I just got back into my room after celebrating the Holy Thursday Liturgy.. It was on the night that Jesus gave us the sacrament of the Eucharist and the Priesthood.. that Judas left the room, and we are told ‘it was night.’ The night being an image of the darkness in the soul of Judas. 

How sometimes we hear that if only the Pope, the bishop or pastor were holier. But Judas had a perfect Pastor ‘Jesus.’ and he still failed. So in Judas we see age mystery of free will. Fulton Sheen theorized that Judas might have been the most promising prospect from a human point of view. Jesus choose him to handle the money bag, so he must have had administrative skills. 

Jesus knew the ones he had chosen. In fact we read in the liturgy tonight. Jesus says ‘I know the ones I have chosen but one of you is a devil.’ 

As priest, lay faithful we are a bit like Peter and Judas. It is our free will which decides. I was thinking of something else that Fulton Sheen said. That Jesus choose 12 and 1 betrayed him. Sheen thought that Jesus was giving a pattern for the Church. That 8.3 percent of Pope, Bishops and priests would betray our Lord. When you look at the ten of thousands of priests 8.3 percent is a large number. But 11 out of 12 is a much larger number 91.7 percent are closer to the other 11 apostles who stayed faithful, tho Peter denied our Lord, and the rest fled except one John.

Meaning that Jesus desired a Church of wheat and weeds. and were we have free will. But the Church today is still apostolic, govern by the 12, meaning that Mathias replaced Judas. So even in case of betray at the highest level of the Church Jesus still keep the Church pure with the 12 Apostles.

I think F S was right. Jesus set the pattern for the Church. While 1 out of 12 is a larger number. 11 out of 12 is much larger number. Maybe Jesus was giving us a image or pattern of the Church for us. But in the end, as we read in Act of Apostles ‘let another take his place, and the lot fell upon Mathias.’