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Gospel: Matthew 26: 14-25
One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”
He said,
“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”‘“
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.
When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
“Surely it is not I, Lord?”
He said in reply,
“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
He answered, “You have said so.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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“Et tu, Brute?” … “And you, Brutus?”
These were the final words spoken by Julius Caesar after being swarmed by Roman senators and stabbed to death in Shakespeare’s famous play, Julius Caesar.
Caesar was preparing to be installed as Emperor of Rome for life, until he was murdered by his colleagues, including his closest friend, Brutus.
“And you, Brutus?”
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Betrayal must be a wrenching feeling, leaving you feeling like the life has been sucked out of you. Someone you love has turned against you, showing you a hidden face, a side you never knew.
Caesar sees the betrayal of Judas as he bleeds, gazing into his friends eyes.
I wonder what Jesus saw in the eyes of Judas.
“Et tu, Judas?” … “And you, Judas?”
After all Judas has seen Jesus do and hear him say, he betrays him with a kiss. This is humanity at its worst, taking God for granted – perhaps any human being is capable of in different forms.
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Tomorrow, we begin the Triduum – the three-day event encompassing Christ’s betrayal, crucifixion, death, and resurrection.
I imagine him staring at me at the Last Supper, staring at me in the Garden of Gethsemane, saying, “Et tu?”
“And you?”
You know what I’ve done for you. How will we respond? With an insincere kiss like Judas?
Or with the steadfast love of John the Beloved, who places his head tenderly on the heart of Christ, and remained by his side in his darkest hour, even when John didn’t understand?
“And you?”
What does Jesus see when he looks at us?
“And you?”
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Image credits: (1) James Jordan, Medium (2) The Taking of Christ, Caravaggio (3) Christianity.com