Wed 4 April

Wednesday of Holy Week

These readings are from the Jerusalem Bible. For copyright reasons we cannot show the New American Bible translations in our Web pages, but the Universalis downloads do contain them.

First reading

Isaiah 50:4-9

The Lord has given me
a disciple’s tongue.
So that I may know how to reply to the wearied
he provides me with speech.
Each morning he wakes me to hear,
to listen like a disciple.
The Lord has opened my ear.

For my part, I made no resistance,
neither did I turn away.
I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;
I did not cover my face
against insult and spittle.

The Lord comes to my help,
so that I am untouched by the insults.
So, too, I set my face like flint;
I know I shall not be shamed.

My vindicator is here at hand. Does anyone start proceedings against me?
Then let us go to court together.
Who thinks he has a case against me?
Let him approach me.

The Lord is coming to my help,
who will dare to condemn me?

Psalm or canticle

Psalm 68:8-10,21-22,31,33-34

It is for you that I suffer taunts,
 that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers,
 an alien to my own mother’s sons.
I burn with zeal for your house
 and taunts against you fall on me.

Taunts have broken my heart;
 I have reached the end of my strength.
I looked in vain for compassion,
 for consolers; not one could I find.
For food they gave me poison;
 in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

I will praise God’s name with a song;
 I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
The poor when they see it will be glad
 and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy
 and does not spurn his servants in their chains.

Gospel

Matthew 26:14-25

One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?’ They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment he looked for an opportunity to betray him.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied ‘and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.”’ The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.
When evening came he was at table with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.

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