Wednesday of Holy Week

Reading 1 Is 50:4-9a

The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?

Responsorial Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34

R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Verse Before the Gospel

Hail to you, our King;
you alone are compassionate with our errors.

Or
Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father;
you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter.

Gospel Mt 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.”

From: Isaiah 50:4-9a

Third Song of the Servant of the Lord

[4] The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught; that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. Morning by morning he wakens, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. [5] The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I turned not backward. [6]I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

[7] For the LORD GOD helps me; therefore I have not been confounded; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; [8] he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near me. [9a] Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty?

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Commentary:

50:4-9. The second song dealt with the servant’s mission (cf. 49:6); the third song focuses on the servant himself. The term “servant” as such does not appear here, and therefore some commentators read the passage as being a description of a prophet and not part of the songs. Still, the context (cf. 50:10) does suggest that the protagonist is the servant. The poem is neatly constructed in three stanzas, each beginning with the words, “The Lord God” (vv. 4, 5, 7), and it has a conclusion containing that same wording (v. 9). The first stanza emphasizes the servant’s docility to the word of God; that is, he is not depicted as a self-taught teacher with original ideas, but as an obedient disciple. The second (vv. 5-6) speaks of the suffering that that docility has brought him, without his uttering a word of complaint. The third (vv. 7-8) shows how determined the servant is: if he suffers in silence, it is not out of cowardice but because God helps him and makes him stronger than his persecutors. The conclusion (v. 9) is like the verdict of a trial: when all is said and done, the servant will stand tall, and all his enemies will be struck down.

The evangelists saw the words of this song as finding fulfillment in Jesus—especially what the song has to say about the suffering and silent fortitude of the servant. The Gospel of John, for example, quotes Nicodemus’ acknowledgment of Christ’s wisdom: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him” (Jn 3:21). But the description of the servant’s sufferings was the part that most impressed the early Christians; that part of the song was recalled when they meditated on the passion of Jesus and how “they spat in his face; and struck him; and some slapped him” (Mt 26:67) and later how the Roman soldiers “spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head” (Mt 27:30; cf. also Mk 15:19; Jn 19:3). St Paul refers to v. 9 when applying to Christ Jesus the role of intercessor on behalf of the elect in the suit pressed constantly against them by the enemies of the soul: “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?” (Rom 8:33).

St Jerome sees the servant’s docility as a reference to Christ: “His self-discipline and wisdom enabled him to communicate to us the knowledge of the Father. And he was obedient onto death, death on the cross; he offered his body to the blows they struck, his shoulders to the lash; and though he was wounded on the chest and on his face, he did not try to turn away and escape their violence” (”Commentarii In Isaiam”, 50, 4). This passage is used in the liturgy of Palm Sunday (along with Psalm 22 and St Paul’s hymn in the Letter to the Philippians 2:6-11), before the reading of our Lord’s passion.

From: Matthew 26:14-25

Judas Betrays Jesus

[14] Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests [15] and said, “What will you give me if I deliver Him (Jesus) to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. [16] And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray Him.

Preparations for the Last Supper

[17] Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will You have us prepare for You to eat the Passover?” [18] He said, “Go into the city to such a one, and say to him, `The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.’” [19] And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared for the Passover.

[20] When it was evening, He sat at table with the twelve disciples; [21] and as they were eating, He said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” [22] And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to Him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” [23] He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with Me, will betray Me. [24] The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” [25] Judas, who betrayed Him, said, “Is it I, Master?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

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Commentary:

15. It is disconcerting and sobering to realize that Judas Iscariot actually went as far as to sell the man whom he had believed to be the Messiah and who had called him to be one of the Apostles. Thirty shekels or pieces of silver were the price of a slave (cf. Exodus 21:32), the same value as Judas put on his Master.

