More serious

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Now 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?” He 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.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The 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.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” (Matthew 26: 14-25)

All the apostles, with the exception of John, abandoned Jesus at the hour of his crucifixion. Judas' sin is more serious because it was not dictated by fear, but was instead generated by the cultivation of doubt, nourished by self-interest, and increased by premeditation. As if that were not enough, all this is made worse by his false gesture of affection - a kiss - which is made by those who show love. Instead, Judas uses it to make Jesus recognizable by those who went out to arrest Him. So now let's think about our sins and how many times we have betrayed Jesus' trust. Each time we confess, the priest concludes by saying, "The Lord has forgiven your sins, go in peace." However, in order to keep the peace we have received we must flee sin and, therefore, we must commit ourselves to also flee the near occasions of sin, too. Have we always done this?