Good morning good people!
May the Lord bless you with peace and blessing in this Holy Week. It is 14th April 2025.
It is 15th April 2025. We reflect on Isaiah 49:1–6 and John 13:21–33, 36–38.
Are we too handing over Jesus to something or someone?
As we journey through the sacred days of Holy Week, today’s readings offer us a quiet yet profound invitation: to recognize the call God has placed on each of our lives — to be light in a world often overshadowed by fear, betrayal, and suffering.
On this second day of Holy Week, may we say “yes” once again to the mission God has entrusted to us — to be light, to be truth, and to be love, even when it’s hard.
St. John Paul II points out: “We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us.”
A priest once shared about an elderly woman in his parish who, despite chronic illness, spent her days calling the lonely and praying for people by name. When asked why she did it, she said, “My body may be broken, but my light isn’t out. God still has work for me, even from this chair.”
In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks of the “Servant of the Lord,” chosen from the womb, called by name, and formed for a mission — to be the light of the nations, to bring back those who are lost, and to proclaim God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. And yet, this Servant experiences moments of weariness, feeling as though all his efforts are in vain. Still, in God’s eyes, his labour is never wasted. His righteousness, though rejected by many, is deeply honoured by God.
This Servant is not unlike Jesus — or even us, when we try to remain faithful despite hardship.
The Gospel places us at the table of the Last Supper — a moment that should have been filled with love and unity but instead is pierced by betrayal and denial. Judas, a trusted companion, gives in to greed. Peter, full of courage just moments before, is overcome by fear. Jesus, in deep sorrow, names the betrayal but does not retaliate — He loves to the end.
How often we, too, wrestle with disappointment — with ourselves, with others, or even with God. Perhaps, we expect Jesus to fix everything, to change our world on our terms. When He does not do we pull away in silence, like Judas? Or, like Peter, do we overestimate our strength and fall when pressure mounts?
Yet, the beautiful truth of today’s Gospel is this: Jesus never stops loving. Even when betrayed. Even when denied. Even when left alone.
Each of us is called to choose — not just once, but every day — whether we will walk the path of the suffering Servant, remaining faithful even in the face of pain, or whether we will slip into the shadows of fear, pride, or self-interest. God understands our weakness, but He still calls us. He still trusts us. And when we fall, He is ready to lift us up again.
This is the heart of discipleship: not perfection, but perseverance in love.
Let us not hand over Jesus for momentary gain or give up on love because of fear. Instead, let us cling to Him, follow Him, and return to Him — again and again.
May your day be blessed, and your heart strengthened for the journey ahead.