HOLY WEEK - BETRAYAL TUESDAY.
THE GOSPEL:
"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.” (John 13: 21 - 33, 36 - 38).
Tuesday 31st March 2026 in Holy Week.
Our Gospel of today is the beginning of the Last Supper Discourse.
The foreboding events of the next 24 hours weighed heavily on Jesus.
Jesus is 100% Man and 100% God.
The human part of His nature dreaded the agony in the garden, the brutal interrogations with curses, slaps and spitles. The crowning with thorns and the dreadful flagellations. The Crucifixion! The betrayals and abandonment by His disciples.
Jesus shares His groomy ruminations with His friends:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Three of the disciples are mentioned by name in this segment of the Last Supper Discourse:
#1. Judas, the traitor. Architect of evil.
#2. The simplistic and over confident Peter.
#3. John the Evangelist simply described as "the one whom Jesus loved."
Why did Judas and Peter betray Jesus?
Perhaps the more important question is: Why did Peter repent and Judas did not?
Why do some Christians hear the call to come to Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance and respond and why do others hear and not respond?
Every sin is a betrayal. Every recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation is acting like Peter.
Every refusal to accept reconciliation and healing is being a Judas.
My friend, do not say your sin is a small one. Christ Jesus died for sin. Not for big sin or small sin.
Every big sin starts from a small sin.
Sow a thought and you reap a word. Sow the word and you reap an action or deed. Sow the deeds continuously and you reap a character. Your Character is your destiny.
Judas was treasurer of the group.
"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."
Judas helped himself little by little from the purse.
The opportunity for last Reconciliation before Easter might be right now.
Joseph is honored by the Church throughout MARCH.
St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.
St. Teresa of Avila’s Testimony:
"I do not remember that I have ever asked anything of him which he has failed to grant."
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
MARY OF BETHANY ANOINTS THE FEET OF JESUS.
"Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
"They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
"Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus
and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
"Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said,
“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?”
He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.
"So Jesus said,
“Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
"The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
"And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him." (John 12: 1 - 11).
Monday 30th March 2026, Monday of Holy Week.
In six days, it will be the Passover.
Jesus visited the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, His very good friends.
Why?
Perhaps to enjoy one last good meal and wine in Martha's Vineyard before His Passion.
The star of the story today is not the matriarch, Martha whose hospitality is proverbial nor their apparently recluse brother, Lazarus.
The star is Mary who performed an outlandish gesture to demonstrate her love for Jesus.
She broke a vial of what may be considered the very top line of precious and exquisite perfumes and poured the oozing aromatic liquid on the feet of Jesus and wiped the feet with her long hairs.
While some guests like Apostle Judas criticized this apparent waste, Jesus was very pleased and spoke up for Mary.
Who is Mary?
Mary is the sister of Martha and Lazarus.
They hail from the village of Bethany a couple of miles from Jerusalem. We want to focus here not on Mary of Bethany per se but on Mary, a type of the female who is a passionate follower of Jesus who is marked by the following characteristics:
#1 Absolute and radical commitment to a person or vision.
#2 Total self-giving.
#3 Deep consecration (set apart) to Jesus and His cause.
Consider the following female saints who fit this profile:
+ Mary of Nazareth, the Mother of the Son.
+ Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles.
+ Margaret Mary, the Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
+ Mary Faustina, the Apostle of Divine Mercy.
We are today in Holy Week 2026.
Where are you in the Journey of knowing Jesus more intimately so that you can love Him more passionately and follow Him everywhere?
You can catch up in one Week. Trust Jesus, the Miracle Worker. Nothing is impossible for God!
I share below a powerful inspiration I received from the SENDING FORTH Song at the Mass of the Passion of the LORD.
"ABIDE WITH ME,
REMAIN HERE WITH ME,
WATCH AND PRAY,
WATCH AND PRAY."
This may be the theme for Holy Week.
