By Angela M Jendro
Whenever I teach on the topic of the Last Things (Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell), a student will inevitably ask about Judas. Despite having just emphasized that only God can judge hearts, they feel that somehow Judas must be an exception and we can at least judge him. They also question if he might be an exception to Church teaching about hell – that although it does exist and you can go there, we do not definitively know the name of any specific person there.[i] Why doesn’t the Church admit that Judas is in hell? It canonizes saints and names particular people in heaven, why can’t it name Judas as not in heaven?
As Pope St. John Paul II said, “Damnation remains a real possibility, but it is not granted to us, without special divine revelation, to know which human beings are effectively involved in it.”[ii] The Church can only proclaim that which God has revealed for us to know. The Lord revealed His judgment on Satan and the fallen angels, which is why we know they are in hell.[iii] However, though Christ lamented for Judas’ betrayal, saying it would be better if he had not been born (Matthew 26:24), He nevertheless refrained from declaring definitively that Judas was condemned there, and we cannot know if Judas repented (even of hanging himself) just before the moment of his death.[iv]
Jesus said that He came not to condemn the world but to save it (John 12:47-49). Christ has done His part – He has gone to every possible length to save us. Therefore, a person’s condemnation to hell is not Christ’s doing, but our own obstinate rejection of the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) which He has offered.
His word is not only about sin however, but also about God’s unfathomable love and mercy – a mystery far beyond our understanding and too often foreign to our personal experience. As we struggle to accept the lengths of this reckless love[v], we look for some limit – and Judas seems to make sense. Judas literally betrayed Jesus and directly participated in the sentencing of Christ to death. Judas himself was so horrified by his sin, that in his painful grief and humiliating shame he took his own life. Judas’ greatest failure, however, may not have been his betrayal of Christ to the chief priests, but his disbelief and distrust in the extent of Christ’s mercy. In truth, the fact that the Church will not officially declare Judas to be in hell should be a source of hope for us, because as Jesus complained to St. Faustina in an apparition, so many of us commit the fault of disbelief and distrust in the limitlessness of His mercy too.
Jesus appeared to the young polish nun, St. Faustina (1905-1938) many times to reemphasize this essential Gospel truth. She obediently shared His messages with her confessor and wrote them in her Diary. In entry 50, on February 22, 1931, she recorded (Jesus’ words to her are in bold):
“+ I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of Mine towards souls of sinners. Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. The flames of mercy are burning Me clamoring to be spent; I want to pour them out upon these souls.
Jesus complained to me in these words, Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me.”[vi]
From a desire to make His mercy known and accepted more, Jesus asked Faustina to have an image painted which would illustrate this. The image consisted of Jesus in a white garment, and from His heart emanated two rays – one white and one red – symbolizing the water of baptism and the blood of His sacrifice. Beneath the image He wanted the words “Jesus, I trust in You” printed.[vii] In addition to the image, Jesus wanted the Sunday following Easter to be a Feast of Mercy.[viii]
Pope St. John Paul II recognized the timeliness of this message and the importance of Faustina’s witness. He canonized her on Sunday April 30, 2000; making her the first saint of the new millennium as well as instituting the Feast of Divine Mercy Sunday to be celebrated the Sunday following Easter each year from then on. In his homily at her canonization, he affirmed,
“Divine Mercy reaches human beings through the heart of Christ crucified: ‘My daughter, say that I am love and mercy personified’, Jesus will ask Sr Faustina (Diary, p. 374). Christ pours out this mercy on humanity though the sending of the Spirit who, in the Trinity, is the Person-Love. And is not mercy love’s ‘second name’ (cf. Dives in misericordia, n. 7), understood in its deepest and most tender aspect, in its ability to take upon itself the burden of any need and, especially, in its immense capacity for forgiveness?”[ix]
Echoing the need for teaching divine mercy, Pope Francis called for a Holy Year of Mercy (Dec. 8, 2015 – Nov. 20, 2016). In the book The Name of God is Mercy, Pope Francis articulated his concern with why more people do not turn to Christ in their need: “Because humanity is wounded, deeply wounded. Either it does not know how to cure its wounds or it believes that it’s not possible to cure them”[x] This helplessness is compounded by our wounded experiences. He observed that since many people in today’s selfish world haven’t experienced mercy in their own lives, they assume they won’t receive mercy from God.
