The Catholic Calendar for Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Wednesday of Holy Week

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Isaiah 50:4-9
Psalm 69:8-10,21-22,31,33-34
Matthew 26:14-25

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

The readings for today bring us one step closer to the bloody path to Golgotha and the scene of our redemption when Christ made the ultimate sacrifice of His life. One can easily be shocked at the audacity of Judas for turning Christ in to the soldiers. Judas had the opportunity for an intimate relationship with Christ. He had listened to His teachings, traveled with Him and witnessed His miracles... and yet he chose to turn his back on Christ -- for the thirty pieces of silver.

Though we do not live in the era of Christ, we too have had an opportunity for intimacy with Christ through the intercession of our priests and the teachings and sacraments of the Church. Is there perhaps a bit of Judas in all of us? Sin is turning our back on Christ in small or serious matters. We turn away from Christ in our sin. He never turns away from us. What causes us to sin? Or another way to say it is: "What are our thirty pieces of silver?" We all know our weak spots. If there was no sin there would have been no need of the Crucifixion.

Holy Week is a good time to think about our own 'thirty pieces of silver' and by the grace of God and the Sacrament of Penance, we too, can dash our silver to the ground. What better way to approach Easter morning -- and the rest of our lives!

- Joan of Jesus, OCDS
(jmurphy at utica dot edu)

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