Betrayal and Service

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Wednesday of Holy Week, invite us to greater awareness of the betrayal, conscious or systemic, of people we perceive with fear and Jesus calls with love. 

Our Fear Betrays Us

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah presents the third “Suffering Servant of the Lord”.

* [50:4–11] The third of the four “servant of the Lord” oracles (cf. note on 42:1–4); in vv. 4–9 the servant speaks; in vv. 10–11 God addresses the people directly.

* [50:5] The servant, like a well-trained disciple, does not refuse the divine vocation.

* [50:6] He willingly submits to insults and beatings. Tore out my beard: a grave and painful insult. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 50 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 69 is a lament complaining of suffering.

* [Psalm 69] A lament complaining of suffering in language both metaphorical (Ps 69:2–3, 15–16, the waters of chaos) and literal (Ps 69:4, 5, 9, 11–13, exhaustion, alienation from family and community, false accusation). In the second part the psalmist prays with special emphasis that the enemies be punished for all to see (Ps 69:23–29). Despite the pain, the psalmist does not lose hope that all be set right, and promises public praise (Ps 69:30–36). (Psalms, PSALM 69 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents the decision to betray Jesus by Judas and Preparations for the Passover.

* [26:14] Iscariot: see note on Lk 6:16.

* [26:15] The motive of avarice is introduced by Judas’s question about the price for betrayal, which is absent in the Marcan source (Mk 14:10–11). Hand him over: the same Greek verb is used to express the saving purpose of God by which Jesus is handed over to death (cf. Mt 17:22; 20:18; 26:2) and the human malice that hands him over. Thirty pieces of silver: the price of the betrayal is found only in Matthew. It is derived from Zec 11:12 where it is the wages paid to the rejected shepherd, a cheap price (Zec 11:13). That amount is also the compensation paid to one whose slave has been gored by an ox (Ex 21:32).

* [26:17] The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread: see note on Mk 14:1. Matthew omits Mark’s “when they sacrificed the Passover lamb.”

* [26:18] By omitting much of Mk 14:13–15, adding My appointed time draws near, and turning the question into a statement, in your house I shall celebrate the Passover, Matthew has given this passage a solemnity and majesty greater than that of his source.

* [26:21] Given Matthew’s interest in the fulfillment of the Old Testament, it is curious that he omits the Marcan designation of Jesus’ betrayer as “one who is eating with me” (Mk 14:18), since that is probably an allusion to Ps 41:10. However, the shocking fact that the betrayer is one who shares table fellowship with Jesus is emphasized in Mt 26:23.

* [26:24] It would be better…born: the enormity of the deed is such that it would be better not to exist than to do it.

* [26:25] Peculiar to Matthew. You have said so: cf. Mt 26:64; 27:11. This is a half-affirmative. Emphasis is laid on the pronoun and the answer implies that the statement would not have been made if the question had not been asked. (Matthew, CHAPTER 26 | USCCB, n.d.)

Mirielle Mason mentions that in our endeavors to emulate a Christ-like love we will always fall short, because we are human. We betray Jesus with our sin, but we have a choice to make. Will we live in shame and denial, as Judas did or will we seek repentance, continually strive for more, and always look to accept the endless love God has for us? She thinks of Peter, who betrayed Jesus when he denied Him three times, but chose the second path, and is now revered as Saint and the first pope of the Catholic Church.

As we approach Easter, I pray that we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord. Help us to be like Peter, who sought the Lord’s forgiveness and accepted the gift of His mercy. May we trust in our Father’s most difficult plans for us, and be filled with the patience and love required to respect those who hurt us along the way, just as Jesus did with Judas. (Mason, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “God's help for a complete conversion”, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When we transform our old life and give our spirit a new image, we find it hard and tiring to turn back from the darkness of earthly passions to the serene calm of the divine light. We thus ask God to help us that a complete conversion may be brought about in us." (excerpt from Confessions 10,4) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that today is sometimes called “spy Wednesday”. The passage from Isaiah is the third Song of the Suffering Servant who will be tortured for what is said and God will comfort him. In Matthew’s Gospel Judas is given 30 pieces of silver. Why this amount? This amount of money was the penalty for an ox goring a slave. Is Jesus treated as a slave? After instructed to prepare the Supper one of the twelve will betray him. Jesus identifies the betrayer as one who has his dipped hand into the dish. This is a very ambiguous “One of You”. In John’s Gospel, Jesus gives Judas that bread in the end and he responds “Not I rabbi” Friar Jude comments that this may indicate that Jesus knew who would betray him but He still called Judas to do the will of the Father.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 26:14-25 notes how well Jesus knows these men—and how little they know themselves!

