Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/717

 sorrow of  Judas  was  wanting  in  hope,  and  such  a sorrow  does  not  lead back to  God,  but  rather  leads  to  despair  and  to  an  eternal  separation from God. Judas’ sin  in  betraying  our  Lord  was  a terribly  grievous one; and yet  the  worst  sin  he  committed  was  that  of  despairing  of  the grace and  mercy  of  God. His first  sin  might  have  found  forgiveness, but there  exists  no  forgiveness  for  the  sin  of  despair;  for  he  who  despairs of  God’s  pardon  denies  the  infinite  mercy  of  God,  and  cannot therefore benefit  by  it. To despair  of  God’s  mercy  is  one  of  the  sins against the  Holy  Ghost,  and  it  is  said  of  these  sins  that  they  will not be  forgiven  either  in  this  world  or  in  the  world  to  come  (see chapter  XXVII). Furthermore, Judas’  confession  of  his  sin  availed him nothing. If, full  of  confidence  in  his  Saviour,  the  God  of  love  and mercy, he  had  thrown  himself  at  His  Feet,  confessed  his  guilt  to  Him, and implored  His  forgiveness,  he  would  most  surely  have  obtained  it; but, as  it  was,  in  his  despair  of  God’s  mercy,  he  sought  for  consolation from men,  and  confessed  his  guilt  merely  to  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrin. When they  rejected  him  contemptuously,  and  laid  all  the responsibility on  him,  his  last  comfort  was  torn  from  him,  and  the  burden of his  guilty  life  was  so  heavy,  that  he  had  not  the  courage  to  bear  it any  longer. He felt  that  he  had  nothing  more  to  hope  for  from  heaven, and could  find  no  peace  on  earth,  so  he  hanged  himself  between  heaven and earth,  and  to  the  crime  of  deicide  added  that  of  suicide.

Suicide is  a terrible  sin,  for  he  who  commits  it  does  not  only  kill his body,  but  also  his  soul,  since  at  the  very  moment  of  his  death  he is  committing  a mortal  sin,  and  flinging  his  soul  into  hell.

Continued resistance  of  grace  leads  to  eternal  ruin.  When  our  Lord chose Judas  to  be  an  apostle,  no  doubt  he  was  full  of  good  intentions and worthy  of  the  choice. But by  degrees  he  became  the  cause  of great  sorrow  to  his  Divine  Master,  for  his  passions  gained  more  and more dominion  over  him. Jesus bore  with  him,  and  repeatedly  and solemnly warned  him. When, a year  before  His  death,  and  just  after He had  promised  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  our  Lord  gave  to  His  apostles the choice  whether  to  leave  Him  or  not,  Peter,  in  the  name  of  the others, confessed  his  faith  in  Him  as  the  Son  of  God,  and  pledged  his allegiance to  Him. But Jesus  answered:  “Have  I not  chosen  you  twelve, and one  of  you  is  a devil.”  In  these  words  He  alluded  to  Judas,  and distinctly gave  it  to  be  understood  that  he  would  be  unfaithful  to  Him, and a tool  of  the  devil. Judas, however,  dissembled  and  remained  with Jesus, hoping  to  turn  his  service  of  Him  to  his  own  advantage;  and when he  quite  lost  all  hopes  of  an  earthly  Messias,  and  consequent prosperity for  himself,  he  compensated  himself  for  his  disappointment by frauds  and  thefts. Thus he  persisted  in  sin,  and  abused  the  patience, gentleness and  love  of  Jesus,  by  continuing  in  his  evil  mode  of  life, instead of  being  moved  and  converted. The unworthy  apostle  believed that, because  his  Master  was  so  kind,  he  could  go  on  sinning  with impunity, and  he  sinned  therefore  against  the  goodness  and  mercy  of