THE CHURCH HONORS ST JOSEPH IN THE MONTH OF MARCH.
St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link below:
PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD'S PASSION.
GOSPEL: Matthew 26:14—27:66.
BEHOLD SATAN WILL SIFT YOU LIKE WHEAT.
“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22: 31 - 32).
Sunday 29th March 2026 is Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion.
We remember Christ's Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem to accomplish His mission through the Cross.
Just as Satan was given permission to sift Job in the Old Testament like wheat, Satan has again been given permission to sift Simon Peter. Yes. To sift you and me like wheat.
Our most merciful Savior and Teacher has prayed for us and has given us a cheat sheet to pass this test.
“Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.” Jesus said. (Luke 22: 46).
Your cheat sheet from the Master is: STOP SLEEPING AND PRAY.
Jesus taught that Prayer is a vital necessity.
While Jesus never taught that we WORK Always, Jesus asks us to pray always.
St Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church teaches that a Christian who does not pray is lost.
A Christian who does not pray will not experience miracles.
Of course the most merciful heart of Abba Father succours His children always.
But only those who pray recognize these silent miracles.
One of the signs of a dying faith is cessation of prayer in Christian life.
The Christian who does not pray cannot overcome temptations.
He has a wide open door for Satan to tempt him in all sorts of ways.
Through the power of Prayer, Jesus is strengthened in His inner self and ready to embrace the will of His Father during His temptations, especially in His agony in the Garden.
"Father, if this chalice cannot pass without my drinking it, your will be done." (Matthew 26: 42).
The Church honors St Joseph in March.
St Joseph was chosen like Abraham for a very big job.
Let us always go to Joseph with confidence for all our needs.
Litany of the Silent Provider:
* Guardian of the Redeemer, Pray for us.
* Protector of the Virgin, Pray for us.
* Model of Artisans, Pray for us.
* Terror of Demons, Pray for us.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
THE PLAN TO KILL JESUS.
THE GOODNEWS:
"Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.
"But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
"So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said,
“What are we going to do?
This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.”
"But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them,
“You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.”
He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
So from that day on they planned to kill him.
"So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples.
"Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area,
“What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?” (John 11: 45 - 56).
Saturday 28th March 2026 of the 5th Week in Lent.
We are on the Eve of Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week.
The plot to kill Jesus has thickened at this point.
Who wants to kill Jesus and who will benefit most from His disappearance from the religious-political scene?
“You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” (John 11: 49 - 50).
This is the voice of the High Priest, Caiaphas.
He provides a powerful motive for the criminal conspiracy. The fate of Jesus is sealed.
The plan of the Father for the salvation of the world has taken a definitive path to victory.
Is God the Father incapable of stopping the execution of His beloved Son Jesus? Or to stop all the evils in the world?
Just one word from the Father will change everything.
"In the most mysterious way God the Father has revealed his almighty power in the voluntary humiliation and Resurrection of his Son, by which he conquered evil." (CCC 272).
The Cross has been ordained by the Father from eternity to be the means of our Salvation.
No Cross, No Crown. No Trials. No Triumph.
As we enter the most holy Week of the year, we pray for the grace to understand the meaning of the Cross in our lives.
May God open our mind and heart to the mysterious designs of His Divine Providence.
THE CHURCH HONORS ST JOSEPH IN MARCH.
St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.
Joseph proves that "Adversity is an opportunity for God to be glorified."
His flight to Egypt was not a defeat, but a strategic move directed by the Holy Spirit.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link below:
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED.
"The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?”
"The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.”
"Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
"If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
"Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.
"He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said,
“John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him." (John 10: 31 - 42).
Friday March 27th of 5th Week of Lent.
The common theme in the Gospel Reading and the first Reading from Jeremiah 20: 10 - 14 is Persecution.
Sirach the Sage teaches:
"My child, if you want to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials."
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5: 10).
