Holy Thursday

I wonder if you have ever had a Christmas dinner with a person or people with whom you feel so uncomfortable. The person or people might be your estranged siblings. They might be your in-laws with very different political views. Or they could be your children who are practicing some New Age spirituality you can never understand. But we can be diplomatic with these people. You may make even a smile at them.

But, to a little worse, or maybe quite worse, if these people we have to share the Christmas dinner with have hurt us or our children badly but never said sorry, it would be much more difficult to keep our composure during the whole meal.

Now, to the worst, you are dining with your family on Christmas, but you have already found out your spouse has been cheating on you, and your spouse is telling you he/she is going out shortly after dinner with some unexpected excuse. Now, how would you serve your spouse at the table? Wouldn’t it be a little too painful?

Probably this is close to what Jesus felt when he washed the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. Jesus knew who had betrayed him. But he washed all of their feet. And he continued the supper. He stretched out his hand to give the life-giving bread to Judas Iscariot who would hand him over on the same night.

What is your image of the washing of the feet and the Last Supper? We may have a strong impression of brotherly love and sacrifice. And we may see Jesus girded with humility and gentleness. Indeed, Jesus served his disciples with humility and gentleness. And he truly gave himself as the bread of life. But let us not forget his strength of self-abandonment to face his traitor. Let us not forget the piercing inner pain of betrayal he had to endure in the presence of his traitor. And let us remember his impartial love for all his disciples.

Wednesday Holy Week

We do not know exactly why Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. St. John’s gospel (chapter 12) implies greed was his motive. Then, we should see at what price Judas sold our Lord. In today’s gospel, St. Matthew tells us it was 30 pieces of silver. What was the worth of 30 pieces of silver? Some estimate it is only $300 in today’s dollar, based on the value of silver. But the Bible tells us it was an average price of a slave in the ancient times of Israel. We do not know the monetary value of a slave in our times, since nowhere in the world slavery is legal. But when we consider the average prices of slaves in the mid-19 century in America, it would be about $25,000 to $30,000 in today’s dollar value. So, Judas traded Jesus at the value of a compact car in our times. Do you think it is a lot of money?

Judas Iscariot saw all the wonders of Jesus during his public ministry. And Judas himself was sent out to heal people and cast out demons with the power Jesus gave to him. All Israel was watching Jesus. Jesus could be potentially a king of the Jews. Then, how could Judas estimate the value of Jesus for an average slave? Was he really greedy?

When people live for their own greed, people become blinded to spiritual values. In fact, they lose sight of all values. They become unreasonable. They choose worthless things. People choose the economy over life. People choose personal freedom over the lives of babies. Judas chose $30,000 over life-saving God.

My brothers and sisters, do you have worries these days? What are they about? Are they about the salvation of your soul? On the Way of the Cross, Jesus told the women of Jerusalem, “Do not weep for me; rather, weep for yourselves and for your children.” He wanted us to put salvation first and foremost. Everything else does not really matter, then.

Tuesday Holy Week

John 13 Jesus foretells his betrayal

“So when he[Jesus] dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.”

This is one of the more enigmatic passages in the New Testament. The bread Jesus gave Judas was not common bread for food but his body for eternal life. The night Jesus gave the bread of life to Judas was not an ordinary one but the night of the Last Supper. But, on that night, Satan entered into one of the apostles and possessed him for his diabolical business. How could Jesus allow this kind of sacrilege happen?

John’s gospel (chapter 12) tells us Judas was a thief. He used to embezzle the money from the common purse of the disciples. He had betrayed his conscience first before he betrayed Jesus. He was intoxicated with the taste of money. Eventually, Judas asked the chief priests, “What will you give me if I deliver him to you?” It was not enough to steal from Jesus. Judas sold him for money, 30 pieces of silver! His betrayal didn’t come just over one day. Greed and avarice do not set in just in a day.

Even after Judas agreed to hand over Jesus, he could have changed his mind. At the Last Supper, Jesus himself gently stretches out his hand to give the life-giving bread to Judas. This is why none of the disciples knew who would betray Jesus. It was his last gesture of calling for repentance. But the hardened heart of Judas refused the last chance. Instead, Satan possessed his heart.

“So, after receiving the piece of bread, he[Judas] immediately went out. And it was night.”

The gospel tells us not only the time of the day this supper was held but also the darkness Judas entered. He walks away from the light of the world and enters into the darkness of sin.

How did I receive Holy Communion? Did I receive Jesus in the spirit of poverty and humility? Did I receive my Saviour’s flesh and blood while I was still living with vices and in sins? Did I remain in betrayal of my conscience even after I received my Lord?

Judas has gone. But Satan is still around.

Monday Holy Week

A fashion brand Chanel’s popular perfume for women called Coco Mademoiselle costs you about 120 USD for 1.67 oz. You might think this is an expensive perfume. But there is an elite fragrance brand called Clive Christian. Its one of the top line perfume called Absolute Osmanthus perfume oil sets you back 10,000 USD for only 1 oz. High-grade pure perfume oils have always been extremely expensive for a little amount. This is why ancient people bought these oils for life savings - a small amount, so easy to store and easy to carry but extremely valuable. The pure nard perfume Mary used for Jesus in today’s gospel was worth over 300 denarii - that was about a year’s income. One denarius was a wage for a day at the time of Jesus. So, her perfume would cost more than 40,000 dollars in our times!

I wonder how many husbands and wives are willing to anoint their spouses’ feet with perfume that costs $40,000. It seems almost unreasonable. Mary wasted all her life savings for Jesus!

And, I wonder how many husbands and wives want to wipe their spouses’ feet with their own hairs. For women, hair means much more than just a part of their body. It’s their dignity and pride. And when Mary wiped the feet of Jesus, her hair was not a replacement of a towel.

What Mary did was worshipping Jesus as her God and Lord.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, many people met him. They were filled with awe and wonder at his miraculous deeds. But there were not many people who truly worshipped Jesus as their God and Lord. Mary was one of those who worshipped him with all her heart.

Mary wasted her life saving to worship Jesus. But she did not waste her opportunity to worship him.

Now we don’t have public celebrations during this Holy Week.

My brothers and sisters, however, let us not waste this opportunity to worship our Lord in spirit and truth. This is a time we offer Jesus our pure heart as Mary anointed Jesus with the perfume of pure nard. Let our hearts not clouded with worries about money and the economy. Like Mary, let us serve our Lord with humility. Perhaps Jesus is already in your home.