For Christians, we are in the midst of Holy Week, as tomorrow begins the Triduum – that is, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.
Therefore, I am breaking from our series on 10 Ways to Deceive Your Spouse to discuss Judas and Peter’s betrayals of Our Lord.
It is easy to think that shame is why Judas hung himself.
But in the Gospel, shame is not what destroys Judas. Isolation does.
Peter and Judas both felt shame, but they reacted differently. Peter wept after denying Christ and remained close to the Lord. In contrast, Judas turned away and isolated himself, which allowed his shame to become unbearable.
One reflection I came across this week asked a simple question. What would have happened if Judas had met the Virgin Mary on his way to his death? The Virgin Mary is known to act as an intercessor between Jesus and those of us on earth. Think of her like a mother who often helps us receive more grace than what perhaps our fathers were willing to give.
The idea, however, isn’t just sweet. It’s about something that is part of our human makeup. We must remember that no one comes back to God all on their own. We always return through our relationships with others.
This is why the loss of dignity matters so much in our world. When a person is treated as beyond any sort of help, whether in a prison cell or in ordinary life, it becomes harder for them to believe that mercy is still possible. Whether you yourself can remember a time of perceived isolation or you have experienced your child going through it, it is almost unbearable.
Ironically, we often need silence to hear God, but isolation can lead us to believe God is absent. The key difference may be how close our support groups are.
Holy Thursday reminds us that even on the night of betrayal, Jesus does not withdraw from His disciples. He remains with them.
The question is not whether we will fall. The question is whether we will stay close enough to be found.
Failure is inevitable. What determines whether you rise above the waters or sink is the direction you choose to look. Will you return to the Creator of all things to seek mercy and forgiveness, or will you isolate yourself, overwhelmed by shame?