Call to Faithful Love, Judas (2025-05-18) 5th Sunday Easter

__  Click here for Audio of Homily__ 

__  Click here for Video of Mass__  

[v.4]   Homily -  May 18, 2025 /  5^th Sunday Easter ● Acts 14:21-27 ● Psalm 145  ●  Revelation 21:1-5a ●  John 13:31-33a, 34-35 ● 

 Tragedy of Judas and the Call to Faithful Love

 [__01_]    1. Setting the Scene: Jesus at the Last Supper

In this Easter season, our Gospel readings often bring us back to the appearances of the risen Christ to His disciples. But today’s Gospel takes us to an earlier moment—before the crucifixion, before the 3 days buried in the tomb.

In John 13, we find Jesus at the Last Supper, gathered at table with His twelve apostles. Yet even as they sit in communion, a fracture is forming. One of them—Judas Iscariot—is about to break away, not through retirement or illness, but through betrayal.

 [__02_]   2. The Loss of Judas and the Call of Matthias

Judas’ tragic departure left the group of twelve incomplete—12 minus 1. But the early Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, responded not with despair, but with hope. **Matthias** was chosen to take Judas’ place, as we celebrated just this past week on May 14, his feast day, of Saint Mathias, the new apostle # 12

In a sermon on this very mystery, John Henry Newman reminds us that God doesn’t see us merely as individuals. Rather, He views us as a body—a collective, meant to work together. The twelve apostles were not just random individuals. They were chosen as a unified whole, and when one fell, another was raised to restore the body.

 

 

 

[__03_]   3. Salvation Comes Through Relationship

This Gospel episode reminds us that our salvation is not only a matter of private spirituality. We are saved in relationship—in families, in communities, in the Church.

Whether you are a parent or child, sibling or friend, neighbor or spouse, your faithfulness in these relationships matters. Some of these relationships may be flawed or painful, but they are the very places where Christ calls us to love and serve.

Judas’ failure was not just a matter of individual sin—it was also a failure of relationship. He isolated himself. He didn’t see his belonging to a group, to Jesus, to the others. He became absorbed in himself. And when the truth of his betrayal became clear, he could not bring himself to repent or reach out. He covered it up. And it ended in death.

 

[__04_]   4. The Love-Hate Tragedy of Judas     Judas Iscariot had a love-hate relationship not only with Jesus, but also with himself. On one hand, he was trusted—**the treasurer**, the one who held the common purse. He was a responsible figure. Perhaps, in today’s terms, we might say he had access to the “Amazon Prime account”—he handled the logistics, the transactions.

But as Father Ronald Knox points out, Judas missed the deeper meaning of Jesus’ love for the poor. He couldn’t understand a Savior who wouldn’t wield power politically or militarily. When Jesus failed to live up to Judas' expectations, he turned bitter, even hateful.

Have you ever been there yourself—disappointed with life, with others, with God? It’s a temptation to blame God or even punish God in our hearts. But in doing so, we sometimes end up hating ourselves, losing sight of God's mercy.

[__05_]   5. The Call to Trust, Even in the Storm

In moments of grief or hardship—through divorce, illness, or the loss of a loved one—it’s understandable to cry out, “Lord, do you not care that we are perishing?” This is the cry of the disciples in the storm. Perhaps it was also Judas’ cry in his soul.

But there’s a key difference: the disciples called out to Jesus. Judas did not. He didn’t entrust his disappointment to Christ. One theory is that his betrayal was a desperate attempt to provoke Jesus into fighting back. But Jesus did no such thing. He lived out the truth that “the last shall be first.” And Judas, when he saw that Jesus would not be the savior he imagined, despaired.

The tragedy is not just that Judas sinned—we all do—but that he refused to believe in forgiveness. Even repentance, even sorrow for sin, is not something we do alone. We are meant to turn to God **together**, in the Church, in prayer, in humility.

 [__06_]    6. Parallel of Prayer / Study as example

Sometimes we hesitate to reach out—whether to pray for or to console someone—especially when someone is grieving. We're afraid of saying the wrong thing, or feel alone in our efforts. But prayer was never meant to be a solitary burden. Like coming to Mass, it's not just about being with those who already love us. It's about growing in communion with all—especially those we struggle to understand.

          We come here not just for personal inspiration, but for support.

          Parallel: I often felt – as a student – studying better in a library surrounded by others, I find I can also pray better when we’re reminded that I am not alone.

Even if we’re distracted, even if we don’t know what to say—our very presence here matters. Together, we lift each other up.

Prayer is honest. It’s real. It names our deepest longings—for healing, for forgiveness, for others and for ourselves. That’s why we say, “Our Father… lead us… deliver us.” We're in this together.

Even Judas, had he turned to others—to Jesus, to the apostles—could have found healing. His sin wasn’t beyond forgiveness. But he stayed alone. And that’s what destroyed him.

 [__07_]    Examining Our Own Temptations

Father Ronald Knox also invites us to look inward. He says we must identify the sin we are most vulnerable to, because that is where the battle lies. For Judas, it was perhaps materialism and power his love of money and status outweighed his love of Christ.

 

So, what is it for you?

·       Is it money? What would you do if you lost it all, or if you had the chance to gain more unjustly?

·       Is it health? What would you do if sickness became your permanent companion?

·       Is it status or recognition? What if your work stalled, or your dreams died?

Whatever your answer, imagine the worst-case scenario—and then tell God, “Even then, You come first.”

[__08_]     The Way Forward: Love One Another

Jesus gives us a new commandment in this passage: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

This isn’t just a gentle suggestion—it’s the way to salvation. We are not meant to live for ourselves alone. The tragedy of Judas is not inevitable. His fate doesn’t have to be ours.  Even in our pain, even in our confusion, we are still called to love—in families, friendships, and our communities of faith. This is how the world will know we belong to Christ: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)