As Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the maids of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus! 68 But he denied it, saying, I neither know, nor understand what you are saying. He went out on the porch, and the rooster crowed. 69 The maid saw him, and began again to tell those who stood by, This is one of them. 70 But he again denied it.
After a little while again those who stood by said to Peter, You truly are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it. 71 But he began to curse, and to swear, I don t know this man of whom you speak! 72 The rooster crowed the second time. Peter remembered the word, how that Jesus said to him, Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. When he thought about that, he wept.
Even when Jesus knew Peter was going to deny him, he prayed for Peter. That through the guilt and shame of denying his master, humbled he will be renewed and strengthened to lead his brethren. After his denial, Peter gazed into the eyes of Jesus and saw that he was still very much loved and forgiven. Jesus the source of all life desires that we all should have life, life to the full! Hence He willing laid down His life and forgave us from the cross, to take away the sins of the world so that we can live free in His love.
Pity Judas turned away from Jesus instead of turning towards Him! Otherwise he too would have known his Saviour’s love and mercy for him. He would gained his life instead of taking it upon himself to end it.
We who have experienced the great mercy and love of our Lord Jesus Christ will eagerly share it with others, “My lips will tell of Your help (righteous deeds)” Ps 71;15
Lord let me be Your light in the world. Amen
First reading
Isaiah 49:1-6 ·
I will make you the light of the nations, so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth
Islands, listen to me,
pay attention, remotest peoples.
The Lord called me before I was born,
from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.
He made my mouth a sharp sword,
and hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me into a sharpened arrow,
and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel)
in whom I shall be glorified’;
while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain,
I have exhausted myself for nothing’;
and all the while my cause was with the Lord,
my reward with my God.
I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,
my God was my strength.
And now the Lord has spoken,
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
to gather Israel to him:
‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’
Gospel
John 13:21-33,36-38
‘What you are going to do, do quickly’
While at supper with his disciples, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, wondering which he meant. The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, ‘Ask who it is he means’, so leaning back on Jesus’ breast he said, ‘Who is it, Lord?’ ‘It is the one’ replied Jesus ‘to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish.’ He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’ None of the others at table understood the reason he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’, or telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen.
When he had gone Jesus said:
‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified,
and in him God has been glorified.
If God has been glorified in him,
God will in turn glorify him in himself,
and will glorify him very soon.
‘My little children,
I shall not be with you much longer.
You will look for me,
And, as I told the Jews,
where I am going, you cannot come.’
Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later.’ Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’
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