Not to become a Judas

“The Kiss of Judas.” Painting by Ilya Glazunov

Today is Holy Wednesday – the day Judas betrayed Christ. Soon, the Savior will be seized and crucified. And in our time, it is impossible not to see the eerie parallels between the Gospel events and what is happening to the Church in Ukraine today. Once again, the Church is slandered and spat upon by modern-day “high priests.” Once again, the crowd, stirred up by their whispers, cries out in unison: “Away with the Moscow priest!” – “Crucify Him!”

Today, it is trendy to paint Judas in a sympathetic light – as if he meant well. They say he longed for the happiness of his people. That he provoked Christ, hoping He would at last reveal His power in the face of torment and death – strike down the wicked, drive out the Roman occupiers, and rise as a glorious earthly king of the Jews. And perhaps, Judas dreamed of sitting “at His right hand” in that kingdom.

We do not know whether Judas was truly driven by such lofty thoughts – or if he simply loved money too much. But that same “Judas logic” is alive and well today. We see modern-day “apostles,” in Ukraine and beyond, striving to stay close to earthly rulers, basking in the glow of their authority and riches.

We are quick to label as Judases those few clergymen who go over to the OCU. And to some extent, that may be fair. But to be a Judas is not only to betray one’s Church, one’s friends, or one’s parish. First and foremost – it is to betray what Christ Himself taught.

And so, on this Holy Wednesday, we would do well to echo the apostles at the Last Supper and ask ourselves from the depths of our hearts:
“Lord, is it I?”

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