples are nobody yet in the society. They are just members of an ordinary band who happen to follow a controversial figure. Soon they will be sought by the authorities. The disciples will survive because they will not betray one another. They will keep in their hearts the message of Jesus when he instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist. They will be in communion with one another as long as they continue gathering together for the breaking of the bread.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25
Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “How much will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They promised to give him thirty pieces of silver; and from then on, he kept looking for the best way to hand Jesus over to them.On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” Jesus answered, “Go into the city, to the house of a certain man, and tell him, ‘The Master says: My hour is near, and I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples in your house.’”The disciples did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover meal.When it was evening, Jesus sat at table with the Twelve. While they

were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you: one of you will betray me.” They were deeply distressed, and they asked him, one after the other, “You do not mean me, do you, Lord?”He answered, “The one who dips his bread with me will betray me. The Son of Man is going as the Scriptures say he will. But alas for that one who betrays the Son of Man: better for him not to have been born.” Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “You do not mean me, Master, do you?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

Reflections

“You have said it.”The Passover is a very important Jewish feast. It commemorates the liberation of the Hebrew people from the slavery of Egypt. The Exodus happened sometime in 1500 BC. It is a week-long celebration. It is called Pesah which literally means to skip or pass over.As Jesus and his disciples go to Jerusalem for the celebration as prescribed by the law, Judas talks with the chief priests who are vent on eliminating Jesus. He negotiates with them his payment after handing him over to them. Judas has just betrayed Jesus when he banked on the priests’ promise of 30 pieces of silver.Just like yesterday’s reading from John’s gospel, Jesus announces his betrayal. The betrayer is there with them at the Passover meal. The other disciples are disturbed. Judas pretends he is not the one.With a different purpose, Judas celebrates Passover. He will be richer when he executes the priests’ plan. It is said that the Gnostic Gospel of Judas makes us thank him for betraying Jesus and thus he died and saved us. The inspired and canonical Gospel of Matthew says, “Better for him not to have been born.” Judas missed the whole message of Jesus.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38
After saying this, Jesus was distressed in spirit, and said plainly, “Truly, one of you will betray me.” The disciples then looked at one another, wondering whom he meant. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining near Jesus; so Simon Peter signaled him to ask Jesus whom he meant.And the disciple, who was reclining near Jesus, asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “I shall dip a piece of bread in the dish, and he to whom I give it, is the one.”So Jesus dipped the bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. As Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus then said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”None of the others, reclining at the table, understood why

Jesus had said this to Judas. As Judas had the common purse, they may have thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or, “Give something to the poor.” Judas left as soon as he had eaten the bread. It was night.When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. God will glorify him, and he will glorify him very soon.My children, I am with you for only a little while; you will look for me, but as I already told the Jews, now I tell you: where I am going you cannot come.Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but afterward you will.” Peter said, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I am ready to give my life for you.” “To give your life for me?” Jesus asked Peter. “Truly I tell you, the cock will not crow, before you have denied me three times.”

Reflections

“Truly, one of you will betray me.”Betrayal is a serious offense against a friend or someone who has shown so much love. Distressed, Jesus announces to the apostles, his inner circle of friends, that he will be betrayed by one of them. Naturally, they wonder who will betray him. Jesus points to Judas Iscariot, the one entrusted with the money. We can imagine that in addition to what he is holding now in his purse, he will receive 30 pieces of silver. Bingo. Judas sacrifices friendship with Jesus and his fellow apostles, in pursuit of money. Others betray their friends because of politics, power and prestige, to get ahead of them.Jesus also predicts Peter’s similar action. Peter will renege him, not for material benefit, but for his own survival.Sometimes we betray our friends by blaming them for a misdeed done, to save ourselves. Finger pointing is foul, if we have been there. We may be spared of punishment, but we have just lost our friends and their respect for us. There will be a day of reckoning too. Judas’ story has a miserable end. This should warn us who want to keep afloat at the expense of others. We too will be cursed.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: John 12:1-11
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus, the dead man, to life. Now they gave a dinner for him, and while Martha waited on them, Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus.Then Mary took a pound of costly perfume, made from genuine spikenard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.Judas Iscariot—the disciple who was to betray Jesus— remarked, “This perfume could have been sold for three hundred silver coins, and the money given to the poor.” Judas, indeed, had no concern for the poor; he was a thief, and as he held the common purse, he used to help himself to the funds.But Jesus spoke up, “Leave her alone. Was she not keeping it

for the day of my burial? (The poor you always have with you, but you will not always have me.)”Many Jews heard that Jesus was there and they came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests thought about killing Lazarus as well, for many of the Jews were drifting away because of him, and believing in Jesus.

Reflections
“Was she not keeping it for the day of my burial?“Jesus valued friendship. He had friends and visited them in Bethany, near Jerusalem. They were Martha, Mary and Lazarus. One time they invited him. Martha lavished him with food, while Mary lavished him with costly perfume.Not all were happy. Judas Iscariot felt money was wasted. The chief priests also were not happy. They wanted to eliminate Jesus because he was becoming popular. Since he brought back Lazarus to life, Lazarus too was targeted. Jesus’ presence was bad for religion. People did not believe anymore in their own religion. His enemies accused Jesus of misleading people from the fold. Jesus had to go.The prophet Isaiah living some centuries earlier has long disagreed with their claims. The Father upholds Jesus. God’s Spirit is with him. He is out there to bring justice to the nations.Who are we then to reject him? It is easy to follow him if we are not attached to our old beliefs, customs and traditions. We too can be friends with Jesus, by entertaining him in his words and sacraments as taught by the Church.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019