Lectio
John 13:21–33, 36–38
Meditatio
Jesus, when I ponder this Gospel I feel sad at seeing you troubled. You had said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Now you are troubled. Ecclesiastes tells us there is a “time for everything,” including “a time to weep” (Eccl 3:1–4). Now it’s your time to be overwhelmed with sadness. Even in our emotions you chose to be like us in all things but sin (cf. Heb 4:15). At times I feel storms of sadness and troubled emotions. You did not shield yourself from the stabbing pain of a friend’s betrayal. You wept over Lazarus and over Jerusalem. Your heart was moved with pity at seeing the widow of Nain. You knew the joy of friendship at Matthew’s house and the comfort of the hospitality of Martha and Mary.
Now, Lord, you are plunged into a troubling sadness. You speak of betrayal and everyone acts surprised, even your betrayer. You tell Judas, “Do it quickly.” Your sadness at Judas reminds me of what the martyr Saint Thomas More expressed in the play A Man for All Seasons. When Sir Richard Rich perjures himself as he falsely accuses More, the saint tells him that he is more troubled by Rich’s perjury than by his own prospect of execution. What troubles you, my Lord, in this Gospel scene? The thought of impending betrayals and abandonment is breaking your heart. You know Judas’ treachery. You look at the other disciples who seem so innocent and unaware of what will soon take place. You cannot force your love on the betrayer, but you try to save him. You wash his feet, you offer him the morsel dipped in the dish. Judas eats it and leaves. “And it was night.” Judas walks out of your presence. He turns his back on the Light. He is swallowed by the night, by Satan, the prince of darkness.
Oratio
Lord, Saint John details for us the love you offered to each disciple—even the one who would betray you. I ask you to be my motivation and my driving force, even when I feel drawn to abandon the cross of daily fidelity. May I care for those around me and desire their eternal salvation above all. May my love for others mirror yours—so I care for both their spiritual and their physical well-being. I trust that in your goodness you will grant me these graces. Amen.
Contemplatio
“My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.”
__
LENTEN GRACE: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)
John 13:21–33, 36–38
Meditatio
“Jesus was deeply troubled.”
Jesus, when I ponder this Gospel I feel sad at seeing you troubled. You had said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Now you are troubled. Ecclesiastes tells us there is a “time for everything,” including “a time to weep” (Eccl 3:1–4). Now it’s your time to be overwhelmed with sadness. Even in our emotions you chose to be like us in all things but sin (cf. Heb 4:15). At times I feel storms of sadness and troubled emotions. You did not shield yourself from the stabbing pain of a friend’s betrayal. You wept over Lazarus and over Jerusalem. Your heart was moved with pity at seeing the widow of Nain. You knew the joy of friendship at Matthew’s house and the comfort of the hospitality of Martha and Mary.
Now, Lord, you are plunged into a troubling sadness. You speak of betrayal and everyone acts surprised, even your betrayer. You tell Judas, “Do it quickly.” Your sadness at Judas reminds me of what the martyr Saint Thomas More expressed in the play A Man for All Seasons. When Sir Richard Rich perjures himself as he falsely accuses More, the saint tells him that he is more troubled by Rich’s perjury than by his own prospect of execution. What troubles you, my Lord, in this Gospel scene? The thought of impending betrayals and abandonment is breaking your heart. You know Judas’ treachery. You look at the other disciples who seem so innocent and unaware of what will soon take place. You cannot force your love on the betrayer, but you try to save him. You wash his feet, you offer him the morsel dipped in the dish. Judas eats it and leaves. “And it was night.” Judas walks out of your presence. He turns his back on the Light. He is swallowed by the night, by Satan, the prince of darkness.
Oratio
Lord, Saint John details for us the love you offered to each disciple—even the one who would betray you. I ask you to be my motivation and my driving force, even when I feel drawn to abandon the cross of daily fidelity. May I care for those around me and desire their eternal salvation above all. May my love for others mirror yours—so I care for both their spiritual and their physical well-being. I trust that in your goodness you will grant me these graces. Amen.
Contemplatio
“My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.”
__
LENTEN GRACE: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)
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