Reflections on the Readings of the Day - 8th April 2020

(Holy Week/Last Week of Lent)

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First Reading: Isaiah 50: 4-9a
Res. Psalm: Psalm 69: 8-10. 21-22. 31. & 33-34 (R.14c,b)
The verse before the Gospel: Hail our King! You alone have had mercy on our failings!
Gospel: Matthew 26: 14-25
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Hello Readers!

As we approach the crux of the Lenten season, the readings just like yesterday are centred on the agony and betrayal of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Highlighted by the Holy Spirit in the readings of today was the act of 'Submission'.  Google defines submission as the action of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person.

In line with what was shared in yesterday's reflection, the choices we make, result from who we submit our will to.  In life here on earth, there are two forces at play for our submission - The force of Good and that of Evil. 

God is Good, Self is Evil.

You might wonder why I have referred to self as evil and not the devil. This is because the devil only appeals to the evil that is already within us due to the fall of man. This is evident in the words of King David in Psalm 51:11, where he cried to God not to take His Holy Spirit away from him as he saw in his predecessor, Saul. 

Without the help of the Holy Spirit - Spirit of God, which we often refer to as Grace ... Amazing Grace, nothing good will ever come out of us.

Submission - A choice in itself

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. De Agostini / G. Sioen / Getty Images

Both men; Jesus and Judas - who had free will (like we all do), made very contrast choices when it came to whom they submitted their will.  Jesus submitted His will to God the Father (and He proudly proclaimed it all through His ministry), while Judas submitted his will to self which gave the devil permission to enhance his inner desires - love for money. Let's look at it this way, when we submit our will to God, the Holy Spirit comes into us, but when we submit our will to self, then the devil moves in. 

Every choice has its reward

Let's not forget the owner of the room where Jesus had His last supper. This person gave up his or her will to own the room, in service to another for that day, and as such, ended up being remembered in all of history as the one who offered shelter to the Son of God on His last night on earth as a human. 

Submitting to God, may come with some discomfort and definitely self-denial, but trust that it is always for good and no one who ever does this goes unrewarded. Even though the owner of the room is long gone from the surface of the earth, he or she has been made immortal by the holy words of God which never passes away with time.

Jesus chose to give up His will to God Almighty, even to the point of an agonizing death on a cross and this brought about the redemption of mankind and the manifestation of the Glory of God the Father through His Son in the resurrection. Philippians 2:10-11 states exactly the reward given to Jesus for His choice.

Judas, well, had it really tough. Even though he regretted his choice and returned the blood money, he couldn't live with the actions he had already taken and as in the case of Saul (absence of Grace), he was driven mad by guilt and despair and thus committed suicide by hanging himself.

God is Life and thus the Good Choice

One of the many wonderful aspects of submitting our will to God is that He actually helps us to do all we cannot do by ourselves. Also, he stays close to us as a good friend and does not just abandon us to do whatever He asks us to do. All He tells us to do is always for our own good as He gains nothing from whatever we do. He is an all-sufficient God. We are the ones who need Him.  

The words of Jesus echoed through Isaiah in the first reading (Isaiah 50:7-9) and the last paragraph of the responsorial psalm (Psalm 69:33-34), encourages us to be confident in God, knowing that we are never alone when we chose to give our will to Him, despite what the world may do to us. Let us never forget that with God - there is Life and where there is Life, there is Hope.

Do not lose hope. Do not give into self. Do not let the devil in.

May we always be guided in truth with the choices we make, so that we can always chose life over death. 

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, reign in our hearts and may the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in perfect peace, Amen.

#Shalom 💙

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