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Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Praise
Lord of creation,
whose glory is around and within us:
open our eyes to your wonders,
that we may serve you with reverence
and know your peace at our lives’ end,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 125
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but stands fast for ever.
As the hills stand about Jerusalem,
so the Lord stands round about his people,
from this time forth for evermore.
The sceptre of wickedness shall not hold sway
over the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous turn their hands to evil.
Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are true of heart.
Those who turn aside to crooked ways
the Lord shall take away with the evildoers;
but let there be peace upon Israel.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Reading
Luke 9.43b-45
While everyone was amazed at all that Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples, ‘Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.’ But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was concealed from them, so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Reflection
Jesus said to his disciples: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed …
Jesus knew throughout his earthly ministry that he was going to be betrayed. The gospels tell us that Jesus even knew the identity of the one who was to betray him. What must that have felt like to the human Jesus? The divine Jesus knew that this betrayal was part of God’s plan to rescue humanity but … what must the walking, talking, breathing human Jesus have felt about this?
We all have times when we feel betrayed. As a parish priest I experience many times when I suddenly find that my words and actions are being criticised in the most aggressive and personal ways. Of course, this is not reserved for the clergy alone. Everyone can wake up one day and find that they are the subject of a campaign of criticism, even hate.
In our modern age we have the advantage of many means of communication. Unfortunately, social media and emails are not easily retrieved once the ‘send’ button has been hit. The damage has been done. The late night (sometimes alcohol driven) rantings of an ill-informed mind enter the public domain, and the betrayal has taken place. This modern form of betrayal takes no account of the stresses and strains of those on the receiving end. It is purely about self-gratification.
In the national life of all countries we find that the crime of treason (betrayal) is deemed to be one of the most heinous. Most of us are able to name ‘notable’ traitors (betrayers) of the last century. These people, despite backgrounds of social respectability, placed their ideals, their wishes, their wants before those of all their fellow citizens. Their actions rocked societies because of the sour taste of betrayal they left behind.
The Christian life calls for love towards all, even those with whom we have nothing in common. The Christian life demands that we set aside our love of gossip and engage with others in a spirit of honesty and openness. The Christian life identifies those who betray Christ’s call to love and serve alongside the one who was to betray him … Judas Iscariot.
Let us pray that we might remain true and loving in all that we say and do. Let us pray that we might never betray our neighbours. Let us pray that we might regard all people with mutual respect. Let us pray that we may never betray Christ by failing to love God and neighbour with all our heart, with all our mind, and with all our strength. Let us pray that we never find ourselves aligned with the actions of the one who betrayed the Son of God.
Prayers of intercession
Let us pray to the Father whose Son suffered betrayal and death for the salvation of the world.
Cleanse the Church from temptation to worldly ambition and false triumphalism. In childlike simplicity, may your people follow you without fear, in loving one another.
Bring peace to the troubled places of the world, where war destroys both human life and the beauty of your creation. Make peaceful the minds of those who contend for power, that they may know the freedom of your service.
Bless the children of our families and those in our community. Let their innocence teach us to avoid all that may destroy the harmony of living.
Have mercy on the victims of war and violence; those who have lost their loved ones and been driven from their homes. Grant them a place of refuge to rebuild their lives.
We pray for those who have died in war or through human violence. Grant mercy to those who died unprepared and impenitent, by the love of Christ who served others even to death. Grant them the peace that they were denied in their last hour.
As servants of Christ, we humbly offer our prayers in his name.
Prayer for the week
Lord God,
you have taught us to pray to you as ‘Our Father’:
help us to see the world through your eyes,
and to love our neighbours with your love.
Show us how we can share with them
the knowledge and joy of our faith,
that they may be brought closer to you,
and enjoy the perfect freedom of your kingdom.
We make our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ,
our Lord and our God.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.