The human nature shrinks from every type of suffering. As we see from Sirach and Jesus, it is impossible to avoid suffering as a child of God.
The best examples of humanity are the saints.
They are the cremè de la cremè.
Moses, David, Elijah, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul, Teresa of Avila, Mother St Teresa of Kolkata.
They all suffered. They suffered persecutions from the forces of evil.
They suffered persecutions from human beings instigated by demons.
Do not think you can escape persecution even if you are a millionaire.
Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill were not spared persecution.
Trials are baked into the human condition because of Original Sin.
To erase the effects of Original Sin is why Jesus Christ came to earth.
Again let us reflect on the words of the Sage:
"My child, if you want to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials."
The Masters of Spiritual life teach that the best way to prepare for tomorrow is to imagine all possible trials that can befall you, viz: Illness, accidents, bankruptcy, flood, war, etc. Since we humans do not control events, since all events are controlled by God's mighty and sovereign Providence. The same merciful and loving Providence teaches us to be prepared for trials.
THE CHURCH HONORS ST JOSEPH IN MARCH.
St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link below:
YOUR NAME SHALL NOW BE ABRAHAM.
"When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:
“My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God.”
God also said to Abraham:
“On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.” (Genesis 17: 3 - 9).
The first Reading on this Thursday March 26th in the 5th Week of Lent is like a succulent bone full of marrow. My Scripture teacher would say: "Suck it. Suck it. Suck it dry!"
Well, let us consider a few salient points in this rich word of God.
1. God chose and called Abraham to begin a New Project. This something God had never done before.
2. God changed the name of the man from Abram to Abraham.
3. God made two significant promises to this lucky man or you may say "this Predestined Man."
3.1 You will be the Father of a multitude of people.
3.2 I give you the land where you stand. Yes. All the rich land. The land shall belong to you and your family forever.
If you are Abraham what will you think?
Now, where is the Catch?
God said to Abraham: You and your people shall belong to Me exclusively forever. You shall worship Me and obey ALL MY COMMANDMENS.
You are reading this because you too belong to the family of Abraham. You are a daughter or a son of Abraham.
One of the richest promises in today's Scripture is:
"THE Lord remembers his covenant for ever." from the Responsorial Psalm Psalm 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9.
Read it. Suck it. Suck it dry!
The Church honors St Joseph in March. St Joseph was chosen like Abraham for a very big job.
Let us always go to Joseph with confidence for all our needs.
Litany of the Silent Provider:
* Guardian of the Redeemer, Pray for us.
* Protector of the Virgin, Pray for us.
* Model of Artisans, Pray for us.
* Terror of Demons, Pray for us.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD.
Mary, the humble Virgin of Nazareth became the THEOTOKOS, the Mother of God!
"The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said,
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her." (Luke 1: 26 - 38).
WEDNESDAY the 25th of March 2026 in the Season of Lent 2026 is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
Today, the Sacred Scripture focuses on the Call and Mission of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Lord.
Who is Mary of Nazareth and why is she a powerful person in the history of salvation and life of the Church?
#1. Mary is the only daughter of Joachim and Anne. The little Mary was a sweet joy of answered prayer to Joachim and Anne. The couple sensed her uniqueness and destiny and dedicated her to God and after she was weaned brought her to the Temple where she was educated by priests.
#2. The Church draws most of her knowledge of the infancy narrative of Mary from credible non-biblical sources called Apocrypha. This source is collaborated by the writings of Mystics like St Mary of Alagreda, Blessed Catherine Emerich and others.
All these are faithful, true and credible sources.
Remember that the Church discerns the truth of Revelation from not only Sacred Scripture but also Sacred Tradition and Sacred Magisterium.
Sensus fidelium (the common faith of the faithful plays a role in the discernment of truth in the Church.
#3. The biblical sources of our knowledge of Mary are not voluminous but they contain all we need to know for our devotion and salvation. (Cf Luke, Matthew, Isaiah 7: 14, etc).