17. This unleavened bread, azymes, took the form of loaves which had to be eaten over a seven-day period, in commemoration of the unleavened bread which the Israelites had to take with them in their hurry to leave Egypt (cf. Exodus 12:34). In Jesus’ time the Passover supper was celebrated on the first day of the week of the Unleavened Bread.

18. Although the reference is to an unnamed person, probably our Lord gave the person’s actual name. In any event, from what other evangelists tell us (Mark 14:13; Luke 22:10), Jesus gave the disciples enough information to enable them to find the house.

22. Although the glorious events of Easter have yet to occur (which will teach the Apostles much more about Jesus), their faith has been steadily fortified and deepened in the course of Jesus’ public ministry (cf. John 2:11; 6:68-69) through their contact with Him and the divine grace they have been given (cf. Matthew 16:17). At this point they are quite convinced that our Lord knows their internal attitudes and how they are going to act: each asks in a concerned way whether he will prove to be loyal in the time ahead.

24. Jesus is referring to the fact that He will give Himself up freely to suffering and death. In so doing He would fulfill the Will of God, as proclaimed centuries before (cf. Psalm 41:10; Isaiah 53:7). Although our Lord goes to His death voluntarily, this does not reduce the seriousness of Judas’ treachery.

25. This advance indication that Judas is the traitor is not noticed by the other Apostles (cf. John 13:26-29).

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading	Isaiah 50:4-9 ©

Who thinks he has a case against me? Let him approach me

The Lord has given me

a disciple’s tongue.

So that I may know how to reply to the wearied

he provides me with speech.

Each morning he wakes me to hear,

to listen like a disciple.

The Lord has opened my ear.

For my part, I made no resistance,

neither did I turn away.

I offered my back to those who struck me,

my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;

I did not cover my face

against insult and spittle.

The Lord comes to my help,

so that I am untouched by the insults.

So, too, I set my face like flint;

I know I shall not be shamed.

My vindicator is here at hand. Does anyone start proceedings against me?

Then let us go to court together.

Who thinks he has a case against me?

Let him approach me.

The Lord is coming to my help,

who will dare to condemn me?

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 68(69):8-10,21-22,31,33-34 ©

In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.

It is for you that I suffer taunts,

that shame covers my face,

that I have become a stranger to my brothers,

an alien to my own mother’s sons.

I burn with zeal for your house

and taunts against you fall on me.

In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.

Taunts have broken my heart;

I have reached the end of my strength.

I looked in vain for compassion,

for consolers; not one could I find.

For food they gave me poison;

in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.

I will praise God’s name with a song;

I will glorify him with thanksgiving.

The poor when they see it will be glad

and God-seeking hearts will revive;

for the Lord listens to the needy

and does not spurn his servants in their chains.

In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.

Gospel Acclamation

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Hail to you, our King!

Obedient to the Father, you were led to your crucifixion

as a meek lamb is led to the slaughter.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Or:

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Hail to you, our King!

You alone have had compassion on our sins.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Gospel
Matthew 26:14-25 ©

'The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will'

One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?’ They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment he looked for an opportunity to betray him.

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied ‘and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.”’ The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.

