 From: MorningOffering Website | † Quote of the Day "I urge you to remain steadfast in faith, so that at last we will all reach heaven and there rejoice together." -St. Andrew Kim Taegon Today's Meditation "The soul that does not attach itself solely to the will of God will find neither satisfaction nor sanctification in any other means, however excellent by which it may attempt to gain them. If that which God Himself chooses for you does not content you, from whom do you expect to obtain what you desire? ...It is only just, therefore, that the soul that is dissatisfied with the divine action for each present moment should be punished by being unable to find happiness in anything else." —Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, p. 14 An excerpt from Abandonment to Divine Providence Daily Verse "Gladden the soul of thy servant, for to thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; hearken to my cry of supplication. In the day of my trouble I call on thee, for thou dost answer me." -Psalm 86:4-7 |  EWTN Daily Saint | | Blessed Anacleto Gonzalez Flores Bl. Anacleto Gonzalez Flores (1888–1927) was the second of twelve children born to a poor family in Jalisco, Mexico. He was baptized the day after his birth. As he grew, a priest recognized his intelligence and recommended that he enter the seminary. Anacleto studied there for a time before discerning that he was not called to the priesthood. Instead he became an attorney, husband, and father, as well as an activist for his Catholic faith. He was a prolific writer and dedicated catechism teacher, and attended daily Mass. He joined the Catholic Association of Young Mexicans (ACJM) in addition to starting another Catholic lay organization committed to resisting the fierce persecution of the Catholic Church under the infamous Mexican dictator, Calles. Initially he participated only in the non-violent resistance against Calles, until four members of the ACJM were murdered in 1926. Their deaths spurred Anacleto to lend support to the armed resistance movement. Anacleto did not take up arms but instead gave speeches to encourage Catholics to support the Cristeros, the Catholic army fighting against Calles. Anacleto was captured during the Cristero War on April 1, 1927, and was brutally tortured before being martyred by firing squad. His feast day is April 1st. | Wednesday of Holy Week Lectionary: 259 Reading I Isaiah 50:4-9a The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled, have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together.
Who disputes my right? Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong? Responsorial Psalm Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34 R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother's sons,
because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak, I looked for sympathy, but there was none; for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. Verse Before the Gospel Hail to you, our King;
you alone are compassionate with our errors. Or Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father;
you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter. Gospel Matthew 26:14-25 One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
"What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?"
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?"
He said,
"Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
'The teacher says, "My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples."'"
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover. When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
"Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
"Surely it is not I, Lord?"
He said in reply,
"He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born."
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
"Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"
He answered, "You have said so." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! |  From Word Among Us WAU.org | Daily Meditation: Matthew 26:14-25 One of you will betray me. (Matthew 26:21) "Lord Jesus, you really know how to upset people. 'One of you will betray me'—what a bombshell! Yes, your disciples now know that someone is going to hand you over (Matthew 26:21). But who could it be? "I can picture the Eleven gripped with horror at the possibilities. I see their fearful faces turning to you, seeking assurance that they would never do such a thing: "Surely it is not I, Lord?" (Matthew 26:22). Even Peter is too stunned to deny the possibility of his own weakness. Defenses fall, and eleven hearts face the truth: Am I capable of betraying my Lord? Yes, I am. "You foresee, Jesus, what will happen. Their moment of clarity will pass. Soon your disciples will be justifying themselves and professing their undying loyalty (Matthew 26:35). But then they'll run away. How well you know these men—and how little they know themselves! Still, how deeply you love them. Right to the end, you work to call out the good you see in them. "You address that twelfth disciple, your betrayer, and offer him one last chance to change course. Then, before delivering yourself to your enemies, you hand yourself over to your wavering friends: 'Take and eat. . . . Drink' (Matthew 26:26, 27). Who but you could have made such an act of love? "Jesus, it is good for me to be here, reflecting on this scene. Tomorrow will remind me in a special way that I'm a part of it. At every Mass, it's like I'm sitting elbow-to-elbow with your apostles at the Last Supper. Like them, I'm flawed and weak. But as I eat your Body and drink your Blood, your life flowing in me makes me strong. And so, looking not at my sins and weaknesses but at your power, I boldly dare to offer a prayer that many Eastern Catholics recite before receiving Communion: 'I will not betray you with a kiss, as did Judas, but like the repentant thief, I openly profess you: Remember me, O Lord, in your kingdom.'" "Jesus, thank you for giving your life out of love for me." Isaiah 50:4-9
Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: ".. He said in reply,
"He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born."
