John 13: 21-33, 36-38
Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, "Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus' side. So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him, "Master, who is it?" Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it." So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly." Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or to give something to the poor. So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.
When he had left, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you."
Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later." Peter said to him, "Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times."
Dawg's Thought:
Today's prayer intention - for those who will be entering the Church this Easter.
I used to find it odd that Jesus would give the morsel to Judas.
I have found that God is with us. He gives us the freedom to choose good as well as evil. Jesus allowed Judas to betray him, but it was Judas' will to participate in bringing Christ before His persecutors.
I have said a lot of prayers ever since my first prayer when I was in the sixth grade. In many times, my prayers were ones that I thought God would do something great for me. I often thought that God would answer the prayers without me having to offer a sacrifice.
Yet, we are the ones who are following. Where Christ went, we couldn't go because it was His place. It is the blood of the Lamb of God that was to be shed so that many would be able to follow and be where He is in Heaven.
We are the ones who are following and uniting ourselves with Christ in His agony and His death. We are the ones who are there with Him in every Mass that is offered. We are the ones who desire to be with Christ.
Our Lord gave Judas permission for his will to be done. If we know that God gives us the freedom to betray Him, would we do it and could we ever come up with a valid reason why?
Take care and God Bless.
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