30 March 2021
Tuesday of Holy Week
The theme of darkness and light permeates the gospel of John. A clear manifestation of this theme may be found in today’s reading when it speaks of Judas leaving the table and then the gospel follows with the short sentence: And it was night. Now we really didn’t need to be told it was night since the event occurred during the dinner which means it occurred after sunset. The night and the darkness it implies comes from the rejection of Jesus and Judas’ launching out on his own idea. Not hearing correctly or listening to another voice that is not God’s is an old story, the plot first told with the story of Adam and Eve. But we all know that the rejection of Jesus was not limited to Judas. The gospel of John speaks of the relationship between light and darkness, truth and error, life and death. This same gospel echos the option spoken by Moses in Deuteronomy 30:19; choose life so that you and your children may live. The narrative of the passion in the days to come speaks of choices by made by several people: Peter denying his Lord and Mary standing under the foot of the cross. Yet, in spite of bad choices, God’s forgiveness is that of the Father in the prodigal son, continually waiting and calling people back into the light and out of the darkness of selfishness.