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
"Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"
He answered, "You have said so." ...." | From Bishop Barron: "Judas the betrayer expresses the mysterium iniquitatis with particular symbolic power, for he had spent years in intimacy with Jesus, taking in the Lord's moves and thoughts at close quarters, sharing the table of fellowship with him—and yet he saw fit to turn Jesus over to his enemies and to interrupt the coinherence of the Last Supper. Those of us who regularly gather around the table of intimacy with Christ and yet engage consistently in the works of darkness are meant to see ourselves in the betrayer. "
You may read the 6 modern 30 pieces of silver we are tempted to trade in our Lord for, click here. Ai Summed up the writing for us:
"This reflection names six common "30 pieces of silver"—things we trade for God without realizing it:
We trade in our Lord by: 1. Seeking the approval of others,
2. Career success and financial security,
3. Comfort and convenience, 4.Grudges and the need to be right,
4. Endless digital distraction,
5. And the illusion of self-reliance.
| 1. | Seeking the approval of others, | | 2. | Career success and financial security, | | 3. | Comfort and convenience, 4.Grudges and the need to be right, | | 4. | Endless digital distraction, | | 5. | And the illusion of self-reliance. | Each of these can quietly pull us away from prayer, the sacraments, and trust in God. The call is to let them go through intentional sacrifice, detachment, forgiveness, and humility—choosing truth over popularity, generosity over greed, discipline over comfort, mercy over pride, silence over distraction, and surrender over control. Instead of clinging to these "silver coins," we are invited to choose Jesus, the true "pearl of great price." Through daily prayer, confession, small sacrifices, and trust in God's grace, we can return to Him no matter how far we've drifted. Like the saints, we learn to give everything back to God, trusting that only what is offered in love endures. Each day becomes an opportunity to examine where we chose lesser things and to begin again—freely choosing Christ, who alone brings lasting peace and fulfillment."
From Roberto Juarez: "On this Holy Wednesday, just before entering the Easter Triduum, the Church invites us to make a serious examination. Is there anything I'm putting before Christ? Are there decisions that are taking me away from Him? Am I being true to myself and to God? Or am I justifying what I know isn't right? And at the same time, it is a call to hope. We are still in time. We can still change. We can still go back.
Today the Gospel puts us before a decision. We can close our hearts, like Judas... or we can open it, recognize it, and return to the Lord. In these holy days, let us not be afraid to ask ourselves the disciples' question, "Is it I, Lord?" But let's do it for real. And if we find that something is not right, let's not stop there. Let's take the step. Let's go back to Christ. Because He, even knowing everything, continues to sit at the table with us. And he continues to offer us his love."
We've been going through Lent, and we wind up here, on "Spy Wednesday" on the remembering of the betrayal of our Lord, right before we enter the Holy Triduum, the 3 days of Holy Week, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, And Easter Vigil's Holy Saturday celebrating the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
These days are pivotal to our faith. After the betrayal, big things start happening! God knew He would be betrayed...but, thank God, He had a plan. Amen? He will do something to the world with this appalling weakness, not just of one man, Judas, but of our humanity that betrays Him until today.
They say the 30 pieces of silver was about enough for a slave to work 120 days, about 3 or 4 days per silver. Really it is highway robbery. Because then you have a slave for life!
Is that right? Is that just?
Below, I'm adding a reflection from a favorite scholar. He recalls Joseph in the Old Testament, sold for some pieces of silver to some slaves, by his brothers that hated him, or were envious of him as well. In the end, Joseph becomes the right hand of the power that could save all from famine and death. Now, Jesus will be traded for some silver as a slave. And then He becomes the right hand of the Father, saving us from famine and death...if we go to Him for salvation.
If only...we choose. And how could we refuse the very gift of Life, our life sustenance...our eternal life and love from the Precious Sacred Heart Himself! |  See Video About Today and how it was foretold in the Old Testament. | |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Jude 24–25 "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time1 and now and forever. Amen." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
