The Gospel for Wednesday of Holy Week is taken from St. Matthew 26, chapter 14 to the 25th verse. One of the 12 who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, what are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you? They paid him 30 pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover? He said, go into the city to a certain man and tell him, the teacher says, my appointed time draws near.

In your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples. The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered and prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the 12, and while they were eating, he said, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me. Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him, one after another, surely it is not I, Lord. He said in reply, he who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes as it is written of him.

But woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born. Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, surely it is not I, Rabbi, he answered, you have said so. There is such an interesting image in this particular passage that always catches my imagination. And is, whose house was this? Who was this man who they were to find?

He’s not named. They will offer his house to Jesus for the most important moment in his ministry, the Last Supper. And I think it’s so interesting that the line in your house, I will celebrate the Passover. What is our house that God longs to enter? It is our heart. And what is the Passover other than the institution of the miracle of God dwelling in us?

A Eucharistic presence that we take in every time we celebrate liturgy. When that is offered, we enter into that same moment of this is the house in which God has chosen to dwell. That’s the hope for all of us. That’s what we trust. In closing prayer. Father, we face so many things alone.

We feel like we need to do something in order to win your affection. But help us to see how clearly in these stories, particularly at the end of your ministry, you made clear to us that you long to dwell within us. You want to celebrate in our house, in our heart, your presence, your healing power and your truth. Help us to keep that in mind, to believe in it. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.