When evening came he was at table with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 26
14.	Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests,	Tunc abiit unus de duodecim, qui dicebatur Judas Iscariotes, ad principes sacerdotum :	τοτε πορευθεις εις των δωδεκα ο λεγομενος ιουδας ισκαριωτης προς τους αρχιερεις
15.	And said to them: What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver.	et ait illis : Quid vultis mihi dare, et ego vobis eum tradam ? At illi constituerunt ei triginta argenteos.	ειπεν τι θελετε μοι δουναι καγω υμιν παραδωσω αυτον οι δε εστησαν αυτω τριακοντα αργυρια
16.	And from thenceforth he sought opportunity to betray him.	Et exinde quærebat opportunitatem ut eum traderet.	και απο τοτε εζητει ευκαιριαν ινα αυτον παραδω
17.	And on the first day of the Azymes, the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the pasch?	Prima autem die azymorum accesserunt discipuli ad Jesum, dicentes : Ubi vis paremus tibi comedere Pascha ?	τη δε πρωτη των αζυμων προσηλθον οι μαθηται τω ιησου λεγοντες αυτω που θελεις ετοιμασομεν σοι φαγειν το πασχα
18.	But Jesus said: Go ye into the city to a certain man, and say to him: the master saith, My time is near at hand, with thee I make the pasch with my disciples.	At Jesus dixit : Ite in civitatem ad quemdam, et dicite ei : Magister dicit : Tempus meum prope est, apud te facio Pascha cum discipulis meis.	ο δε ειπεν υπαγετε εις την πολιν προς τον δεινα και ειπατε αυτω ο διδασκαλος λεγει ο καιρος μου εγγυς εστιν προς σε ποιω το πασχα μετα των μαθητων μου
19.	And the disciples did as Jesus appointed to them, and they prepared the pasch.	Et fecerunt discipuli sicut constituit illis Jesus, et paraverunt Pascha.	και εποιησαν οι μαθηται ως συνεταξεν αυτοις ο ιησους και ητοιμασαν το πασχα
20.	But when it was evening, he sat down with his twelve disciples.	Vespere autem facto, discumbebat cum duodecim discipulis suis.	οψιας δε γενομενης ανεκειτο μετα των δωδεκα
21.	And whilst they were eating, he said: Amen I say to you, that one of you is about to betray me.	Et edentibus illis, dixit : Amen dico vobis, quia unus vestrum me traditurus est.	και εσθιοντων αυτων ειπεν αμην λεγω υμιν οτι εις εξ υμων παραδωσει με
22.	And they being very much troubled, began every one to say: Is it I, Lord?	Et contristati valde, cœperunt singuli dicere : Numquid ego sum Domine ?	και λυπουμενοι σφοδρα ηρξαντο λεγειν αυτω εκαστος αυτων μητι εγω ειμι κυριε
23.	But he answering, said: He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me.	At ipse respondens, ait : Qui intingit mecum manum in paropside, hic me tradet.	ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν ο εμβαψας μετ εμου εν τω τρυβλιω την χειρα ουτος με παραδωσει
24.	The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed: it were better for him, if that man had not been born.	Filius quidem hominis vadit, sicut scriptum est de illo : væ autem homini illi, per quem Filius hominis tradetur ! bonum erat ei, si natus non fuisset homo ille.	ο μεν υιος του ανθρωπου υπαγει καθως γεγραπται περι αυτου ουαι δε τω ανθρωπω εκεινω δι ου ο υιος του ανθρωπου παραδιδοται καλον ην αυτω ει ουκ εγεννηθη ο ανθρωπος εκεινος
25.	And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: Is it I, Rabbi? He saith to him: Thou hast said it.	Respondens autem Judas, qui tradidit eum, dixit : Numquid ego sum Rabbi ? Ait illi : Tu dixisti.	αποκριθεις δε ιουδας ο παραδιδους αυτον ειπεν μητι εγω ειμι ραββι λεγει αυτω συ ειπας

14. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the Chief Priests,
15. And said to them, What will you give me, and I will deliver him to you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
16. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

GLOSS. Having described the occasion of his treachery, the Evangelist proceeds to recount the manner of it.

CHRYS. Then, when, that is, he heard that this Gospel should be preached every where; for that made him afraid, as it was indeed a mark of unspeakable power.

AUG. The order of the narrative is this. The Lord says, You know that after two days will be the feast of the Passover;. . . then assembled together the Chief Priests and Scribes;. . . then went one of the twelve. Thus the narrative of what took place at Bethany is inserted by way of digression, respecting an earlier time between that, Lest there be an uproar, and, Then one of the twelve.

ORIGEN; Went, against that one high priest, who was made a Priest for ever, to many high priests, to sell for a price Him who sought to redeem the whole world.

