One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on, he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

I’m not sure whether it is still the case today, but when I was younger, we always referred to the Wednesday of Holy Week as “Spy Wednesday”. I believe we appropriated this from today’s gospel movement: Judas begins now to seek an opportunity to hand Jesus over.

Now that I’m a bit older…just a little bit…I am struck by the banal desire of Judas, his utter disregard for all that he has witnessed in Jesus’ 3+ years of public ministry. The word “opportunity” usually signals something positive: “the opportunity to advance at work”, “the opportunity to go to a conference”, and “the opportunity to make a par” (sorry for the golf image…I’m chomping at the bit!)…all of these are seeking “a good”, but not Judas’ “opportunity”. Does he really see his opportunity as serving a good?

On this Spy Wednesday, let us look for an opportunity in our own life to seek to accomplish a real and authentic good; to respond to Judas’ situation with a holy movement of our hearts and lives back toward Jesus…the One who is to offer His whole and entire self for our good.

Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ!