A reading from the prophet Isaiah (49:1-6)
Listen to me, coastlands,
pay attention, far distant peoples!
The Lord called me from the womb,
before my birth he pronounced my name.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
he hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me into a sharpened arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, ‘Israel, you are my servant,
through whom I manifest my glory.’
But I said, ‘In vain have I toiled;
for nothing, to no purpose have I spent my strength.’
Yet all the while my cause is with the Lord
and my reward with my God.
And now the Lord has spoken,
who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him and for Israel to be gathered to him.
I shall be honoured in the Lord’s eyes,
and my God has been my strength.
He said, ‘It is too light a task that you should be my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I shall make you a light to the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’
The Servant says he was called to speak ‘from the womb’ like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1). He uses the images of ‘sword’ and ‘arrow’, for he is called to address those who are near and the distant ‘coastlands’ too. The Servant is addressed as ‘Israel’ but the mission is also to Israel, so that the true identity of the Servant is unsure. He loses hope and says ‘in vain have I toiled’, and his words recall those in the ‘confessions’ of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 15 and 20). Yet he is still confident that his ‘cause’ (mishpat) is with the Lord. The Lord gives him reassurance, for his task is not only to ‘bring back the survivors of Israel’ from exile, and to reunite the people, but also to bring ‘a light to the nations’ (goyim), and salvation reaching to ‘the ends of the earth’. This universal mission, not without trials, is reflected in that of Christ and of the Church.
Psalm 71 (70) God is described as ‘rock’, ‘refuge’ and ‘stronghold’.
A reading from the holy gospel according to John (13:21-33, 36-38)
Having said this, Jesus was deeply disturbed and bore witness, ‘Amen, Amen I say to you, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, wondering whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to Jesus, so Simon Peter signed to him to ask whom he meant.’ Leaning back just at Jesus’ chest he said to him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one for whom I dip the piece of bread and give to him.’ Then dipping the piece of bread he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. And after the piece of bread then Satan entered into him. Jesus then said, ‘What you are doing, do quickly.’ None of the others at table understood why he said this to him. Some thought, since Judas held the common fund, that Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival,’ or to give something to the poor. Taking the piece of bread, he immediately went out. It was night.
When he had gone out, Jesus said:
‘Now has the Son of man been glorified,
and God has been glorified in him.
If God has been glorified in him,
God will glorify him in himself,
and will glorify him at once.
Little children,
yet a little while I am with you.
You will look for me,
and, as I told the Jews,
and I now say to you,
where I am going
you cannot come.’
Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you shall follow later.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, Amen I say to you, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’
The context is the supper on the night of Jesus’ arrest. Jesus is distressed as he considers the forthcoming betrayal by Judas. Judas features in the gospel every day as the Easter Triduum approaches, but his presence is particularly threatening in this passage from John. It is ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’ who asks the identity of the traitor. Jesus then offers a piece of bread to Judas. We can recall the words of Psalm 41, ‘even my friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, makes coarse gestures against me’. The traitor is identified in the violation of table fellowship. The evangelist continues, ‘Satan entered into him’, and Jesus himself commands him to leave. As Judas goes out from the supper darkest night descends. Jesus now begins a long discourse that, with some interjections from the disciples, will conclude only in John 17. He speaks of his being ‘glorified’, for it is in his death that God is glorified. Peter vows to give his life for Jesus, but Jesus knows that he will fall short. Jesus foresees his weakness and his denials, which are reported without elaboration in chapter 18, and will be read on Good Friday.
How is betrayal possible by those who are closest to Jesus?
Pray for the gift of fidelity despite disappointment.