RABAN. Went, he says, because he was neither compelled, nor invited, but of his own free will formed the wicked design.

CHRYS. One of the twelve, as much as to say, of that first band who are elected for preeminent merit.

GLOSS. He adds his distinctive appellation, Scarioth, for there was another' Judas.

REMIG. So called from the village Scariotha, from which he came.

LEO; He did not out of any fear forsake Christ, but through lust of money cast Him off; for in comparison; of the love of money all our affections are feeble; the soul athirst for gain fears not to die for a very little; there is no trace of righteousness in that heart in which covetousness has once taken up its abode. The traitor Judas, intoxicated with this bane, in his thirst for lucre was so foolishly hardened, as to sell his Lord and Master.

JEROME; The wretched Judas would fain replace, by the sale of his Master, that loss which he supposed he had incurred by the ointment. And he does not demand any fixed sum, lest his treachery should seem a gainful thing, but as though delivering up a worthless slave, he left it to those who bought, to determine how much they would give.

ORIGEN; The same do all who take any material or worldly things to cast out of their thoughts the Savior and the word of truth which was in them. And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver, as many pieces as the Savior had dwelt years in the world.

JEROME; Joseph was not sold as many, following the LXX, think for twenty pieces of gold, but as the Hebrew text has for twenty pieces of silver, for it could not be that the servant should be more valuable than his Master.

AUG. That the Lord was sold for thirty pieces of silver by Judas, denotes the unrighteous Jews, who pursuing things carnal and temporal, which belong to the five bodily senses, refuse to have Christ; and forasmuch as they did this in the sixth age of the world, their receiving five times six as the price of the Lord is thus signified; and because the Lord's words are silver, but they understood even the Law carnally, they had, as it were, stamped on silver the image of that worldly dominion which they held to when they renounced the Lord.

ORIGEN; The opportunity which Judas sought is further explained by Luke, how he might betray him in the absence of the multitude; when the populace was not with Him but He was withdrawn with His disciples. And this he did, delivering Him up after supper, when He was withdrawn to the garden of Gethsemane. And from that time forward, such has been the season sought for by those that would betray the word of God in time of persecution, when the multitude of believers is not around the word of truth.

17. Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, Where will you that we prepare for you to eat the Passover?
18. And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say to him, The Master says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.
19. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the Passover.

GLOSS. The Evangelist having gone through the events preliminary to the Passion, namely, the announcement of it, the counsel of the Chief Priests, and the covenant for His betrayal, prosecutes the history in the order of events, saying, On the first day of unleavened bread.

JEROME; The first day of unleavened bread is the fourteenth day of the first month, when the lamb is killed, the moon is at full, and leaven is put away.

REMIG. And observe that with the Jews, the Passover is celebrated on the first day, and the following seven are called the days of unleavened bread; but here the first day of unleavened bread means the day of the Passover.

CHRYS. Or, by the first day, he means the day before the days of unleavened bread. For the Jews always reckoned the day from the evening; and this day of which he speaks was that on the evening of which they were to kill the Passover, namely, the fifth day of the weeks.

REMIG. But perhaps some one will say, If that typical lamb bore a type of this the true lamb, how did not Christ suffer on the night on which this was always killed? It is to be noted, that on this night, He committed to His disciples the mysteries of His flesh and blood to be celebrated, and then also being seized and bound by the Jews, He hallowed the commencement of His sacrifice, i.e. His Passion. The disciples came to him, among these no doubt was the traitor Judas.

CHRYS. Hence it is evident that He had neither house nor lodging. Nor, I conclude, had the disciples any, for they would surely have invited Him thither.

AUG. Go into the city to such a man, Him whom Mark and Luke call the good-man of the house, or the master of the house. And when Matthew says, to such a man, he is to be understood to say this as from himself for brevity's sake; for every one knows that no man speaks thus, Go you to such a man. And Matthew adds these words, to such a man, not that the Lord used the very expression, but to convey to us that the disciples were not sent to any one in the city, but to some certain person.

