＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Isaiah 50:4-7

 The Lord Yahweh has taught me

So I speak as his disciple and I know how to sustain the weary. Morning after morning he wakes me up to hear, to listen like a disciple.  The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear.

I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn.  I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to those who pulled my beard; neither did I shield my face from blows, spittle and disgrace.

 I have not despaired, for the Lord Yahweh comes to my help. So, like a flint I set my face, knowing that I will not be disgraced.

 

Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Philippians 2:6-11

 Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,  but emptied himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in his appearance found as a man.

 He humbled himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted him and gave him the Name which outshines all names,  so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead,  and all tongues proclaim that Christ Jesus is the Lord  to the glory of God the Father.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Mark 14:1-15:47*

(…..)Early in the morning, the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the Law (that is, the whole Council or Sanhedrin)had their plan ready. They put Jesus in chains, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “You say so.” As the chief priests accused Jesus of many things, Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer at all See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus gave no further answers, much to Pilate ‘s surprise

At every Passover festival, Pilate used to free any prisoner the people asked for. Now there was a man called Barabbas, jailed with the rioters who had committed murder in the uprising.

When the crowd went up to ask Pilate the usual favor, he said to them, “Do you want me to set free the king of the jews?” for he realized that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him out of envy.

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd  to ask instead for the release of Barabbas. Pilate replied, “And what shall I do with the man you call king of the Jews?”The crowd shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked,” What evil has he done?” But they shouted the louder, “Crucify him!”

As Pilate wanted to please the people, he freed Barabbas; and having had Jesus flogged, Pilate handed him over to be crucified.(……)

The soldiers led him out of the city to crucify him. On the way they met Simon of Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the country, and forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

When they had led him to the Place called Golgotha, which means the Skull, they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he would not take it. Then they nailed him to the cross, and divided his clothes among themselves, casting lots to decide what every man should take.

It was about nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The statement of his offense was displayed above his head, and it read, “The king of the Jews.” They also crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says: And with lawless ones he was numbered.(……)

When noon came, darkness fell over the whole land and lased until three o’clock; and at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, Iamma sabachthani?”which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”

As soon as they heard these words, some, of the bystanders said,” Listen! He is calling for Elijah,” And one of them went quickly to fill a sponge with bitter wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink, saying, “Now let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.”

But Jesus uttered a loud cry and gave up his spirit. And immediately the curtain that enclosed the temple Sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The captain, who was standing in front of him, saw how Jesus died and heard the cry he gave; and he said, ”Truly, this man was the Son of God.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

Read:

We now have an account of Jesus’ Passion and Death. It started with Judas’ growing dissatisfaction of the group’s activity. This lead him to betray the Lord who was captured because of his treason.

A trial was made to condemn the Lord and the religious powers that be were successful in getting a verdict of death for Him. With great suffering the Lord gave up His spirit at three o’clock in the afternoon.

Joseph of Arimathea took His body from the cross before six o’clock in the evening so as to preserve it for cleaning after the Sabbath Day.

Reflect:

Treachery hurts twice. The person who was once your friend has turned his back against you. Not only that, he or she allies with your enemies to bring you down. Meantime, he or she is trusted and privy to your plans. He or she enjoys your confidence.

And when the treachery is unmasked you remember the good times you spent with the traitor. And it hurts deeply because you genuinely enjoyed those moments with him or her. So why do we betray? Why could our love turn sour?

It’s probable because they have what we don’t have. We desire it as strongly as they did but we don’t have the necessary competency, connection or luck to get it. This scarcity of resource that many desires creates sadness and disappointment to those who cannot get it.

And friendship or any form of relationship are areas where betrayal happens. It would hurt less if the person who does you harm is not a dear acquaintance. Sometimes, because of familiarity, we take over our friend’s dream.

We direct the actions to be done and when they don’t follow, we destroy them with betrayal. What Judas has in mind, we will never know. But what happened between him and Jesus tells us that even the best of relationship is not exempt from betrayal.

Respond:

How many times have we betrayed, and how many times have we been betrayed? Perhaps it is a good day to see the anatomy of our betraying others so we will know what prompts us to do that. And let us see

In what area of life have we been betrayed to know what adjustments we can make in our friendship so as to minimize if not avoid possibilities of betrayal completely. With knowing comes clarity of action.