Wednesday, April 5, 2023 — Wednesday of Holy Week — Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father; you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter — Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthieu (Mt 26: 14-25)

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.”