Consider Judas again. He had judged Jesus without mercy, and now he judged himself the same way. In addition, when he returned to the chief priests and the elders heartbroken and repentant, they responded with utter coldness. The great theologian Fr. Romano Guardini captured the anguish of the moment well in his book The Lord, writing:
“After the deed came repentance – an overwhelming recognition of all that was lost. But this consciousness could no longer alter the fait accompli that stared back at Judas from the cold faces of those he had served. Strangely heart-rending gesture of helplessness, this flinging down the silver in the temple sanctuary!”[xi]
In this light, consider how important Jesus’ exhortation to us is in Luke 6:36-38! If only Judas had obeyed Christ’s word, he wouldn’t have had to suffer so terribly from the awful effects of his judgmentalism.
“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
Judgmentalism can quickly become a vicious cycle. Judas judged and condemned Jesus. However, when he realized he had judged wrongly, he then turned and judged and condemned himself, but was again wrong. Though not innocent, he judged himself beyond the limits of God’s forgiveness and condemned himself to death. We can’t judge Judas either. Fr. Guardini warned:
“No, what came to the surface in all its terrible nakedness in Judas, existed as a possibility all around Jesus. Fundamentally not one of his followers had much cause to look down on Judas. Nor have we. Let us be perfectly clear about this. Betrayal of the divine touches us all.”[xii]
Imagine the emotional drama and utter pain when Judas “flung the coins” (Matthew 27:5). Think of all the frustration – the mental and emotional struggle during his time with Jesus, trying to determine just who Jesus is. First as a zealous and hopeful follower, then a disenchanted disciple angry that Jesus wouldn’t bend to his expectations. Next as a malicious betrayer helping put to death what he deemed at the moment a false messiah, only to finally realize Jesus’ innocence, but tragically still too narrow minded and hearted to realize the extent of the Messianic redemption meant even for him.
We at least live in the age of the Church, in the age of grace. Judas’ betrayal – both in Jesus’ death and his own – occurred before the Resurrection, and more importantly, before Pentecost. Had any of the other apostles been as extreme as Judas in their passions, they too may have succumbed to a similar end. No one can fathom the mercy of God – it’s literally beyond human understanding. They needed the Holy Spirit to open their minds and hearts to what Christ had been teaching them all along. We rely on the same Holy Spirit to both inspire knowledge of our sins and compunction of heart, and to give us the supernatural courage to trust in divine mercy. This is why it’s essential that we practice mercy, so we can become more habituated (and therefore open) to God’s gift of mercy to us.
Let’s take a final look at Judas from the standpoint of what we do and don’t know. What was his disposition of soul at death? When he saw the truth of Jesus’ innocence he repented. What did he do when he saw the truth of Jesus’ mercy, when he saw him face to face at his judgment? We do not know… It would be so much more satisfying if we did, we want to know the end of this dramatic story! He could have accepted Jesus’ mercy, been purified (Purgatory), and entered heaven. Or he could have doubled down in his despair or in his pride, refused to accept mercy, and excluded himself from heaven, which is the definition of hell.
Our choices matter. It’s incredible to think about the power that God has given to us in the freedom of Love. May we pray for a merciful heart, which is able to both give and receive mercy. Jesus proclaimed, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Repentance of sin and trust in the merciful love of God are meant to be inextricably united. As Jesus said to St. Catherine of Siena:“I do not wish the soul to consider her sins, either in general or in particular, without also remembering the Blood and the broadness of my Mercy.”[xiii]
In conclusion, although it’s natural for students to ask, “what about Judas?”, the truth is it’s between Judas and Jesus. The more important question to ask is, “what about me?”. Thankfully for us there’s still time.
[i] CCC par. 1033 “To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called ‘hell.’” CCC par.1035 “The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity.” CCC 1036 “The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
[ii] Pope St. John Paul II Audience July 22, 1999. Vatican.va
[iii] Cf CCC par. 391-393
[iv] For Church teaching about suicide, see The Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 2280-2283. Taking one’s own life is a serious sin. At the same time, the Church recognizes that “grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture, can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide” (par. 2282) It also encourages us that “We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives” (2283).
[v] cf Dorothy Day, The Reckless Way of Love: Notes on Following Jesus”, ed. Carolyn Kurtz, Plough Publishing House, 2017.
[vi] Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul: Diary of Sister M. Faustina Kowalska. Marian Press, 2003.
[vii] Ibid. Diary entry 47
[viii][viii] Ibid. Diary entry 49
[ix] John Paul II, Homily at the Mass in St. Peter’s Square for the Canonization of Sr Maria Faustina Kowalska, 30 April, 2000. Vatican.va
[x] Pope Francis. The Name of God is Mercy. Random House, 2016.
