REFLECTIONS TODAY In allusion to the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, Jesus quotes a passage from Scripture, “The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me” (v 18). This is from Psalm 41 (v 10), a psalm of lament of one who is sick. He is visited by people who speak without sincerity, whispering that he will not recover from his deadly disease. And one of them is a friend who has his trust, who eats “salt” with him. To “eat salt” is sharing his table as a sign of their covenant friendship. Judas then is a false friend, not only betraying Jesus but also the other disciples because he is a thief and would steal from the common moneybag. Here, Jesus speaks of knowing those whom he has chosen. There is no account of Jesus inviting Judas Iscariot to be his disciple. Maybe Judas followed Jesus on account of his personal expectations and then grew disillusioned when these hopes were not being met. Gospel • John 13:16-20 When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2023,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]); Website: [http://www.stpauls.ph](http://www.stpauls.ph).