During Holy Week we recall the passion, death and resurrection of Our Lord for our salvation. Today’s first reading from Isaiah details some of the sufferings inflicted on Our Lord in his passion. In all the pain and suffering, though seemingly abandoned even by his heavenly Father, he did not despair nor lose hope: “I have not despaired, for the Lord comes to my help.”

In the Gospel reading we listen to the betrayal of Jesus by one his chosen apostles, Judas Iscariot. For thirty pieces of silver Judas agreed to hand Jesus over to the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews: “from then on he kept looking for the best way to hand him over to them.”

We also hear Jesus telling his disciples at the Passover meal that one of them would betray him. Judas even had the gall to ask Jesus, “You do not mean me, Master, do you?” And Jesus confirmed his betrayal, “You have said it.”

The betrayal of Judas was very painful for Jesus, coming from one of his trusted chosen ones.

We, too, betray Our Lord when we sin, when we do not follow his commands, when we prefer the world’s values to the Gospel values he preached. When we sin, we betray our loving Father in heaven.