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For the first three weekdays of Holy Week – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday – the Gospel of the mass concentrates on the story of Judas Iscariot. The events happened 2000 years ago, but every word is written for each one of us, right here, right now.

Most of our creative artists can not bring themselves to represent Judas as he really was. It is too frightening. It is like looking into a mirror, and seeing a monster.

Zeferelli, for instance, in his beautiful film on the life of Christ Our Lord, stays tightly with the Scriptures, until he gets to Judas. Then he can not stay with the Gospel anymore. He portrays Judas as a shrewd, ambitious young man who wants to get ahead in politics. The Pharisees are in power; Jesus of Nazareth is on the rise. He wants to bring them together, so that – if they join forces – he will be a key man in the ranks of the rulers. So he brings Christ Our Lord to the Pharisees. When he sees that Christ is condemned to death, he is shocked. A Scribe, almost as an afterthought, reaches into his pocket and throws a bag of coins to Judas. Horrified, Judas steps back. The bag lands on the floor, breaks open, and the coins roll and roll and roll. Then Judas runs out and hangs himself with a halter.

This is a fascinating drama. There is only one thing that matters with it. It is not true.

The Gospel tells the story exactly as it happened. John was there. He says that six days before the Passover, Our Lord went to Bethany with his disciples, to the house of Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus, whom Christ had raised from the dead. Martha served. Lazarus was with Our Lord at table. And Mary entered with a pound of precious perfume, made of genuine nard. She anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped them with her hair. The whole house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

And Judas Iscariot said: "Why this waste? The perfume could be sold for 300 pieces of silver, and the money given to the poor." Then John writes one of the most terrible passages in scripture: "Judas had no concern for the poor. He was holding the common purse, and was taking from that which was placed therein. For Judas was a thief."

This is the infallible word of God: "Judas was a thief". . . . . .What kind of a thief? A small time thief! He could not take much out of that common purse, because there never was much in it!

And the Scribe did not throw him a bag of coins, as an afterthought. Judas went to the Scribes and Pharisees and said: "How much will you give me, and I will hand him over to you?" They promised him 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave. And from that time he was looking for the best way to hand him over.

At the Last Supper, Our Lord himself said: "One of you who eats with me, who dips his bread in the dish with me, will betray me. . . It were better for that man if he had never been born."

Long before, Our Lord, had said to all 12 apostles – including Judas – "If anyone should scandalize the least of these, my little ones, it were better for him if a millstone were tied around his neck, and he was drowned in the depths of the sea."

What happened to Judas? Money had him by the throat. Christ Our Lord never said: "Money is the root of all evil." He said: "Love of money is the root of all evil." And that was the terrible mistake of Judas. He thought that money was more important than people.

Right here, in our country, the drama of Judas Iscariot is replayed every day. Every time a man sells one of our girls into prostitution, he is Judas in the garden, selling his God for 30 pieces of silver. And the Gospel says: "It were better for that man if he had never been born. It would be better for that man if a millstone were tied around his neck and he was drowned in the depths of the sea."

Our Filipinas are the most feminine girls in all the world. They want to please. They dread confrontation. They are all heart, all love. And so they are the best wives, and the best mothers. But this very gentleness of character makes them appealing to the wolves who come here from abroad. Foreigners have written: "in the Philippines, the loveliest girls are sold for the cheapest price."

The Philippine Federation of Catholic Broadcasters is running a campaign to "Stop Trafficking of Persons." The Catholic Media Network, with radio stations stretching from Laoag to Tawi Tawi, is presenting a daily radio drama, Monday through Saturday, called: "Sikil".

The one who sells our children is being choked to death by the love of money. It is throttling out of him all that is beautiful and good, all the things that come from God. It is degrading our people. It is a disgrace to our nation.

The stories that are presented are all true, the result of careful research. They are dramatized documentaries. It is necessary, of course, to conceal the names of the victims, and anything that would enable them to be identified. But each tragedy – the sale of a human being for money – is true.

It is an industry. Agents travel to our poorest rural areas. They pretend to be helping the destitute. They promise good paying jobs to the young girls – as domestic servants, or as workers in a thriving business, or as entertainers here or abroad. The parents, who are in desperate need, allow them to take their children to the big city. And there our girls are sold for money, and trapped into prostitution.

Other things happen, which in many ways, aggravate the original crime. They become HIV positive, the victims of AIDS. They find it impossible to work as a prostitute unless they are anesthesized.

They get hooked on alcohol, or on drugs. They become so ashamed that they can no longer face their families or their friends. They lose all sense of dignity. They lose hope. They sink into a kind of helpless despair.

Among other stations, you may find the daily radio drama on:

• Station DZNS in Vigan; Station DWBS in Legazpi City

• Station DWVM in Lucena; Station DZJO in Baler

• Station DWHL in Olongapo; Station DWOK in Naga

• Station DZMD in Daet; Radyo Centro 729 in Angeles City

• Station DWPR in Dagupan; Mission Radio in Calayan

• Station DZPA in Bangued; Station DWWM in Bangued

• Station DWMX in Santiago; Station DZTH in Nueva Ecija

• Station DZWT in Baguio; Station DZWM in Alaminos

• Station DWTJ in Alaminos; Station DZGN in Sorsogon

• Station DZEA in Laoag ; Station DZVT in Occ. Mindoro

• Station DZUL in San Fernando; Station DWRV in Bayombong

• Station DWDY in Cauayan; Station DYRF in Cebu

• Station DYKA in Antique; Station DYVW in Borongan

• Station DYAF in Bacolod; Station DYDW in Tacloban

• Station DYAJ in Ormoc; Station DYRD in Tagbilaran

• 102.3 FM in Tagbilaran; Station DYDM in Maasin

• Station DYRS in San Carlos; Station DYJL in Cadiz

• Station DXDA in Agusan; Station DXOL in Cotabato

• Station DXMM in Jolo; Station DXDD in Ozamiz

• Station DXDD-FM in Ozamiz; Station DXND in Kidapawan

• Station DXGD in Taw-Tawi; Station DXSN in Surigao

• Station DXVP in Zamboanga; Station DXCP in General Santos

• Station DXDB in Malaybalay; Station DXGN in Davao City

• Station DXHM in Mati; Station DXMS in Cotabato

• Station DZRJ in Makati; Station DZRJ in Iligan

All of us should listen to the Gospel story on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week. We should think about it, and pray for those who sell our children. Best to pray like Christ Our Lord: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Pray that, when the dawn breaks on Easter Sunday, in every child, in every teenager, they will see the face of God.

Pray that they will realize that Our Lord was speaking to them when he said: "So long as you have done it to the least of these my little ones, you have done it to Me!"

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There is a daily texting service, called: One Minute With God

You can reach it on Globe by texting: Reuter @ 2978

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