Their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.

As we draw closer to Holy Week, the readings increasingly focus on the sufferings of Jesus. Today, both readings reinforce one another. The reading from Wisdom, quoted in part above, is startling in how perfectly applicable it is to what happened to Jesus. The gospel reading tells us that Jesus knew what was being plotted against him, so he avoided going to Jerusalem at first, confining his ministry mainly to the Galilee region.

There are many lessons we can take from today’s readings. Perhaps the two most important would be the gratitude that we should feel to Jesus for his willingness to suffer and die for us. He knew what awaited him in Jerusalem, but went there anyway. When the Temple guards came to seize him in the garden, he could see and hear them coming. Instead of traveling up the hill to Bethany and hiding in the Judean desert, he stayed.

A second lesson is how easy it is for us to misjudge others. The reading speaks of Jesus’ enemies being blinded by wickedness. We can so easily blind ourselves to the good that others do. Such blindness might not be due to a deep-seated wickedness as much as to a hidden prejudice for certain people or groups of people that prevents us from seeing the good that they do.

Every Mass is an opportunity for us to align ourselves with the life and value system of Jesus. We nourish ourselves with his body and blood so we might become Christ for others. Do I use the Eucharist to root out blindness and wickedness in my life?

Let Us Pray:

Lord Jesus, I know how easy it is to misjudge others. Help me always to see the good in others. Let me be your compassion and understanding wherever I go.