“Jesus, it is good for me to be here, reflecting on this scene. Tomorrow will remind me in a special way that I’m a part of it. At every Mass, it’s like I’m sitting elbow-to-elbow with your apostles at the Last Supper. Like them, I’m flawed and weak. But as I eat your Body and drink your Blood, your life flowing in me makes me strong. And so, looking not at my sins and weaknesses but at your power, I boldly dare to offer a prayer that many Eastern Catholics recite before receiving Communion: ‘I will not betray you with a kiss, as did Judas, but like the repentant thief, I openly profess you: Remember me, O Lord, in your kingdom.’”

“Jesus, thank you for giving your life out of love for me.” (Meditation on Matthew 26:14-25, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Karen González, an immigrant advocate, who points to the story of Joseph in Genesis 37 as an example of God’s love and protection for foreigners.

 

For many immigrants and others on the underside of history, God’s presence in suffering isn’t about complex theological arguments about theodicy or sovereignty or how bad things can happen to good people. For them, God’s presence in suffering is what enables them to live. Indeed, for many who suffer, Christ on the cross offers the comfort of knowing that they serve a God who himself has known great sorrow and suffering. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

Fear leads to scapegoating while friendship leads us to welcome Christ in our midst:

Fear has become the default in the current immigration conversation in North America, even for followers of Jesus, who are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. The Bible speaks to the need for philoxenia [love of foreigners] repeatedly, from Exodus all the way to Hebrews: “Keep loving each other like family. Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests [strangers or foreigners], because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:1–2)…. (Rohr, n.d.)

As we prepare for the events presented in the Triduum we contemplate, with the help of the Spirit, the betrayals that may have brought suffering in our environment as we resist the response of "Surely not I, Lord”

References

Isaiah, CHAPTER 50 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/50? 

Mason, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 1, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-1-2026 

Matthew, CHAPTER 26 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/26?14 

Meditation on Matthew 26:14-25. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 1, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/01/1530334/ 

Psalms, PSALM 69 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/69? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Scapegoating the “Foreigner”. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 1, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/scapegoating-the-foreigner/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Tragedy of the Betrayal. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 1, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Anointed and Fed

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to reflect on our anointing to act to feed the spiritual and physical hunger of all God’s people.

Feed Our Need

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah offers Praise for God’s Deliverance. 

* [25:1–9] These verses praise God for carrying out his plan to destroy the enemy and to save the poor of his people in Zion (14:32), and they announce the victory banquet to be celebrated in the Lord’s city.

* [25:6] This mountain: i.e., Jerusalem’s mountain, Zion. (“Isaiah, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB,” n.d.)

Psalm 23 is a psalm of David.

* [Psalm 23] God’s loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Ps 23:1–4) and a host’s generosity toward a guest (Ps 23:5–6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Is 40:11; 49:10; Jer 31:10).

* [23:1] My shepherd: God as good shepherd is common in both the Old Testament and the New Testament (Ez 34:11–16; Jn 10:11–18).

* [23:3] Right paths: connotes “right way” and “way of righteousness.”

* [23:5] You set a table before me: this expression occurs in an exodus context in Ps 78:19. In front of my enemies: my enemies see that I am God’s friend and guest. Oil: a perfumed ointment made from olive oil, used especially at banquets (Ps 104:15; Mt 26:7; Lk 7:37, 46; Jn 12:2).

* [23:6] Goodness and mercy: the blessings of God’s covenant with Israel. (“Psalms, PSALM 23 | USCCB,” n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew proclaims The Feeding of the Four Thousand.

* [15:32–39] Most probably this story is a doublet of that of the feeding of the five thousand (Mt 14:13–21). It differs from it notably only in that Jesus takes the initiative, not the disciples (Mt 15:32), and in the numbers: the crowd has been with Jesus three days (Mt 15:32), seven loaves are multiplied (Mt 15:36), seven baskets of fragments remain after the feeding (Mt 15:37), and four thousand men are fed (Mt 15:38).

* [15:36] Gave thanks: see Mt 14:19, “said the blessing.” There is no difference in meaning. The thanksgiving was a blessing of God for his benefits. (“Matthew, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB,” n.d.)

Rev. Elvin Cardoso, SJ, asks today “How can we become living signs of God’s love to others?”

