Tuesday 7 April 2009

Judas, the betrayer

In the Whiteside Chantry of the Cathedral we find an image which looms large at this time of year: Judas points accusingly towards the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. With his left hand he clutches the bag of money which he has been paid to betray Jesus. Judas' betrayal is a significant feature of today's Gospel reading at Mass (Jn 13:21-38). St John tells us that Satan "entered his heart" and he left the Last Supper, ready to hand Jesus over to the authorities. St John makes a comment which clearly has both a literal and a symbolic meaning: "Night had fallen."