Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
—Matthew 26:14-16
The day before Jesus entered into His Passion, a spy arose from among His closest friends. The traitor Judas Iscariot made his deal with the chief priests, agreeing to betray the Son of God for a pile of coins. Taking advantage of the gift of Christ’s friendship, Judas kept the veneer of an Apostle, but was secretly plotting betrayal.
Judas, who had been a chosen assistant in the ministry of Christ, who had shared His table, who had enjoyed the fellowship of God Himself, who would be present at the first Holy Mass—he would exchange it all for a pittance.
A wound from an enemy is to be expected. But a wound from a friend—and a friend who has received nothing but the greatest possible gifts—that is a painful wound indeed. And what is more, the traitor would send the Son of Man to His death with a kiss, with a sign of love and friendship!
To remember this deed of darkness that precipitated the events of the Passion, the Church has traditionally called this day “Spy Wednesday.”
Let us remember today the deep wound in Christ’s loving Heart at the betrayal of Judas—and perhaps look into our own hearts, too, to see when we might have preferred the things of this world to the superabundant love of Christ.
The Last Hours of Jesus—From Gethsemane to Golgotha offers an unforgettable narrative of the events of Holy Week, explaining details that most of us miss or don’t understand. Fr. Ralph Gorman crafts a single account that combines material from all four Gospels with critically-important Old Testament passages, plus facts from Jewish and Roman history and law. He includes 1st-century political, geographical, and archaeological information and keen depictions of Gospel locations based on his three years’ residence there. Enter into the events of Christ’s Passion as never before with this incredible book! Available today at The Catholic Company!
