"Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him" - Tuesday of Holy Week
Liturgic day: Tuesday of Holy Week
Gospel text (Jn 13,21-33.36-38): Jesus was distressed in spirit and said plainly, "Truly, one of you will betray me". The disciples then looked at one another, wondering who He meant. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining near Jesus; so Simon Peter signaled him to ask Jesus whom He meant. And the disciple who was reclining near Jesus asked him, "Lord, who is it?". Jesus answered, "I shall dip a piece of bread in the dish, and he to whom I give it, is the one". So Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And as Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus then said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly". None of the others reclining at table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. As he had the common purse, they may have thought that Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the feast", or, "Give something to the poor". Judas left as soon as he had eaten the bread. It was night.
When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. God will glorify him, and He will glorify him very soon. My children, I am with you for only a little while; you will look for me, but, as I already told the Jews, so now I tell you: where I am going you cannot come". Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?". Jesus answered, "Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but afterwards you will". Peter said, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I am ready to give my life for you". Jesus answered, "To give your life for me! Truly, I tell you, the cock will not crow before you have denied me three times".
Comment: Fr. Lluís ROQUÉ i Roqué (Manresa, Barcelona, Spain)
"Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him"
Today, we are given to contemplate Jesus in the darkness of His Passion days. Darkness that will be over when He will exclaim: "It is finished" (Jn 19:30); as of that moment, Easter's light will flare up. In Easter's glowing night - in opposition to the darkness of the vigil of his death - Jesus' words will become true: "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him" (Jn 13:31). We can indeed say that each step Jesus takes is a step from death to Life and it has a Paschal character, expressed by an attitude of total obedience to the Father: "I have come to do your will" (Heb 10:9); attitude corroborated by words, gestures and deeds which are opening the way to his glorification as the Son of God.
Today, we also contemplate the person of Judas, the traitor apostle. And his heart, full of evil intentions he is seeking to dissimulate; hipocritically, he is also trying to cover up the greediness that rules and blinds him, despite he is so close to him, who is the Light of the world. In spite of being surrounded by Light and exemplar unselfishness, for Judas "it was night" (Jn 13:30): thirty silver coins, "the devil's excrement" - as Papini qualified money - have dazzled and gagged him. Dominated by avidity, he betrays and sells Jesus, the most honored amongst honored men; but Judas experienced despair too, for money is not everything and it can definitely enslave us.
Finally, we consider Peter with attention and devotion. Everything in him is good will, love, generosity, simplicity, nobility... He is Judas' counterpoint. It is true that three times Peter denied Jesus, but his intentions were not mean; he just did it out of cowardice and human feebleness. "He denied him for the third time, and when Jesus Christ looks at him, he immediately cried, and bitterly he cried" (Saint Ambrose). Peter's remorse and repentance was sincere as shown by his excruciating pain full of love. This is why, Jesus afterwards, reaffirmed him in the vocation and in the mission He had prepared for him.
Source: www.evangeli.net