Perhaps we can rethink our understanding of mission. Most of us will never be asked to journey to distant continents like Saint Francis Xavier or to preach in foreign lands. Our vocation will likely unfold in the ordinary spaces where we already stand: our homes, workplaces, schools, and neighbourhoods. Yet these everyday places have their own “Tyre and Sidon moments” when we encounter people whose experiences differ from ours, or individuals who carry wounds we cannot see, or situations that invite courage, patience, and prayer. To be missionary in spirit is to imitate Christ’s willingness to go beyond the familiar, to reach out and serve a particular need. It is believed that God’s love can flow through our words, actions, and even our silence. (Cardoso, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The joy of the hope rooted in Christ,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"Having said that the Lord will reign in Zion and Jerusalem, Isaiah leads us to the mystical meaning of the passage (Isaiah 25:6-10). Thus Zion is interpreted as a high place that is good for surveillance, and Jerusalem is the vision of the world. In fact, the church of Christ combines both: it is high and visible from everywhere, and is, so to speak, located on the mountain. The church may be understood as high also in another way: there is nothing low in it, it is far removed from all the mundane things, as it is written, 'I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!' (Psalm 47:7-8). Equally elevated are its orthodox and divine doctrines; thus the doctrine about God or about the holy and consubstantial Trinity is true, pure and without guile.

"'The Lord of hosts will make for all people,' not just for the Israelites elected for the sake of their patriarchs but for all the people of the world. What will he make? 'A feast of wines on the lees; they will drink joy, they will drink wine. They will be anointed with myrrh on the mountain.' This joy, of course, means the joy of hope, of the hope rooted in Christ, because we will reign with him, and with him we will enjoy every spiritual joy and pleasure that surpasses mind and understanding. By 'wine' he points to the mystical sacrament, that of the bloodless sacrifice, which we celebrate in the holy churches." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 25:6-7) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 15:29-37 comments that Advent is a special time of expectation and longing, but it can also be a very busy time. You don’t have the time to imitate the crowds and follow Jesus up a mountain. But the good news is that you don’t have to! Jesus can come to you.

No matter how he does it, you can be sure that Jesus wants to bring you closer to himself. You can trust him to know best how to accomplish that for you.

And when he does, be sure to follow the example of the crowds in today’s Gospel: glorify the God of Israel!

“Jesus, I believe that you still do amazing works today. So I come to you with an open heart and ask you to show me your power to heal and restore!” (“Meditation on Matthew 15:29-37,” n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Isaiah 25 is in the middle of chapters that the Prophet may not have written. Scholars believe chapters 24-27 were added to birth the idea of the resurrection of the dead and we will be invited into eternity. Prior to this Sheol was a destination for the after life and here in Isaiah we are invited to His Mountain. In Matthew’s Gospel people from all over were healed and nourished in two multiplications of food; for Jews twelve baskets are remaining, and here seven baskets, the perfect number, for every nation on the earth. Friar Jude notes that in Matthew, written to a Jewish audience, Jesus has come for all people.

Fr. Mike Schmitz unpacks the events in Acts 16, describing Paul’s trust in the Lord as God frees him from prison. He connects St. Paul’s conversation about spiritual gifts to the well-known “love” chapter in 1 Corinthians, explaining how love and donation of self gives purpose to the spiritual gifts. Today’s readings are Acts 16, 1 Corinthians 13-14, and Proverbs 28:13-15.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Spiritual seeker and writer Katie Gordon who reflects on the Magnificat, Mary’s prophetic song. Gordon visits a chapel located deep in the woods that features a statue of the pregnant Madonna accompanied by the words of the Magnificat.

When we sing that the hungry will be fed, I think of all the mutual aid efforts, soup kitchens, and neighbors who feed one another, not out of obligation but out of love and care. 

When we sing that the humble will be upheld, I think of the dignity of immigrants and refugees, who amid the unjust and illegal deportations, are finding strength in their communities as people are protecting and fighting for one another day after day after day. 

And finally, when we sing of the promise made to our ancestors, to Sarah and to Abraham, I try to remember far enough back to feel the covenantal belonging, this lineage of love that stretches before I was here and far beyond my own time. I’m reminded of my small part in this larger and longer story, of saying “yes” like Mary whenever I can, to bringing new and renewing life into our world, here and now. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to guide our efforts as modern missionaries to bring love and compassion to others through our action to feed the hungry in body and spirit.

References

Cardoso, E. (n.d.). Creighton Online Ministries: Home. https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-december-3-2025 

Isaiah, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/25?6 

Matthew, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/15?29 

Meditation on Matthew 15:29-37. (n.d.). Word Among Us. https://wau.org/meditations/2025/12/03/1438605/ 

Psalms, PSALM 23 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/23?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Echoing Mary’s Yes. Center for Action and Contemplation. https://cac.org/daily-meditations/responding-to-gods-yes/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). This Is the Lord - We Have Waited for Him. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/