Judas: Betrayer and Betrayed

Spy Wednesday. Judas betrays Jesus. Pope Benedict has an interesting insight to offer us on this: 

This Judas is neither a master of evil nor the figure of a demoniacal power of darkness but rather a sycophant who bows down before the anonymous power of changing moods and current fashion. But it is precisely this anonymous power that crucified Jesus, for it was anonymous voices that cried "Away with him! Crucify him!"

That should hit home for all of us, especially when we are inclined to modify our lives, our beliefs and even our Church to the passing winds of fashion and opinion. Judas sold Jesus out because he did not conform to the political and societal mores of the time. Judas wanted to be popular, contemporary, respected by the secular powers, and of course wealthy, and he had to betray his God to be so. But in the end these powers betrayed him, they moved on and he ended up hanging from a tree with his innards falling out - gutted by the jealous self-obsession of this anonymous power that governs the world.

A timely warning for us, one I hope we heed as we approach the Synod in October.

UPDATE: I see Fr Ray Blake has an interesting blog post related to this issue.