As we journey through this Holy Week, we’re invited in a special way to reflect on the profound love and sacrifice that define our faith. It’s a privileged and sacred time to turn our hearts towards the events that changed the course of history through the suffering, death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear the voice of God calling his servant: "The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me...I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
This passage is a reminder that each of us is called to be a servant, to bring the light of Christ to those in darkness, even when we feel unqualified or when our efforts seem to be in vain. Like the servant in Isaiah, we may sometimes feel that we have labored for nothing, but we need remember that our efforts are with the Lord, and He’s the one who gives us strength to persevere.
And we link this message with today’s Gospel of John, that brings us into the poignant scene of Jesus's final hours with His disciples. During the last supper, Jesus, declares, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
Imagine the weight of this moment, of the impending betrayal. Yet amidst this sorrow, Jesus is focused on teaching His disciples as He says: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you….”.
Even knowing what is to come, Jesus emphasizes love as the defining characteristic of His followers. In this same setting, we witness Peter's declaration of loyalty and Jesus's prediction: “Will you lay down your life for me?” “Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.” This prophecy highlights our human frailty and at times, the contrast between our intentions and our actions. The juxtaposition of Jesus's unwavering love and the human failings (of betrayal and denial) is central to Holy Week.
Let us reflect on our own capacity for both love and betrayal or perhaps selfishness:
Are there times when we have fallen short of the love that Christ commands us to live? If so, let us seek forgiveness and reconciliation, by humbly going to Confession and having our souls washed clean and let us also seek forgiveness with those we have sinned against.
My brothers and sisters, today’s readings though dealing with doubt and betrayal… remind us of how God’s love ultimately prevails even in times of darkness and suffering and doubt. For it is through Jesus’ sacrificial act of giving His life for all mankind, that we have been redeemed…may we find the strength that we need this week to grow closer to God, our families and all that we are called to serve… through our prayer, the Sacraments of the Confession and the Eucharist and the works of charity that God presents to us…beginning in our families and working outward in His Name.