April 20th - Reflection

Wednesday in Holy Week
John 13:21-32 (NRSV)
Jesus foretells his betrayal
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, "Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?" Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." So when he had 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. Jesus said to him, "Do quickly what you are going to do." Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the festival"; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.

Reflection
"And it was night." Not much of a sentence. But I think it was more than just darkness, it was a time without light. We all go there some time or another. I don't think any one can say they haven't in one form or another. We go into the night of life. We walk into the darkness, that place without light. We fall trap to sin and walk away from Jesus. We walk away to betrayal of what we know we should do and walk into what we shouldn't.

The Apostle Paul writes about this night. He expresses his desire to do what is good and right yet doesn't. We all have walked into the night and slipped into that place of betrayal, that place without Light. Others of us walk into the night and fall asleep at the times we are needed. We fall asleep and just can't seem to pay attention at the crucial moments.

We all walk into the night. We all stumble in the darkness. But, thanks be to God, we have been given that baptismal candle with that flame of the Holy Spirit shining in the darkness. A Light that leads us back. We stumble and bump into one another in the night of darkness, but we also walk towards a much greater Light. A Light that has come through the darkness of sin and death. A Light that has been in the deep darkness of the tomb. A Light that has come out of the death of the tomb to shine more brightly than humankind could ever imagine.

With the flame of our baptismal candles, with our faithful disciples, together we stumble and bumble along, following that great Light in mission and love, towards new life and new joy in the morning.

In the night... use the light of your baptismal candle... use the guidance of fellow disciples... use the Word... use the Church... use the Light of the One ahead and follow in joy, praise, thanks and life.

There is joy in the morning. Our God has come to save!    ...even in the night.

Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord you have fed us with your life. As we stumble in the night, save us from sin, death and the devil. Lead us to your light of day that we may be one with you...today...tomorrow...and forever. --- Amen