One Walk

04072009

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The Words of Jesus of Nazareth by Lee Cantelon

The Betrayal

All things that were written by the prophets concerning the Messiah shall be fulfilled. He will be delivered into the custody of the heathen, mocked, treated spitefully, and misused. They will beat him and put him to death; but on the third day he will rise again.

Soon I must leave this earth. For a time you cannot join me in the place where I am going, so let us celebrate one last Passover together. The time approaches when I must suffer; for I tell you in truth: I will not eat of the Passover again until all that it signifies is fulfilled in the kingdom of God; nor will I drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God has come.

This bread of the Passover represents my body, which is given for you. Eat it in remembrance of me. The wine represents God’s new covenant of salvation, sealed by my blood, which I do shed on your behalf.

I must give my life, as was foretold by the prophets. What sorrow awaits the one who betrays the Son of Man. It would have been better if he had not been born. I am not saying this of you, for I know very well those whom I have chosen; but it has been written: "One who shares my bread will betray me." I tell you this before it comes to pass, so that afterwards you will believe in me.

You boast that you are willing to lay down your life for my sake! Sadly, you will all desert me on the night of my betrayal, as the prophets have written: "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered."

Oh! Father! Hear my prayer! If it is possible, let this ordeal pass from me! Nevertheless not my will, but your will be finished.

Behold, the hour has come for the Son of Man to be abandoned into the hands of evildoers. Beware! Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.

How can it be that you betray the Son of Man with a kiss, arresting me like a common thief, carrying swords and clubs? Daily I was among you in the temple, and you never laid a hand on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness is at work.

Do you not realize that I could pray to my Father, and he could send down twelve legions of angels for my defense? How then could the scriptures be fulfilled that predict it must happen this way? Now the Son of Man will be glorified, and God will be magnified in him.

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Lord God, Abba Father, today I am reminded of all the times I have abandoned You, yet You are always there, understanding, forgiving and loving. I have no doubt about You, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that I know is alive in me. I only know that doubt is part of the human being that I must fight has I fight the weakness of the body; knowing that You are always there, and Jesus is the way. Keep my ear and heart tuned to and open to the Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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Be careful to give no credit to yourself for anything; if you do, you are stealing from God, to whom alone every good thing is due. 

— St. Vincent de Paul

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Reading 1
Is 49:1-6
Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The Lord called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.

Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the Lord,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the Lord has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15 and 17
R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.

Gospel
Jn 13:21-33, 36-38
Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus’ side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him,
"Master, who is it?"
Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it."
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
"Buy what we need for the feast,"
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.

When he had left, Jesus said,
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you."

Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later."
Peter said to him,
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times."

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MP3 audio link to today’s readings:

http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_07.mp3

Audio books I am listening to and other books or readings I am reading:

http://www.richardangulo.com/reading

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