Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Reflection for March 23, Wednesday of Holy Week; Matthew 26:14-25

Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25
One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord? He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born. Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”
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Reflection:
Are you a lover of money or do you allow money to take control of you?

What a shame that Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver it was again his greed for money that made him betray Jesus. Money indeed can make people do inhuman things such as betrayal of one’s trust. The love for money is indeed the root of all evils (1 Timothy 6:10).

 If Judas did not love money or if he did not allow money to take control of him he would not have betrayed Jesus. But he loved money and he allowed money to get the better of him. Don’t we sometimes also betray Jesus for our love and greed for money?

In what other ways do we betray Jesus? When we are also so much greedy for power not only in secular organizations, we also betray Jesus when we are greedy with power to head church organizations.

There is a true story of ladies who were in-charge to lead a certain church organization. Their greed for power made them arrogant whenever they saw fit. They gloat over the people whom they’ve offended and worst is they cling to their church positions even if they’ve been there for a very long time.

We must not let the devil implant in us all forms of greed; this can only be made possible if we don’t have this love for money and love for position of prominence. Instead of loving money why not hate it like a plague by sharing it with those who are badly in need?

Share it because it’s in sharing our blessings that we would receive more blessings from God. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

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