Daily Catholic Lectio
Tue, 15 April ‘25
Tuesday of the Holy Week
Isaiah 49:1-6. John 13:21-33, 36-38
Troubled in Spirit
Following the Lamb Amidst Betrayal and Denial
In today’s Gospel, we sit again at the Last Supper. The room is filled with love—but also with tension. Jesus reveals that betrayal and denial are near. Yet, His mission remains steady, as prophesied in Isaiah and echoed in the psalmist’s trust.
1. “My cause was with the Lord” – The Servant’s Strength (Isaiah 49:1–6)
The Servant of the Lord confesses weariness: “I have laboured in vain.” Yet he entrusts his mission to God: “My reward is with the Lord.” This reveals the paradox of Holy Week—weakness is not failure, but the seedbed of divine purpose.
Do I trust God’s plan, even when my efforts seem unfruitful?
2. “One of you will betray me” – The Wound of Friendship (John 13:21–30)
Jesus is “troubled in spirit” as He reveals Judas’ betrayal. This is not only about treachery—it is about the pain of love rejected. Yet Jesus does not lash out. He allows Judas to go, still loving him to the end.
How do I respond to the wounds of betrayal? Can I, like Christ, remain anchored in love?
3. “You will deny me three times” – The Fall of the Faithful (John 13:36–38)
Peter is sincere—but unready. His courage will collapse before dawn. Still, Jesus does not reject him. He foretells the fall but also prepares the path of return.
Am I honest about my limitations before God? Do I allow failure to become the starting point for grace?
“Be my rock of refuge, O Lord… Do not cast me off in the time of old age.” The psalm gives voice to the Servant’s confidence and the disciple’s need. Even in betrayal and denial, the Lord remains our refuge.
Let us stay near the One who was troubled in spirit, yet steady in mission—Jesus, the Light of the nations and the Hope of all who fall.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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