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Readings: Isaiah 49:1-6 -- John 13:21-33, 36-38 -- Psalm 71
The LORD speaks to the Servant while still in his Mother's
womb. He is alive, nestled beneath the heart of his holy
Mother, Mary.
Formed as an instrument of Justice and reparation from the womb,
the Servant sings a song of liberation.
Not only will the Servant be a blessing to Israel, all the ends
of the earth -- the Gentiles -- will be saved and blessed.
In today's Gospel, that Servant is at risk of betrayal and
death. Violence from strangers is bad, but when it comes from
your
closest friends and associates, the situation becomes even more
grave. How quick was this man who had walked many miles
with Jesus and the other apostles to betray Him who had given so
much!
Lest we judge him too harshly, consider how quick we are in
our own ways to betray Jesus.
We see him by the roadside, begging for change, and we look
the other way. We change lanes so we won't be beside him or her.
We cheer with bloodlust in our voices, crying out loudly,
"Crucify him, Crucify him", in the form of the children of
Afghanistan and Iraq
whom we deliberately abandoned to their fate. We, the Roman
Catholics of this nation could have stood against those unjust
wars
but we did not. Led by our own bishops, we abandoned our moral
duties and made an golden calf that we call America, and we
worship that false god more than we do the Lord of this
Universe.
Our legislatures and congresses convene amidst much great
blather of piety -- prayers are said, hymns are sung --
and legislation is
written that betrays Christ and all that Christianity has ever
stood for. Conservatives and liberals alike rejoice in the
orgy of greed,
gluttony, and licentiousness that passes for governance in this
era. Why are they able to do this? Because we who take upon
ourselves the
name of Christian are quick to betray our own Lord. We torture
and murder Christ with our many betrayals of his Gospel.
We think we are so pious, but all too often, are we not like
Peter -- quick to proclaim our faith, and equally quick, when
the going
gets political, to betray the Lord for whom we previously
affirmed our faith?