I Will Lay Down my Life for You!

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For 31 March 2015, Tuesday of Holy Week, based on John 13:21-33,36-38

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.


Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

About Karla Bellinger

Karla has a DMin in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology, a Dominican school sponsored by the friars of the Chicago province. Her 2012 doctoral thesis, “Are You Talking to Me? A Study of Young Listeners’ Connection with Catholic Sunday Preaching,” arose from her passion to more effectively connect the message of the gospel with our young people. In May of 2014, Liturgical Press published her book entitled “Connecting Pulpit and Pew: Breaking Open the Conversation about Catholic Preaching.” which is available at: here . Karla is a wife and mother of five young adult children. In August of 2015, she started a new position as the Associate Director of the John S. Marten Program in Homiletics at the University of Notre Dame.