Be prepared for betrayal and passion, like Jesus

September 24, Saturday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Eccl 11:9 -12:8 • Ps 90:3–4, 5–6, 12–13, 14 and 17 • Lk 9:43b–45

Luke 9:43-45 speaks of the disciple’s failure to understand the meaning of Jesus’ foretelling of His Passion and how they were afraid to ask Him the meaning. Here Jesus made the second prophecy of his forthcoming passion. The disciples were not mentally prepared for accepting the passion and death of Jesus.  They simply could not accept the fact that Jesus will be betrayed. Why would anyone betray him when he is doing so much good and is at the height of his popularity?

Like the disciples, we are frightened by suffering and its apparent meaninglessness. We bring our suffering to our prayer, and try to ask Jesus what it means. When we feel betrayed, we have the consolation that Jesus has gone through greater suffering and pain.   So many people experience betrayal, and the lives of others are cut short as was Jesus’ by the malice of evil people. We are strengthened by the fact that the Son of God knows the anguish from personal experience, and that he has grappled with it and brought great good out of it by his love.

Are we prepared for the passion that so many people endure today and every day? [should we be prepared for the passion of others?] We need a new way of seeing. Jesus walks closely by our side when we are broken by trouble and says: ‘My grace is enough for you.’ Bad news may come from the doctor; We may fail in something important; We may be betrayed by friends. Yet our consolation is that He has gone before us and shows us the way to endure. He gives us the courage to take one more step.

Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our good fortune and our misfortunes.