This is the final week of our message series, “Bad Guys of the Bible.” Today, we will look at Judas Iscariot. Judas, because of his betrayal of Jesus, is synonymous with any traitor. To call someone a “Judas” is to call that person a traitor.

Christian thought identifies three enemies of our souls: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world means temptations that are brought to us by other people. The devil also tempts us away from God. And then there is the flesh, the traitor within us that will sell out what is most important for what is unimportant in the larger scheme of things.

As a result of original sin, we all have a traitor within. We need the grace of God to overcome this traitor. Today, pray the prayer of St. Phillip Neri:

“Stay near me, Jesus, or I will betray you like Judas.”