People have the impression that when you forgive, the once warm relationship that existed previously, should return. That is furthest from the truth. When one forgives, it is not for the other party. It is for ourselves. We take away the anger; we take away the desire for revenge; we focus on healing and moving forward.

Most especially when the relationship is broken because of betrayal, trust is something very hard to return. We also have to accept that while we have to forgive, there are some relationships that will simply not work out.

In the Gospel we hear of Jesus being betrayed by Judas. The question is, did Jesus commit a mistake in choosing Judas as an apostle?

Three reasons to reflect on:

• First, God has a plan, In the Garden of Gethsemane, the words of Christ was, “Your will and not my will.” Because God has a plan, everything happens for a reason and a purpose. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and this was by way of betrayal. It was part of God’s plan.
• Second, Jesus saw the good in Judas, and that is why he became an apostle. But as time went by, Jesus knew how he was tempted by money. Greed eventually entered the heart of Judas and because of that, betraying people became one of the sad realities. Even though Judas knew that Jesus knew he would be betrayed, that did not deter Judas to continue his actions.
• Third, the betrayal was an opportunity to show that Jesus was not powerless. He still had the strength to forgive. Not only Juidas, but also his opponents and the bystanders who just loved to jeer. God has a plan. The reality of Sin and Greed. The call to show forgiveness.

In this Mass, we thank God for his fidelity even though we are not faithful; we also remember that God know our pain, especially picking up the pieces after we have been betrayed. Lastly, always watch the heart from greed. It has broken so many relationships, family most especially.