LA EN Integrating the liturgical tradition of Wednesday of Holy Week, the Church invites us to meditate on the bitter mystery of betrayal that precedes the Paschal Triduum. Historically, this day is known as “Spy Wednesday” or the day of betrayal, for, according to Tradition, it was on this date that Judas Iscariot went to the Sanhedrin to arrange the price that would be paid for Jesus, fixing it at thirty pieces of silver. This amount, which in the ancient law was the price of a slave, reveals the profound paradox of our salvation: Christ, whose most precious Blood has infinite value, allowed Himself to be sold as an object to pay the price of the redemption of the slaves that we were. While the people of Israel in the Old Testament were saved by the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the doors to escape biological death and slavery in Egypt, the offering of Jesus frees us from perpetual condemnation and from the power of Satan. Judas’ very betrayal demonstrates how God, in His unfathomable Providence, uses even the machinery of human sin to manifest His love and His victory. In the stational liturgy of Rome, the faithful gather at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, seeking the refuge and help of the Mother of God on the eve of the Passion of her Son, preparing themselves with rigorous prayer and penance for the sacred mysteries that will follow.
📖 Introit (Phil 2:10, 8–11; Ps 101:2)
In nómine Jesu omne genu flectátur, cœléstium, terréstrium et infernórum: quia Dóminus factus est obœdiens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis: ídeo Dóminus Jesus Christus in glória est Dei Patris. Ps. Dómine, exáudi oratiónem meam: et clamor meus ad te véniat. In nómine Jesu...
At the Name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, because the Lord became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross; therefore the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. Ps. Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto You. At the Name...
📖 First Reading (Is 62:11; 63:1–7)
Reading from the Prophet Isaiah. Thus says the Lord God: Say to the daughter of Zion: Behold, your Savior comes; and His reward comes with Him. Who is this that comes from Edom, from Bozrah, with garments stained red? He is splendid in His apparel and advances in the fullness of His strength. I am He who speaks justice, and I come to defend and to save. Why then is your garment red, and your clothes like those who tread the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the nations no man was with Me. I crushed them in My fury and trampled them in My wrath, and their blood spattered My garments and stained all My clothing. For I planned the day of vengeance, and the year of My redemption has come. I looked around, and there was no one to help; I searched, and I found no one to give aid. Then My own arm saved Me, and My own wrath sustained Me. I crushed the peoples in My fury, I made them stagger in My anger, and I cast their strength down to the earth. I remembered the mercies of the Lord, and I will praise Him for all that He has done for me, He, the Lord, our God.
📖 Second Reading (Is 53:1–12)
Reading from the Prophet Isaiah. In those days, Isaiah said: Lord, who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up like a shrub, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no beauty nor form; we saw Him, and there was nothing in Him to make Him desirable. He is despised and the last of men, a man of sorrows who knows suffering; His face is as it were hidden and despised, so that we esteemed Him not. Truly, He has borne our sufferings and carried our sorrows, and we considered Him as a leper, one struck by God and humbled. And yet He was wounded for our iniquities and crushed for our sins. The chastisement that brought us peace fell upon Him, and by His wounds we were healed. All of us were scattered like sheep; each one turned aside to his own way. And the Lord laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. He was offered because He willed it Himself, and He did not complain. Like a sheep led to slaughter, or a lamb before the shearer, He is silent and does not open His mouth. After imprisonment and judgment He was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living. I struck Him for the sins of My people. They gave Him a grave among the wicked and a burial place among the rich, though He had done no wrong, nor was deceit ever found in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to crush Him through suffering. When He has given His life for sin, He shall see a long posterity, and the will of the Lord shall prosper through Him. Because His soul has labored, He shall see and be satisfied. Because many know Him, He Himself, the Just Servant, shall justify many men and shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give Him a great multitude as His portion, and He shall divide the spoils of the strong, because He delivered His soul unto death and was numbered among the wicked; because He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.