CHRYS. Or, we may say that this, to such a man, shows that He sent them to some person unknown to them, teaching them thereby that He was able to avoid His Passion. For He who prevailed with this man to entertain Him, how could He not have prevailed with those who crucified Him, had He chosen not to suffer? Indeed, I marvel not only that he entertained Him, being a stranger, but that he did it in contempt of the hatred of the multitude.

HILARY; Or, Matthew does not name the man in whose house Christ would celebrate the Passover, because the Christian name was not yet held in honor by the believers.

RABAN. Or, he omits the name, that all who would fain celebrate the true Passover, and receive Christ within the dwelling place of their own minds, should understand that the opportunity is afforded them

JEROME; In this also the New Scripture observes the practice of the Old, in which we frequently read, 'He said unto him,' and 'In this or that place,' without any name of person or place.

CHRYS. My time is at hand, this He said, both by so manifold announcements of His Passion, fortifying His disciples against the event, and at the same time showing that He undertook it voluntarily. I will keep the Passover at your house, wherein we see, that to the very last day He was not disobedient to the Law. With my disciples, He adds, that there might be sufficient preparation made, and that he to whom He sent might not think that He desired to be concealed.

ORIGEN; Some one may argue, that because Jesus kept the Passover with Jewish observances, we ought to do the same as followers of Christ, not remembering that Jesus was made under the Law, though not that He should leave under the Law those who were under it, but should lead them out of it; how much less fitting then is it, that those who before were without the Law, should afterwards enter in? We celebrate spiritually the things which were carnally celebrated in the Law, keeping the Passover in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, according to the will of the Lamb, who said, Except you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you shall not have life in you.

20. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.
21. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say to you, that one of you shall betray me.
22. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say to him, Lord, is it I?
23. And he answered and said, He that dips his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
24. The Son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
25. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said to him, You have said.

; The Lord had above foretold His Passion, He now foretell who is to be the traitor; thus giving him place of repentance, when he should see that his thoughts and the secret designs of his heart were known.

REMIG. With the twelve, it is said, for Judas was personally among them, though he had ceased to be so in merit.

JEROME; Judas acts in every thing to remove all suspicion of his treachery.

REMIG. And it is beautifully said, When evening was come, because it was in the evening that the Lamb was wont to be slain.

RABAN. For this reason also, because in Christ's Passion, wherein the true sun hastened to his setting, eternal refreshment was made ready for all believers.

CHRYS. The Evangelist relates how as they sat at meat, Jesus declares Judas' treachery, that the wickedness of the betrayer may be more apparent from the season and the circumstances.

LEO; He shows that the conscience of His betrayer was known to Him, not meeting his wickedness with a harsh and open rebuke, that penitence might find a readier way to one who had not been disgraced by public dismissal.

ORIGEN; Or, He spoke generally, to prove the nature of each of their hearts, and to evince the wickedness of Judas, who would not believe in One who knew his heart. I suppose that at first he supposed that the thing was hid from Him, deeming Him man, which was of unbelief; but when he saw that his heart was known, he embraced the concealment offered by this general way of speaking, which was shamelessness. This also shows the goodness of the disciples, that they believed Christ's words more than their own consciences, they began each to say, Lord, is it I? For they knew by what Jesus had taught them that human nature is readily turned to evil, and is in continual struggle with the rulers of the darkness of this world; whence they ask as in fear, for by reason of our weakness the future is an object of dread to us. When the Lord saw the disciples thus alarmed for themselves, He pointed out the traitor by the mark of the prophetic declaration, He that has eaten bread with me has wantonly overthrown me.

JEROME; O wonderful endurance of the Lord, He had said before, One of you shall betray me. The traitor perseveres in his wickedness; He designates him more particularly, yet not by name. For Judas, while the rest were sorrowful, and withdrew their hands and bid away the food from their mouths, with the same hardihood and recklessness which led him to betray Him reached forth his hand into the dish with his Master, passing off his audacity as a good conscience.

