Ang trahedya sang pagluib

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 26:14-25)

Karon ang isa sang dose ka mga gintuton-an nga ginahingalanan kay Judas Iscariote nagkadto sa pangulo nga mga pari kag nagsiling, “Ano bala ang ihatag ninyo sa akon kon itugyan ko si Jesus sa inyo?” Gani ginhatagan nila sia sing 30 ka bilog nga pilak. 

Halin sadto nagpangita si Judas sing kahigayunan sa pagtugyan kay Jesus. 

Sa nahauna nga adlaw sang Piesta sang Tinapay nga wala sing Lebadora, ang mga gintuton-an nagpalapit kay Jesus kag nagpamangkot sa iya, “Diin bala ang luyag mo nga ihanda namon para sa imo ang panihapon sang Pascua?” 

Nagsiling si Jesus sa ila, “Kadto kamo sa isa ka tawo sa siyudad, kag singgani sia, ‘Ang Manunodlo nagsiling, Ang akon tion nag-abot na. Ako kag ang akon mga gintuton-an magasaulog sang Pascua sa imo balay.’ ” 

Ang mga gintuton-an naghimo suno sa ginsiling ni Jesus kag ila ginhanda ang panihapon sang Pascua. 

Sang gab-i na, si Jesus kag ang iya dose ka gintuton-an nagpanihapon. 

Sang nagakaon sila, si Jesus nagsiling, “Ginasiling ko sa inyo nga ang isa sa inyo magaluib sa akon.” 

Natublag gid ang mga gintuton-an kag nagbulosbulos sila pamangkot sa iya, “Ako bala, Ginoo?” 

Nagsabat si Jesus, “Ang nagatusmog sang iya tinapay sa yahong dungan sa akon amo ang magaluib sa akon. 

Ang Anak sang Tawo mapatay suno sa ginsiling sang Kasulatan, pero kailo man yadtong tawo nga magatugyan sang Anak sang Tawo! Maayo pa sa iya nga sia wala matawo!” 

Si Judas nga traidor nagsiling, “Ako bala ang imo ginatumod, Manunodlo?” Si Jesus nagsabat, “Ginasiling mo.”

Prayers:

"God our Father, we are exceedingly frail and indisposed to every virtuous and gallant undertaking. Strengthen our weakness, we beseech you, that we may do valiantly in this spiritual war; help us against our own negligence and cowardice, and defend us from the treachery of our unfaithful hearts; for Jesus Christ's sake." (Prayer of Thomas a Kempis)

***

Reflection of the Daily Gospel:

Why did Judas betray his Master? Was his treachery motivated by greed, bitter disappointment with Jesus, or hatred because of disillusionment? It may be that Judas never intended for his Master to die. Maybe he thought Jesus was proceeding too slowly and not acting aggressively enough in setting up his messianic kingdom. Perhaps Judas wanted to force Jesus' hand by compelling him to act. Nonetheless, his tragedy was his refusal to accept Jesus as he was.

Origen (185-254 AD), a bible scholar and early church father, comments on Judas' betrayal: “Let us consider what Judas said to the Jewish priests: What will you give me if I hand him over to you? He was willing to take money in exchange for handing over the Word of God. They do the same thing who accept sensual or worldly goods in exchange for handing over and casting out from their souls the Savior and Word of truth who came to dwell with them. Indeed, it would be fitting to apply Judas’s example to all who show contempt for the Word of God and betray him, as it were, by committing sin for the sake of money or for any selfish motive. People who behave in this way appear openly to be calling out to the powers of the enemy who offer worldly gain in return for the sin of betraying God’s Word, saying, What will you give me if I hand him over to you? And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. The number of coins they gave Judas was equivalent to the number of years the Savior had sojourned in this world. For at the age of thirty, he was baptized and began to preach the gospel, like Joseph was thirty years old when he began to gather grain for his brothers (Genesis 41:46). Just as at that time the grain was prepared by God for the sons of Israel but given also to the Egyptians, so also the gospel was prepared for the saints but preached also to the unfaithful and wicked.” (Commentary on Matthew 78.)

Jesus knew beforehand what would befall him. As Jesus ate the passover meal with his twelve apostles he put them under trial and suspicion (one of you will betray me) to teach them to examine themselves rightly, lest they be highminded and think themselves more strong than they were. We, also must examine ourselves in the light of God's truth and grace and ask him to strengthen us in faith, hope, and love that we may not fail him or forsake him when we are tempted. Do you pray with confidence in the words Jesus gave us to pray: Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13)?