Peter promised Jesus he would lay down his life for Him (Jn 13:37). That same night, Peter lay weeping bitterly after realizing he had denied Jesus three times (Lk 22:62). Judas probably didn't intend to betray Jesus when he began following Him. Yet he allowed his love for Jesus to erode to the extent that Satan could enter his heart at the moment when Jesus reached out to him in love (Jn 13:26-27).
We too can deny or betray Jesus if we focus on our own desires rather than His. "When we deny Him by our deeds, we in some way seem to lay violent hands on Him" (Catechism, 598). Jesus showed Peter and all of us how to lay down our lives in love:
During this Holy Week, allow Jesus to lay bare Your heart. Repent deeply and lay your sins before Him in Confession. Lay your life at Jesus' feet (Lk 17:16) and follow Him to the cross.
| PRAYER: | Jesus, "I will lay down my life for You!" (Jn 13:37) |
| PROMISE: | "I will make you a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth." –Is 49:6 |
| PRAISE: | Praise Jesus, Who gave up His all to give us all. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College