CHRYS. I rather think that Christ did this out of regard for him, and to bring him to a better mind.

RABAN. What Matthew calls 'paropsis,' Mark calls 'catinus.' The 'paropsis' is a square dish for meat, 'catinus,' an earthen vessel for containing fluids; this then might be a square earthen vessel.

ORIGEN; Such is the wont of men of exceeding wickedness, to plot against those of whose bread and salt they have partaken, and especially those who have no enmity against them. But if we take it of the spiritual table, and the spiritual food, we shall see the more abundant and overthrowing measure of this man's wickedness, who called to mind neither his Master's love in providing carnal goods, nor His teaching in things spiritual. Such are all in the Church who lay snares for their brethren whom they continually meet at the same table of Christ's Body.

JEROME; Judas, not withheld by either the first or second warning, perseveres in his treachery; the Lord's long-suffering nourishes his audacity. Now then his punishment is foretold, that denunciations of wrath may correct where good feeling has no power.

REMIG. It belongs to human nature to come and go, Divine nature remains ever the same. So because His human nature could suffer and die, therefore of the Son of Man it is well said that he goes. He says plainly, As it is written of him, for all that He suffered had been foretold by the Prophets.

CHRYS. This He said to comfort His disciples, that they might not think that it was through weakness that He suffered; and at the same time for the correction of His betrayer. And notwithstanding His Passion had been foretold, Judas is still guilty; and not his betrayal wrought our salvation, but God's providence, which used the sins of others to our profit.

ORIGEN; He said not, By whom the Son of Man is betrayed, but through whom, pointing out another, to wit, the Devil, as the author of His betrayal, Judas as the minister. But woe also to all betrayers of Christ! and such is every one who betrays a disciple of Christ.

REMIG. Woe also to all who draw near to Christ's table with an evil and defiled conscience! who though they do not deliver Christ to the Jews to be crucified, deliver Him to their own sinful members to be taken. He adds, to give more emphasis, Good were it for that man if he had never been born.

JEROME; We are not to infer from this that man has a being before birth; for it cannot be well with any man till he has a being; it simply implies that it is better not to be, than to be in evil.

AUG. And if it be contended that there is a life before this life, that will prove that not only not for Judas, but for none other is it good to have been born. Can it mean, that it were better for him not to have been born to the Devil, namely, for sin? Or does it mean that it had been good for him not to have been born to Christ at his calling, that he should now become apostate?

ORIGEN; After all the Apostles had asked, and after Christ had spoken of him, Judas at length inquired of himself, with the crafty design of concealing his treacherous purpose by asking the same question as the rest; for real sorrow brooks not suspense.

JEROME; His question feigns either great respect, or a hypocritical incredulousness. The rest who were not to betray Him, said only Lord; the actual traitor addresses Him as Master, as though it were some excuse that he denied Him as Lord, and betrayed a Master only.

ORIGEN; Or, out of sycophancy he calls Him Master, while he holds Him unworthy of the title.

CHRYS. Though the Lord could have said, Have you covenanted to receive silver, and dare to ask Me this? But Jesus, most merciful, said nothing of all this, therein laying down for us rules and landmarks of endurance of evil. He said to him, you have said.

REMIG. Which may be understood thus; You say it, and you say what is true; or, You have said this, not I; leaving him room for repentance so long as his villainy was not publicly exposed.

RABAN. This might have been so said by Judas, and answered by the Lord as not to be overheard by the rest.

Catena Aurea Matthew 26

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April 08 2020

Wednesday of Holy Week

Reading 1 Is 50:4-9a

Responsorial Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34

Verse Before the Gospel

Gospel Mt 26:14-25

Readings at Mass

Who thinks he has a case against me? Let him approach me

'The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will'