Daily Readings - Wed Mar 31 2021
Isaiah
4The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.5The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward.6I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.7But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.8He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me.9Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.
Matthew
14Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests15and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.16And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.17Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?"18He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'"19And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.20When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.21And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."22And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?"23He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.24The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."25Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said so."26Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments that invite us to reflect on trust, betrayal, and the unwavering fidelity of God. The first reading from Isaiah presents the figure of the Suffering Servant, who, despite enduring mockery, spitting, and rejection, remains steadfast in his trust in the Lord. The servant’s resolve is unshakable, for he knows that God is his helper and that he will not be put to shame. This passage is part of a series of “Suffering Servant” songs in Isaiah, which foreshadow the mission of Jesus Christ, who would endure similar trials for the sake of humanity.
The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to the events leading up to Jesus’ Passion. Here, we see the stark contrast between Judas’ betrayal and Jesus’ act of self-giving love. Judas, driven by greed and his own desires, betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, while Jesus, in the same breath, institutes the Eucharist, offering his body and blood for the salvation of the world. This passage reminds us that betrayal and sin are real, but they do not have the final word. Instead, it is God’s love, poured out for us, that defines our story.
These readings call us to examine our own lives. Like the Suffering Servant, we are often called to trust in God even when the road ahead seems uncertain or difficult. Like Judas, we may at times choose our own way over God’s, but unlike Judas, we are invited to return to the Lord with repentant hearts. Jesus’ words at the Last Supper—“Take and eat, this is my body”—remind us that God’s love is always available to us, even in the midst of our failures. Let us strive to live with the same fidelity as the Suffering Servant, trusting in God’s plan, and let us approach the Eucharist with gratitude, knowing that it is a gift of love that transforms us and calls us to live for others.