Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, "Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus' side. So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him, "Master, who is it? "Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it."So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly. "Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, "Buy what we need for the feast, "or to give something to the poor. So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night. When he had left, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you."Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going? "Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later."Peter said to him, "Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times."
REFLECTION
One disciple will betray Jesus and another disciple will deny he knows Jesus. Everything revealed in the Gospels has relavance to us, now. Will we betray Jesus or renounce that we know Him? This will be the final test.
Jesus while on Earth was always talking about doing God's Will. Adam lost living in God's Will when he chose to do his own will and to eat the forbidden fruit. This is why God had a back-up plan to redeem us by sending His Son to repay our debt. Yet we must go back to the beginning. We must live in God's will as Adam did before the fall.
He tells us, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21) And Jesus shows us that our humanity is weak, but to surrender to God's Will and not our own is the way. Even Jesus had to submit his will to do His Father's will in the Garden of Gethsemane, "...not my will, but yours, be done." (Luke 22:42)
The prayer Jesus taught His disciples reminds us to pray for the kingdom to come and to do His will, "...Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)
The two disciples Judas Iscariot and Peter did their own will. Judas was sorry and tried to return the 30 pieces of silver. He wept but didn't ask God's forgiveness and hung himself in dispair. Peter wept but stayed in Jerusalem with the other disciples in fear. Eventually, Peter had a chance to show his sorrow and he does after Jesus' resurrection.
After the Ascension with the help of the Holy Spirit, Peter spreads the Gospel doing God's will.
"Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Peter does lay down his life out of love for Jesus Christ.
Let us pray and meditate on the "Our Father." May we do God's will and not our own, so His Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven.
Let us pray that all Priests will do God's will and lay down their lives for the salvation of souls as Jesus and St. Peter did.
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