WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK GOSPEL & SERMON BY FR. STEPHEN OMONDI APRIL 8, 2020
WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK REGINA CAELI CATHOLIC CHURCH, KAREN PARISH APRIL 7, 2020 GOSPEL READING: Matthew 26: 14-25 SERMON BY: Fr.Stephen Omondi JUDAS ISCARIOT Introduction: Today we have the opportunity to reflect upon this man Judas Iscariot. It is important because from tomorrow we start the Sacred Paschal Triduum that begins with the Lords supper, reaches its high point in the Easter vigil, and closes with the evening prayer of Easter Sunday. It is therefore necessary to reflect on the person of Judas the betrayer of Jesus who sets everything into motion. Why did Judas betray Jesus? I have always held two thoughts, one positive and one negative. The positive one could be that Judas really believed Jesus was a divine leader, a messiah probably with a hidden army that was taking too long to strike. When he betrays Jesus probably he is provoking Jesus to start a war. My evidence to this thought is he returns the money of betrayal later. He discovers Jesus is focused on the cross and no heavenly army is coming to fight the way he envisioned. The negative one is the common thought that ha was he loved money so much an evidence of it is in John 12 when Jesus goes to Mary’s and Lazarus home, and Mary anoints the feet of Jesus with very expensive ointment. Judas feels this is a waste though he is not genuine on the money being used to feed the poor. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver which biblists say is less than 5 pounds meaning less than 500 Kenyan shillings. What was the reaction of Jesus? Interesting enough is Jesus always knew what Judas was doing with treasury money. Check again the above story in John 12. Despite that Jesus waited for him to repent and change his ways. At the last supper, Judas was seated next to Jesus, a clear show of his love for this man and a last chance for him to change his mind. He didn’t. Look at how he also says without shame to Jesus,” is it I who will betray you? What is the lesson here? You can never hide from the eyes of Christ who sees the secret of the heart. God has great respect for free will and will not force you to love him or to do his will. He only appeals. If it be true that Judas wanted good for Jesus then it represents all of us who want a God we can control. We have to accept to be changed by Jesus and not us changing him. We do not know better than God. The big question again is, as we enter the paschal events are we condemning in the characters actions which we ourselves carry out in our lives? Haven’t we in one time or another betrayed someone else because of money, position, power or something else? Story: There is a story that says that when Jesus went up to heaven after the resurrection, his Father asked him, of all that happened to him in the passion, which the most painful? His answer was simply the kiss of Judas. Let us today reflect and say sorry to all those we have betrayed and make a resolve to change our ways. God bless you all.
