Gospel (Jn 13,21-33.36-38) - At that time, Jesus was deeply troubled and declared: "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at each other, not knowing exactly who he was talking about. Now one of the disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table next to Jesus. Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who the one he was talking about was. And he, bending over Jesus' chest, said to him: "Lord, who is it?". Jesus replied, "He is the one for whom I will dip the morsel and give it to him." And having dipped the morsel, he took it and gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. Then, after the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, "Whatever you want to do, do quickly." None of the guests understood why he had told them this; some in fact thought that, since Judas was holding the chest, Jesus had said to him: "Buy what we need for the feast", or that he should give something to the poor. He took the morsel and immediately went out. And it was night. When he went out, Jesus said: «Now the Son of man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him by him and will glorify him immediately. Children, I am with you for a little while longer; you will look for me but, as I said to the Jews, now I also say it to you: where I go, you cannot come." Simon Peter said to him: "Lord, where are you going?". Jesus answered him: «Where I go, you cannot follow me for now; you will follow me later." Peter said, “Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will give my life for you! He answered Jesus: «Will you give your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you: he will not crow until you have denied me three times."
The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia
Jesus knows well by now that his "hour", that of death and resurrection, is near. Contradictory feelings crowd into his heart: he doesn't want to die but he doesn't want to escape either. But the hour of his "departure" from this world to the Father has arrived. He is about to leave this world, but will that small group of disciples that he has collected, cared for, loved, taught, continue to be together? Jesus knows that Judas is about to betray him. This disciple does not care that Jesus bent down before him to wash his feet. With those feet washed, touched and perhaps kissed by Jesus, Judas is about to go out and betray him. With an unspeakable sadness in his heart he says to everyone: "One of you will betray me." Bewilderment takes everyone. These are words that shock everyone. It is not enough to be physically next to Jesus, what matters is the closeness of the heart and the acceptance of his plan of salvation. We too can live in the community of disciples, follow the rhythms of the life of believers, but if there is no adherence of the heart to his Word, if there is no concrete practice of love for the poorest, if there is no there is communion with our brothers, if there is no adherence to his plan for a world of justice and peace, our heart will little by little drift away, our mind will gradually become clouded and we will no longer understand the his dream of love. Obviously, while the face of Jesus becomes clouded, our "I" grows more and more. What was love for Jesus turns into worship for ourselves and our things. And it becomes natural to slide towards betrayal. It is in the heart that the battle between good and evil, between love and mistrust, takes place. And there are no possible compromises. This is what happened to Judas. In these days Jesus, more than asking us to serve him, asks us to stay close to him, to accompany him, not to leave him alone. If anything, he urges us to be careful, not to become banal. He tries to make his disciples understand this. But they, starting with Peter, do not understand it. They are too busy with themselves to let those words touch their hearts. It is from a heart that does not listen that betrayal arises. If we put aside the words of the Gospel, our words, our thoughts, our feelings generally full of ambiguity prevail. And we also become capable of selling out Jesus. We must all be vigilant. Even Peter and the other disciples who remained with him that evening, professing faithfulness until his death, first abandoned him and then denied him in a few days. We must not trust in ourselves but entrust ourselves every day to the love and protection of the Lord.