but rather as if man had done everything he could to kindle it! Then, having done this for us, He went forth to give Himself up into the hands of His enemies — to die for them!
In the Holy Mass a little water is mixed with the wine. This is done, because the wine changed by our Lord at the Last Supper was mixed with water, this mixture being strictly prescribed for the wine used at the Paschal feast. The mixture of water with the wine at Mass has also a symbolical meaning, and is intended to remind us that in Jesus Christ there are two natures in One Divine Person.
Application. In the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar our Lord and Saviour is present under the appearances of bread and wine. You ought therefore to worship Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with living faith and the deepest adoration. Have you done so? Have you always genuflected, as you ought, on entering a church? Do you always kneel down during the Elevation? Have you, finally, a devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament? Never forget when you are in church that you are in the presence of your Divine Saviour, who will one day come back to this earth in great power and majesty to be your Judge! Be very reverent and devout in the House of God, and repeat these words as often as you can: “Blessed and praised be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar!”
Chapter LXVI.
JESUS FORETELLS THE TREASON OF JUDAS.
[Mat. 16, 21 — 25. Mark 14, 18—21. Luke 22, 21 — 23. John 13, 21—30.]
WHILST they were eating, He told the apostles: “Amen, I say to you, that one of you[1] who eateth with Me shall betray Me.”[2] They, being much troubled, asked Him with one
- ↑ One of you. He was, Scripture says, “troubled in spirit”, thinking of the base ingratitude with which Judas would repay His love, and of the traitor’s eternal doom. He, therefore, full of love, tried to save the wretched disciple by warning and threatening him, without mentioning his name.
- ↑ Betray Me. Satan had put it into the heart of Judas to betray his Master. Before the Pasch he had gone to the chief priests who, ever since the raising of Lazarus, had resolved to kill Jesus, and offered to betray Him into their hands. Our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the woes which He pronounced on the Pharisees had confirmed them in this resolution, and all they waited for was an opportunity to secretly seize and condemn Him. They did not dare to use open force, for they feared that the people would rise and defend Jesus. The longed-for opportunity was given to them by Judas. “What will you give me”, said he, “and I will deliver Him to you” — for if I help you, you can do the deed quite secretly. They promised to give him thirty pieces of silver. This sum was the price or compensation-money given, according to the Old Law (Ex. 21, 32), for a slave who had been killed, and probably the chief priests fixed on this sum to show their contempt for Jesus, wrhom they professed to esteem of no greater value than a slave. And for this paltry sum Judas consented to betray his Master!
