These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

WEDNESDAY of HOLY WEEK

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.
(Mt 26:14-16)

Traditionally, the Wednesday of Holy Week is called Spy Wednesday. It is noteworthy that all four gospels record that it was one of the Twelve, one of the leadership, who betrayed Jesus. Perhaps that’s why the church was reluctant to canonize its leaders. In the past, there weren’t that many canonized popes. One reason, there was a 50 year wait-period before beginning the process of canonization. Today it’s different. But there are still good reasons why we shouldn’t shout “Súbito Santo!” too quickly.