#4. The four Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, viz: Annunciation, the Luminous Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Glorious Mysteries tell the whole story of salvation and who Mary is.
If you do not pray the Rosary, you miss the acres of diamonds in your backyard.
#5. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the only human being who knew Jesus Christ from the Visitation of the Angel Gabriel (the Annunciation) to the death of Jesus on the Cross, His burial and Resurrection.
Mary was present in the Upper Room waiting and praying for the Holy Spirit to descend on Pentecost Sunday, the Birthday of the Church.
From the writings of Mystics, we learn that Mary continued to teach the Church from Pentecost to her death and Assumption into Heaven.
#6. Mary continues to intervene in the lives of simple people in significant apparition events throughout Church history, viz: Guadalupe, Fatima, Lourdes, etc.
We read today of how God sent the Angel Gabriel to a young woman with an astonishing promise. Gabriel told Mary that through the power of God, she will become the Mother of God. Once Mary fully understands the implications of the message, she replies:
"I am the handmaid of the Lord: let what you have said be done to me. (Luke 1: 38).
The Church elaborates:
"To become the mother of the Savior, Mary "was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role." The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as: "full of grace". In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God's grace." (CCC 490).
"I am your Mother, the Mother given you by my Son Jesus, from the Cross, in the solemn hour of His sacrifice.
And you are my son, dear to my Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, precious to me, and ever under the mantle of my protection.
Let me live with you as I lived with John, the second son of my Heart and the model for all my priest sons down through the ages.
Speak to me simply and with complete trust in the compassion of my maternal Heart and in the power given to my maternal intercession." (IN SINU JESU, Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Annunciation).
The Church honors St Joseph in the Month of March.
O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in thee all my interests and desires and those of my family.
O Terror of Demons, protect us always and everywhere. Amen.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
MOSES INTERCEDED FOR THE PEOPLE.
"From Mount Hor the children of Israel set out on the Red Sea road,
to bypass the land of Edom.
But with their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!”
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
“Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live.”
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
INTERCESSION:
"We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you.
Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents.’
Moses interceded for the people, and the Lord answered him."
When the people got frosty in their attitude on the way to the Promised Land, they took it out on God and Moses.
The punishment was swift and deadly.
Quickly repenting of their sin, they begged Moses to intercede for them.
Moses interceded for them.
Those of them who repented and became obedient were healed.
Prayer is a key component of most religious traditions.
We have seen that throughout Sacred Scripture, Intercessory prayers are conditio sine qua non of a living faith.
The prophets and priests owe their continued relevance to this necessity.
Jesus Christ is our able High Priest who intercedes for us day and night at the Father's right hand.
The Blessed Virgin Mary owes her exalted position in Heaven as Queen and Mother to her Intercessory prowess. A giant Prayer Warrior!
Saints in Heaven pray for us all the time. Our Guardian Angels and the Archangels protect us and intercede for us.
Where is the Prayer of Intercession in your spirituality?
Who do you intercede for and how much time do you devote to interceding for your loved ones who have passed into eternity?
Remember the Four Last Things: Death and Judgment, Heaven and Hell.
Many souls destined for Heaven will of necessity need purification.
The Church calls this stage and process Purgatory.
"When I am lifted up from the earth,I will draw all to myself, says the Lord." (John 12: 32).
"Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;whoever finds this seed will remain for ever.
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!" (Gospel Acclamation).
"O God, who choose to show mercy not angerto those who hope in you,grant that your faithful may weep, as they should,for the evil they have done,and so merit the grace of your consolation.Through Christ our Lord." (Prayer Over the People).
The Church honors St Joseph in the Month of March.
Joseph stands as the silent guardian of the Holy Family, a man whose life was entirely oriented toward the grand fulfillment of the Incarnation.
His role was not accidental but a profound act of Divine Providence, Cooperation with the Holy Spirit to protect the Person of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
