Seventeenth Day.
When Our Lord had prayed and struggled in this mortal agony, He arose and assembled His disciples about Him, and awaited the coming of the traitor. And as He was yet speaking, behold, the crowd arrived, and Judas, one of the twelve, was with them; coming up to Jesus, he kissed Him, and the Lord said: “Judas, with a kiss you betray the Son of man.” Judas thus betrays the Lord with the sign of friendship. He comes up to Him as of old, when returning from a missionary tour, he was met by the Lord with open arms, and he, as well as the other disciples, would tell of their labors, their successes, and the good they had done. And now, as if to throw the Lord off His guard, he pretends to have the same spirit within his breast. O Lord Jesus! with what kindness didst Thou not even then receive Judas, that he might see that Thou didst still love him. In our frequent infidelities the Lord comes to us with the same sweetness and goodness. He would lead us back to our duties and the recognition of our faults. O that we would listen to the words of Our Lord!
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Eighteenth Day.
When Judas had given that traitorous sign, the kiss of peace, the disciples all fled. Our Lord had commanded, “If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way.” No sooner had the disciples [pg 151] seen that the Lord presented His hands to be tied, than they ran off in the greatest hurry. They had forgotten the assurance they had given that they would remain faithful. They whose feet had been washed in all humility by Our Lord, Who had fed them a short time before with His sacred body and blood. We are not far inferior in infidelity to the disciples. In the morning we have gone to communion, and before the day is over we have fallen into grievous sin. We had made many resolutions at our last confession, and at the approach of the first temptation we have fallen into the same sins again. We leave, without much concern, Jesus, the best friend we have in this world. Oh, let us remain faithful to the good Master of our souls, Who, after this life is over, promises us eternal rewards.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.