Holy Wednesday

It is from from this death ---- eternal, spiritual loss, that Jesus has come to save us. He would rather die than see us suffer death. He offer his own life to save ours. This is the great love we are to celebrate in the holy days to come. This prophecy applies not only to Jesus, but also to all of us when we face opposition or annoyance. On a natural level, we will always have an angry or frightened reaction when people come against us, but we do not live only on a natural level. We lived by faith, which unites us with Jesus Christ and gives us the power of his Spirit. Because of our union with Christ, we too can "set our face like flint" against evil, resist the temptation to revenge, and be confident in the help of the Lord. Therefore, in order to be further strengthened by his word of life, we continue to listen to him each morning, with an "open ear" and an "open heart". The word that we ponder shows us that Jesus, our model in the way of perfect love, shows no concern for his own fate. Rather, he shows a deep concern for the fate of every Judas. Mournful for Judas's downfall : "Alas for the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!" In saying it would be better for one not been born, is revealing that being in the darkness of sin is worse that not existing at all. We are better off not existing than existing in a state of permanent separation from God ---- which is the consequence of dying in mortal sin. The Lord never wanted us to be part from him. Jesus is willing to take the whole burden of guilt upon himself, rather than accept the eternal loss of one soul. Jesus does not reject Judas. He does not reject any sinner. He does not cease loving us, no matter what we have done. We will only be condemned if we refuse the mercy of God. We do not know exactly what Judas is thinking at the Last Supper. "Only Jesus" can read his heart, and he senses that there is still hope for him. Our own conscience, too, raises the question : "Am I about to betray my Lord?"♥