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Gospel Reflection for Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Who Will Defend Me?
Those who have experienced the betrayal of a friend or close companion understand the temptation to retreat, to stay unnoticed, in order to avoid another potential heartbreak. But Christ, who endured the most painful betrayal from one of His closest disciples, and who foresees Peter’s denial—along with the abandonment of all His followers except His Mother—does not hide His face. Instead, He sets it like stone, ready to face more and more. Why? Because He knows His Defender intimately and is certain He will not be put to shame or humiliated. In the end, it will be a paradoxical victory—the Cross lifted high above all and everyone. It will be the ultimate sign of triumph. The Lord God is the Defender.
We often say that someone has a face “harder than stone” when they shamelessly commit wrongs—lying, corrupting, abusing—with the self-assurance of power they’ve gained for themselves. But this is not Christ’s resolute face; His is firm in the security of Truth and God’s Goodness.
Are we shameless? And what lies behind our hardened facade? If we lack faith in God’s truth or lack confidence in our own strength, we may hide away and avoid risking anything for the truth.
Today, the theme of betrayal persists. Often, betrayal stems from not having enough “hardness of face” rooted in trust in God’s power—or from having too much shamelessness rooted in self-reliance, manipulating evil into appearing as good.
Ultimately, it comes down to trust. Like Christ, we must not hide our faces, for that steadfastness rests upon God’s power, which defends the good and the true.