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The devil,  and  the  avarice  of  Judas.  Satan  hated  Jesus,  the  Most Holy One,  and  had  been  trying  to  outwit  God  ever  since  the  creation of man. The covetousness  of  Judas  gave  him  the  apparent  means  of attaining  his  end. The bad  apostle,  by  resisting  grace  and  indulging his ruling  passion,  gave  the  devil  an  increasing  influence  over  him; till at last,  blinded  by  avarice,  and  disappointed  in  his  hopes  of  an  earthly Messias, he  listened  to  the  suggestions  of  the  spirit  of  evil,  and  decided to sell  his  Lord  and  Master  for  a paltry  sum. Covetousness is  a capital sin. “There is”,  says  the  Son  of  Sirach,  “no  more  wicked  thing than to  love  money,  for  such  an  one  setteth  even  his  own  soul  to  sale” (Ecclus. 10,  10). Judas set  even  his  God  and  Saviour  to  sale! See how sin  grows! Our Blessed  Lord,  who  knew  the  wicked  purpose  of Judas’  heart,  tried  to  win  him  back  from  the  road  to  hell. He washed the feet  of  him,  the  most  unworthy  of  men; but  in  spite  of  his  Master’s love and  humility,  the  heart  of  Judas  remained  untouched,  and  he  persisted in  his  fiendish  purpose  of  delivering  up  his  Lord  into  the  hands of His  bitterest  enemies! Oh, what  wickedness  and  hardness  of  heart!

Jesus suffered  death  of  His  Own  Will.  “The  Son  of  Man,  indeed, goeth, as  it  is  written  of  Him.”

God can  bring  good  out  of  evil. Although  our  Lord  died  of  His own will,  still  Judas  was  guilty  of  His  Death,  and  on  that  account  Jesus pronounced “woe”  on  him. But even  as  once  God  turned  the  crime of Joseph’s  brethren  to  good  account,  so  did  He  suffer  the  wickedness of Judas  and  of  the  unbelieving  Jews  to  enter  into  the  plan  of  Redemption, and allow  their  sin  to  be  the  cause  of  that  Death  which  brought  salvation to the  world.

Unworthy Communion.  Judas  received  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our Lord as  well  as  the  other  apostles,  for  according  to  the  Gospel  of  St.  Luke he did  not  go  out  till  after  the  institution  of  the  Holy  Eucharist. He made an  unworthy  Communion,  for  he  had,  in  his  heart, already agreed to  betray  his  Master,  and  neither  the  humility  with  which Jesus had  washed  his  feet,  nor  the  love  which  made  Him  give  His own self  to  be  the  Food  of  the  disciples,  had  served  to  turn  him from his  vile  purpose. After his  unworthy  Communion  his  heart  became hardened. The love  of  Jesus  did  not  move  him;  the  threat  of everlasting  punishment  did  not  deter  him; our  Lord’s  solemn  words  of warning  made  no  impression  on  him; he  remained  obstinate,  and  gave himself over  to  the  dominion  of  Satan,  who  drove  him  to  commit  a crime  so  terrible  that  a man  could  not  have  committed  it  unaided. See the consequences  of  an  unworthy  Communion! To this  day,  alas,  unworthy Communions  lead  very  many  to  blindness  and  hardness  of  heart!