By Fr. Roy Cimagala

This is a “caveat emptor” that will always be relevant in our whole life.

We may already consider ourselves as good Christians because we pray, attend Mass, do some good works, etc.

But if our relationship with Christ is really not strong, deep and abiding, and always in the process of renewal and conversion, then, like Judas, we can also betray him.

“Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.’” (John 13:21)

So begins the gospel for Tuesday of Holy Week.

With these words, we have to be wary of the constant danger of treachery. That possibility is always around.

In fact, we can be our own traitors. We can also be traitors to others. The others can also turn us in. That’s just how it is.

It’s not to be cynical about our human condition here on earth that is prone to this danger.

Rather, we just have to be realistic, and do the necessary things we need to avoid treachery, whether self-inflicted or inflicted by others.

Let’s always remember that our human condition here on earth, where we are always engaged in the constant battle between good and evil, between grace and our weaknesses and temptations around us, can always make this possibility of betrayal and treachery to happen.

We should keep this fact of life in mind always.

Let’s never forget that, because of our freedom, we always have the possibility and capability either to be faithful or not, to go up or down, to turn right or left, to move on or to stop not only physically but also morally and spiritually.

In fact, in the spiritual and moral realm, the possibilities are infinite, while in the physical dimension we certainly have clear limits. Yes, we can be a saint or a sinner, a hero or a villain. It’s our choice.

Said in another way, the possibility is always there for us to betray Christ like Judas, or to deny him like Peter.

Or we can be another Christ, as is what is most ideal, who will remain faithful till the end, whatever it takes, in our love for God and for everybody else.

We should try our best to make the proper choice.

All the means needed for that purpose are already made available. It’s really up to us now to make the proper choice and to be faithful to it by using the means.

For sure, there is always a need to wage continuing spiritual struggle.

As long as we struggle internally, we will be nourishing our relationship with God and with others.

We would manage to be faithful to whatever commitment we have entered into.

We have to remember that our life is very dynamic, with all sorts of challenges to face, problems to solve, issues to be clarified.

We need to see to it that our interior life, our spiritual life, our thoughts, desires, and intentions are firmly rooted in God, their proper foundation.

We not only need to purify our thoughts and intentions from any stain of pride, vanity, lust, envy, sloth, gluttony, anger, etc.

We also need to fill them and rev them up with true love and wisdom.

These are the reasons why we have to engage in a lifelong interior or spiritual struggle.

The ideal situation should be that we are always in awe at the presence of God in our life, making him the principle and objective of all our thoughts, words and deeds.

We have to be spiritually fit before we can be fit anywhere else — family-wise, professionally, socially, politically, etc./WDJ