Good evening, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Today, April 1st, 2026, as we journey deeper into Holy Week, we come into the quiet presence of the Lord to reflect on his word and to entrust this day into his loving hands.

Today’s gospel brings before us the painful reality of betrayal. Judas agrees to hand over Jesus while outwardly remaining among the disciples.

This moment invites us to look into our own hearts. Are we faithful to Christ not only in words but also in our actions and choices?

As nightfalls, let us come before the Lord with honesty and humility, seeking his mercy and the grace to remain faithful to him.

Sign of the cross. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening prayer. Merciful Father, I thank you for the gift of this day and for your presence that has guided me.

Forgive me for my sins. For the times I have been unfaithful, for moments when I chose my own will over yours, and for the ways I failed to remain true to you. 

Purify my heart,Lord, and remove all that leads me away from you. Give me the grace to be sincere in my love, faithful in my actions, and steadfast in my commitment to you as I prepare to rest tonight. Grant me peace of mind, quiet my thoughts, and keep me safe under your loving care through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to the most holy trinity.

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly. I offer you the most precious body,

blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles of the world in reparation for the outrages,

sacrileges, and indifferences by which he is offended. By the infinite merits of the sacred heart of Jesus and

the immaculate heart of Mary, I beg of you the conversion of sinners, the protection of the church, and peace for the whole world. Amen. 

Scripture reading Matthew 26 21-22.

Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me. Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord.”

Reflection based on today’s gospel. Holy Week invites us into a deep examination of our hearts. Judas’ betrayal did not happen suddenly. It grew quietly within him through small compromises and hidden choices. The other disciples, however, respond differently. They do not accuse others. They look within and ask, “Is it I, Lord? 

Tonight we are invited to do the same. Do I remain faithful to Christ in my daily life? Are there areas where I have compromised my faith?

Do I seek forgiveness and conversion sincerely?” Lent reaches its most intense moment in Holy Week. It is a time not for despair, but for honest repentance and renewed love.

Rest tonight in this truth. God’s mercy is always greater than our weakness. He calls us not to condemnation but to conversion and life.