28 March 2018 – homily for Wednesday of Holy Week – Matthew 26:14-25

       Yesterday, on the Tuesday of Holy Week, the priests and lay ecclesial ministers from throughout our Diocese gather together in Jackson to attend the Chrism mass.  The Chrism Mass takes place in the Cathedral of each Diocese in the Catholic Church during Holy Week, reminding us of our unity in Christ through Baptism and its holy anointing, made possible by the ministry of the Bishop and his priests. The Chrism Mass is a key moment in which the unity of the Bishop with his priests is manifested and renewed. During the Chrism mass liturgy, the entire assembly is called to renew its baptismal promises. All the deacons and priests of the diocese renew their commitment of obedience to the Bishop in the ministries to which he assigns them. I always look forward to the Chrism Mass each year.  It is a great time for all of us in our very large Diocese to get together as one. 

         As the priests renewed their vow of obedience at the Chrism Mass last night, I thought about how many aspects of our lives concern making choices, since a priest renewing his obedience to his bishop is indeed a choice.  There are good choices we can make, choices that bring us closer to God.  Then, there are choices that take us away from God, choices that can weigh us down. 

         In today's Gospel, we hear how Judas betrayed Jesus, how he shared the meal with Jesus and the rest of his disciples in celebration of the Jewish holidays, while at the same time knowing in his heart that he would deliver Jesus into the hands of those who wanted to kill him.  Judas is an example of choosing to go down the wrong road and abandoning our faith. 

         Then we have Jesus, the Son of God, who could have demanded that people serve him. But Jesus came to serve others, not to be served.  Tomorrow, on Holy Thursday, we will remember how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, an action usually performed by a slave or a servant for a guest who had just come in from the dirty streets.  Jesus came to serve and to help others, which is so different from the attitude that Judas had, how he would betray his friend for his own personal gain.

         As we observe Holy Week this week, let us remember all those things we need to get rid of so that we will be more like Jesus, who came to serve, and less like Judas, who betrayed Jesus and thought of his own gain.