The Judas Complex

Today, on the eve of Spy Wednesday, I read Fr Alexander Lucie-Smith's blog post entitled, 'Love and envy: exploring the psychology of Judas'.

It's a very good blog. Fr Lucie-Smith entertains the conflicting views on Judas. At school, Fr Lucie-Smith was taught a feel-good version that Judas become a saint because he handed back the 30 pieces of silver and did penance by hanging himself on a tree. 


Nowadays, Fr Lucie-Smith does not believe Judas became a saint. But he does caution us to see the warnings stamped all over Judas' woeful ending. 

In those far off schooldays, I learned another important thing: Judas had only to go to Jesus hanging on the Cross and say sorry, and he would have been forgiven. After all, Jesus forgave those who crucified Him, and He promised salvation to the Good Thief. But sorry is so often the hardest word, and for the want of it Judas was lost. In that too, he presents us with a terrible warning. 

I, too, hold that Judas 'presents us with a terrible warning'. We like to think of Judas as an isolated character, a lone wolf, that bears no resemblance to our very self. It's handy denial of the human condition. People often scream 'Judas' at others, but seldom is the time they apply the label to themselves. But the Judas Complex did not end with Judas, as everyone who has been betrayed knows well. For self-confidence preservation reason, we would hate to look in the mirror and call ourselves Judas, we like to point the finger at another person and call them Judas, but perhaps for the preservation of our eternal soul, we should look inside and see the Judas within, and say sorry in time.

Do pop over to The Catholic Herald and read the whole blog.