REBELLION: THE LEE WAY TO BETRAYAL

V/​ I will turn to you O God, 

R/​ to God who gives joy to my youth

V/​ Give me the Wisdom that sits by your throne; 

R/ that I may be counted among your children

Lord, in your all-providential plan, you have led me to this moment to rediscover me in your Word and Wisdom. Aid me to make this time of meditation and prayer enriching, transforming, and liberating for my well-being and others. Amen!

REBELLION: THE LEE WAY TO BETRAYAL

By Dr. Susan Muto

HOLY WEDNESDAY

Isaiah 50:4-9; Psalm 69(68): 8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34; Matthew 26:14-25

16th April 2025

Confronting us in the readings for today are several contrasting directives that place before believers and sincere seekers radical choices: obedience or rebellion in Isaiah; humility or vanity in Psalm 69; repentance or betrayal in Matthew 26. Again, we cannot help but see through the window of this Servant-song an image of our Savior, for did he not give his back to those who scourged him? Was he not insulted and spat upon?

The servant who trusts and believes in God’s promise of help, who stands his ground despite opposition, will be a recipient of grace. He will not be disgraced, however fierce a foe may attack him. Under all circumstances, he will persevere and never forego his loyalty to the Lord. With the might and majesty of God at his side, vindication, not vilification, will be his. Despite being unjustly accused of wrongdoing, this servant of God will overcome every adversary.

In these few verses from the prophet, we derive an excellent picture of what discipleship really means and why suffering inevitably accompanies a true calling in Christ. In The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Saint John of the Cross says, “I should like to persuade spiritual persons that the road leading to God does not entail a multiplicity of considerations, methods, manners, and experiences…but demands only one thing necessary: true self-denial, exterior and interior, through surrender of self both to suffering for Christ and to annihilation in all things.”

Psalm 69 opens a window through which we view prophetically the sufferings of Jesus, as when he was given on the cross “vinegar to drink,” but God’s promise of redemption prevails. The Lord hears the cry of the poor, and all of creation bows to him in worship.

So enamored was she of the might and majesty of the Most High that Saint Thérèse of Lisieux made repeated acts of self-abandonment to God. Amid the shadow of the cross, obedience to God’s will, with great discernment, she prayed, “It pleases You to cause the rays of Your grace to shine through even in the midst of the darkest storm!”

In the Gospel, Jesus attempts to convince Judas to reconsider his intentions before he crosses the bridge of no return and betrays his Master. It is significant that this scene takes place at table. Eating together suggests companionship, friendly exchanges, and genuine hospitality—not adversarial plotting, double talk, and hostility.

However, with a heart hardened by consent to his own nefarious acts, Judas did what he had to do quickly, and the night of betrayal descended upon him.

In the words of Saint John of the Cross, this deed has darkened the betrayer’s intellect, defiled his soul, and rendered him lukewarm in the practice of virtue. He says that “while growing within his soul, these vipers eat away at his entrails and finally…result in killing the soul in its relationship with God…”

From what is unfolding, we learn that the only road to freedom of spirit is to forego rebellion and choose obedience; to bow to God in humility and never succumb to vanity; and to opt for repentance over betrayal. Judas, blindsided by greed, failed to see the purpose for why the Lord had come—not to slay his oppressors but to surrender to the will of the Father for our salvation. By this suffering, says Saint John, “…he accomplished the most marvelous work of his whole life…he brought about the reconciliation and union of the human race with God through grace.”