Daily Gospel for April 8. Readings for today, Holy Wednesday

Reading for today April 8, Holy Wednesday

Reading the Book of Isaiah 50:4-9. The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?

Daily Psalm. PSalm 68,8-10,21-22,31,33-34.

(R). "In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour"

It is for you that I suffer taunts, that shame covers my face, that I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons. I burn with zeal for your house and taunts against you fall on me. (R).

Taunts have broken my heart; I have reached the end of my strength. I looked in vain for compassion, for consolers; not one could I find. For food they gave me poison; in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (R).

I will praise God’s name with a song; I will glorify him with thanksgiving. The poor when they see it will be glad and God-seeking hearts will revive; for the Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains. (R).

Daily Gospel Aclamation for April 8, Holy Wednesday.

"Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! Hail to you, our King! Obedient to the Father, you were led to your crucifixion as a meek lamb is led to the slaughter. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!".

Daily Gospel for April 8. Matthew 26:14-25.

Reading for daily Gospel - (Holy Wednesday: He who dips his bread in my plate, that one will betray me): One of the Twelve, 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 thirty 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 Twelve. 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."

Daily Gospel Commentaries by Pope Francis.

About Gospel of today - in the middle of Holy Week, the liturgy presents us with that sad episode, the story of Judas´ betrayal, who goes before the heads of the Sanhedrin to bargain and hand them over to their Master. How much do I get if I hand them over? And Jesus, from that moment on, has a price.

This dramatic act marks the beginning of Christ´s Passion, a painful path that He chooses with absolute freedom. And He says it clearly Himself.

"I give my life. No one takes it from me, but I give it for myself. I have the power to give it and to take it back". (John 10:17-18)

And so, this path of humiliation, of spoliation, begins with this betrayal. Jesus, as if He were in the marketplace: "this costs 30 denarii" and Jesus walks this path of humiliation and plunder until the end.

Jesus reaches complete humiliation with the "death on the cross". This is the worst death, destined for slaves and criminals. Jesus was considered a prophet, but he dies as a criminal.

Looking at Jesus in his passion, we see, as in a mirror, also the sufferings of all humanity and we find the divine response to the mystery of evil, of pain, of death.

And many times we feel horror before the evil and pain that surrounds us and we ask ourselves: "Why does God allow this? It is a deep wound for us to see suffering and death, especially that of the innocent!

When we see children suffering it is a wound in the heart, it is the mystery of evil and Jesus takes all this evil, all this suffering upon himself.

This week it will do us all good to look at the Crucifix, to kiss the wounds of Jesus, to kiss them on the Crucifix. He has taken upon Himself all human suffering, he has "clothed" himself with that suffering.

The passion and death of Jesus and the frustrations of so many human hopes are the real way through which God works our salvation. A way that does not correspond to human criteria, indeed, it brings them down. In his wounds we are healed (cf. 1 Pet 2:24)

This week, let´s think so much about Jesus´ pain, and say to ourselves, "and this is for me!" Even if I was the only person in the world, He would have done it. He did it for me! And let´s kiss the Crucifix and say, "for me, thank you Jesus, for me."

Dear brothers and sisters, this week it will do us good to take the Crucifix in our hand and kiss it so many times, and say, "Thank you Jesus, thank you Lord. So be it (Catechesis St Peter´s Square, 16 April 2014)

Pope´s quotes.

"In these holy days let us stand before the Crucified One and let us ask for the grace to live in order to serve. May we reach out to those who are suffering and those most in need. May we not be concerned about what we lack, but what good we can do for others." (04.7.2020 - @pontifex)

Daily Gospel, meditation in video for April 8, Holy Wednesday.