While
our Savoir occupied Himself in praying to his Father for the spiritual
salvation of the human race, Judas sought to hasten the delivery of Christ into
the hands of the priests and Pharisees.
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| Judas leading the arrest |
At the same time Lucifer and his
demons, not being able to divert the perverse will of Judas and of the other
enemies of Christ from their designs on the life of Christ, changed the tactics
of their satanic malice. The devil was filled with great suspicions lest this
most extraordinary Man be the Messiah
and the true God. For it seemed to the
demon, that if Christ was not God and only a man, He certainly must weaken and
be conquered in these persecutions and torments. If on the other hand He was
God, He would manifest it by freeing Himself and performing new miracles.
At
the instigation of Judas they hastily gathered together a large band of people,
composed of pagan soldiers, a tribune, and many Jews. All these servants of
malice, bearing arms and provided with ropes and chains, in the glaring torch
and lantern light, issued from the city in the direction of mount Olivet. The
prime mover of the treachery, Judas, had insisted upon so much precaution; for,
in his perfidy and treachery, he feared that the Jesus, whom he believed to be
a magician and sorcerer, would perform some miracle for his escape.
While
they were approaching, the Lord returned the third time to his Apostles and
finding them asleep spoke to them: “Sleep ye now, and take your rest. It is
enough: the hour is come; behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the
hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go. Behold he that will betray Me is at hand”
(Mark 14, 41).
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| Rise up, let us go |
Such were the words of the Master of holiness to the three most
privileged Apostles; He was unwilling to reprehend them more severely than in
this most meek and loving manner. Being oppressed, they did not know what to
answer their Lord, as Scripture says (Mark 14, 40). They arose and Jesus went
with them to join the other eight disciples. He found them likewise overcome
and oppressed by their great sorrow and fallen asleep. The Master then gave
orders, that all of them together, mystically forming one body with Him their
Head, should advance toward the enemies, thereby teaching them the power of
mutual and perfect unity for overcoming the demons and their followers and for
avoiding defeat by them. For a triple cord is hard to tear, as says
Ecclesiastes (4, 12), and he that is mighty against one, may be overcome by
two, that being the effect of union. The Lord again exhorted all the Apostles
and forewarned them of what was to happen. Already the confused noise of the
advancing band of soldiers and their helpmates began to be heard. Our Saviour
then proceeded to meet them on the way, and, with incomparable love,
magnanimous courage and tender piety prayed interiorly: “O sufferings longingly desired from my inmost soul, ye pains, wounds,
affronts, labours, afflictions and ignominious death, come, come, come quickly,
for the fire of love, which burns for the salvation of men, is anxious to see
you meet the Innocent one of all creatures... I give permission to my friends
to forsake Me; for I alone desire and am able to enter into this battle and
gain for them triumph and victory” (Is. 53, 3).
During
these words and prayers of the Author of life, Judas advanced in order to give
the signal upon which he had agreed with his companions (Matth. 26, 48), namely
the customary, but now feigned kiss of peace, by which they were to distinguish
Jesus as the One whom they should single out from the rest and immediately
seize. These precautions Judas had taken, not only out of avarice for the money
and hatred against his Master, but also, on account of the fear with which he
was filled. For he dreaded the inevitable necessity of meeting Him and
encountering Him in the future, if Christ was not put to death on this
occasion. Such confusion he feared more than the death of his soul, or the
death of his divine Master and, in order to forestall it, he hastened to
complete his treachery and desired to see the Author of life die at the hands
of his enemies. The traitor then ran up to the meekest Lord, and, as a
consummate hypocrite, hiding his hatred, he imprinted on his countenance the
kiss of peace, saying: “God save Thee,
Master.”
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| The kiss of betrayal |
Betrayal in the garden of Gathsemane
By this so treacherous act the perdition of Judas was matured and God was justified in withholding his grace and help. On the part of the Judas, malice and temerity reached their highest degree. In this one act of treason he committed so many and such formidable sins, that it is impossible to fathom their immensity; for he was treacherous, murderous, sacrilegious, ungrateful, inhuman, disobedient, false, lying, impious and unequalled in hypocrisy; and all this was included in one and the same crime perpetrated against the person of God made man.
By this so treacherous act the perdition of Judas was matured and God was justified in withholding his grace and help. On the part of the Judas, malice and temerity reached their highest degree. In this one act of treason he committed so many and such formidable sins, that it is impossible to fathom their immensity; for he was treacherous, murderous, sacrilegious, ungrateful, inhuman, disobedient, false, lying, impious and unequalled in hypocrisy; and all this was included in one and the same crime perpetrated against the person of God made man.