[xi] Romano Guardini, The Lord, Gateway Editions 1982, p. 410
[xii] Ibid. p. 411
[xiii] Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue, Edited by Richard J. Payne, Translated by Suzanne Noffke, O.P. Paulist Press, 1980.
Related Posts
© 2024 Angela M Jendro
*Scriptural texts, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004)
*Pray and Reflect with full guided prayer meditations on the Sunday Gospel reading in my book Take Time For Him and its series on Amazon and Kindle!
Jesus Christ is a king of peace. When we pledge our fealty to Him, He rules by both word and grace. When we invite Christ into our hearts and surrender our whole selves to Him, He orders all that is unruly within us, bringing calm and peace. The Greek philosopher Aristotle argued that happiness is a life of virtue, one in which a person has self-mastery over their passions and is governed by reason. Self-rule therefore could be achieved through learning and habituation. However, we know from divine revelation and experience, that it’s not that simple. Because of the Fall, we suffer from concupiscence – disordered desires, together with a weakened will and a darkened intellect. As a result, we all lament our lack of self-control – being ruled by our emotions or desires rather than the other way around. As St. Paul bemoaned, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” (Romans 7:19). We need to Christ, “the one stronger”
heart according to His Father’s will, just as He did: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38), “not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). Retreat to Him in prayer frequently throughout the day whenever assaulted by unruly desires or when needing the grace to discern or do the loving thing instead of the selfish thing.
Living in Minnesota, I always find the summer sun a particular grace. After our long winters it’s a short reprieve, but it makes everything here burst with beauty and lushness. In my house, however, I have mixed feelings. I love its brightness – it gives energy and joy. However, that same brightness shows the dullness of bookshelves that need dusted, floors that need swept and mopped, windows that need washing, and more. As I begin to remedy these, I also begin to notice even more dirty details – baseboards, walls, and doors that need washed, a clutter of possessions that needs sorted and discarded or donated, etc. It seems at first like the more I do, the more behind I get. I begin to look forward to the evening when its shadows will soften the imperfections.
Today is the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, both martyred in Rome around the year AD 67 under the Emperor Nero. Peter was appointed by Christ to be the rock for His whole Church. Paul was appointed by Christ to bring His Gospel to the Gentiles. Both brought the light of Christ far and wide, even into the darkest of places. While many savored the light, like summer sun after a long winter, others despised it for illuminating rooms they had kept hidden or showing the dullness of that which they formerly thought gleaming. Thus, they were killed by the Romans, but honored in memoriam by Christians.
peace Mary must have brought the apostles! Jesus promised He would not leave them orphans, and He never did. From the Cross, He gave them Mary as their mother, and on Pentecost the Holy Spirit – Who proceeds from love of the Father and the Son.
esus has opened His heart wide, but we respond to His approach with hearts opened only a crack, letting in very little of the Lord. Our own preoccupations and love for other things block His entrance – like a child’s room that’s so cluttered in mess you can barely get the door open. In today’s culture especially, Christ can be quickly crowded out by media time, consumerism, and overpacked schedules. From this vantage point, consider some common Lenten sacrifices and their loving effect. Giving up chocolate, sweets, energy drinks, french fries, or other favorite foods or beverages draws back the deluge of impulses that quickly and regularly pull us away from spiritual growth. For example, when you sit down to prayer do you think – “I need a snack?”, or do you run out of time for prayer but not out of time to make a Starbucks run? The sacrifice illumines our affections and the proportion of our heart they hold. When we crave something, it draws our attention. When we say no to that craving, we remember why – Jesus’ no to His physical craving to avoid the suffering of the cross in favor of a higher craving for our salvation and the will of the Father (cf. Matthew 26:36-46). At its most basic level, it’s a simple way to say “Jesus I love you more than ….” – and the more meaningful the sacrifice the more meaningful the statement. Secondly, impulses often undermine love of neighbor. Every day we ask, “what’s for dinner?”, but neglect to ask “who needs my kindness today?”. The strength of our impulses can even cause unloving actions – unrestrained speech devolving into gossip or biting words, fighting over resources, and rushing to attain things for ourselves before someone else, or sadly using others as objects to satisfy a desire rather than loving them as persons. Finally, it keeps us from virtues such as temperance which governs gluttony and other areas in need of self-control. 
Take Time For Him 