📖 Passion (Lk 22:39–71; 23:1–53)
At that time: Jesus went out, as was His custom, to the Mount of Olives; and His disciples followed Him. When He reached the place, He said to them: Pray, lest you enter into temptation. And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and kneeling down, He prayed, saying: Father, if You will, remove this chalice from Me; nevertheless, not My will but Yours be done. Then there appeared to Him an Angel from heaven strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. And His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. Rising from prayer, He came to His disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow. And He said to them: Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation. While He was still speaking, behold a crowd came, and one of the twelve, called Judas, went before them; and he drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him: Judas, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss? Seeing what was about to happen, those who were with Him said: Lord, shall we strike with the sword? And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said: Let it be; it is enough. And touching his ear, He healed him. Then Jesus said to those who had come against Him, the chief priests, magistrates of the temple, and elders: Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was daily with you in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this is your hour and the power of darkness. Then seizing Him, they led Him to the house of the high priest. But Peter followed from a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, Peter was among them. And a servant girl, seeing him seated by the fire, looked at him intently and said: This man also was with Him. But he denied Him, saying: Woman, I do not know Him. And after a little while another, seeing him, said: You also are one of them. But Peter said: Man, I am not. And after about an hour another insisted, saying: Surely this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean. But Peter said: Man, I do not know what you are saying. And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said: Before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times. And going out, he wept bitterly. The men who held Jesus mocked Him and struck Him. And they blindfolded Him and struck His face, asking Him: Prophesy, who is it that struck You? And many other blasphemies they spoke against Him. When it was day, the elders of the people assembled, the chief priests and the scribes, and they led Him to their council, saying: If You are the Christ, tell us. And He said to them: If I tell you, you will not believe Me; and if I ask you, you will not answer Me nor let Me go. But from now on the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God. Then they all said: Are You then the Son of God? He answered: You say that I am. And they said: What further testimony do we need? For we ourselves have heard it from His own mouth. And rising up, the whole multitude led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying: We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ the King. And Pilate asked Him, saying: Are You the King of the Jews? He answered and said: I am. Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds: I find no crime in this man. But they insisted, saying: He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem in those days. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. He questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. Meanwhile the chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing Him. Then Herod with his soldiers treated Him with contempt and mocked Him; and dressing Him in a white robe, he sent Him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends that same day, for before they had been enemies with each other. Then Pilate, calling together the chief priests, the magistrates, and the people, said to them: You have brought this man to me as one who stirs up the people. And behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no fault in this man concerning those things of which you accuse Him. Nor has Herod either, for I sent you to him; and behold, nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him. Now he was obliged to release to them one prisoner on the feast. But the whole crowd cried out together, saying: Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas—who had been imprisoned for a certain rebellion made in the city and for murder. Pilate again addressed them, wishing to release Jesus. But they shouted, saying: Crucify Him, crucify Him. And he said to them the third time: Why, what evil has He done? I find no cause of death in Him; I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go. But they were urgent with loud cries, demanding that He be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that their demand should be granted. And he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, whom they asked for; but he delivered Jesus to their will. And as they led Him away, they seized a certain Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. And there followed Him a great multitude of people, and of women who bewailed and lamented Him. But Jesus turning to them said: Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, days are coming in which they will say: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that did not bear, and the breasts that did not nurse. Then they will begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us; and to the hills: Cover us. For if they do these things in the green wood, what shall be done in the dry? And there were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they came to the place called Calvary, they crucified Him there, and the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left. Then Jesus said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And dividing His garments, they cast lots. And the people stood looking on. And the rulers also mocked Him, saying: He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ, the chosen of God. The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him vinegar, saying: If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself. And there was also an inscription over Him in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: This is the King of the Jews. And one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying: If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us. But the other, rebuking him, said: Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong. And he said to Jesus: Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom. And Jesus said to him: Amen I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise. It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in the midst. And crying out with a loud voice, Jesus said: Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit. And having said this, He expired. (Here one kneels and pauses in honor of the death of Our Lord) Now the centurion, seeing what had happened, glorified God, saying: Truly this was a just Man. And all the crowd who had assembled for this spectacle, seeing what had happened, returned beating their breasts. And all His acquaintances, and the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, seeing these things. And behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man, who had not consented to their decision and deeds; he was from Arimathea, a city of Judea, and he also awaited the Kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the Body of Jesus. And taking Him down, he wrapped Him in a linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb hewn out of rock, where no one had ever yet been laid.
✝ The price of our redemption
The immense narrative of the Passion according to Saint Luke immerses us in the deepest agony of Christ, beginning in the Garden of Olives, where the sweat of blood expresses the crushing weight of taking upon Himself the iniquities of the world. This weakness, voluntarily assumed by the divinity, reveals the perfection of the Son’s obedience, who does not shrink from the chalice of suffering. The meekness with which He endures the kiss of Judas and, later, the outrages in the courts of Pilate and Herod, attests that the Incarnate Word accepted the rejection of the world not out of impotence, but out of sovereign love. True divine strength is manifested precisely in the decision to embrace the cross, uniting our human frailty to the eternal patience of God, who endures injustice to fully accomplish the saving plan (Saint Ambrose, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, 22).
This absolute sacrifice is illuminated by the prophetic visions of Isaiah, which describe the Savior in a twofold manner: as the warrior with garments stained in the winepress and as the Suffering Servant, without beauty or attraction, wounded for our sins. The solitary winepress symbolizes the outpouring of His own redeeming blood which, in crushing the empire of sin, does not seek vengeance against humanity, but its definitive purification, revealing a mercy that surpasses any punitive justice (Saint Gregory the Great, Homilies on the Prophets, 63). The atrocious suffering of this Just Servant, who remains silent like a lamb led to the slaughter, is not a historical failure, but the altar upon which the punishment that would bring us peace is borne by Him who, without guilt, carries the leprosy of our sins to justify a great multitude (Saint Augustine, Sermons on Isaiah, 53).
The Introit antiphon magnificently weaves this mystery by commanding that, at the Name of Jesus, “every knee should bend, of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.” The reason for this universal exaltation is found precisely in the desolation meditated upon in the readings and in the Gospel: “because the Lord became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross.” The obedience of the Suffering Servant, sold for coins and led like a criminal to Calvary, is the very same divine kingship that draws the repentant thief and tears the veil of the temple. The supreme humiliation of Christ is the price paid for our redemption, transforming the tree of the cross into the throne of glory from which He reigns, inviting us to prostrate our hearts in adoration of Him who loved us to the end.