Aroma of Christ

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing  - 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

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Reflecting on 2 Corinthians 2:10-18, focus verses 14-15, and St Paul's use of the triumphal procession of Roman general after their victorious conquests, to illustrate the point that our victory is already won through Christ and in Christ alone. Also our lives should exude the fragrance of His Grace in our thoughts, words and deeds. This is only possible if I take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

Reflecting on the passage and my own struggles with venial habitual sins, I thank God for His Sacrament of Reconciliation and the countless times that I've received absolution through the actions of the priest (in persona Christi) ie. the power to forgive sins came from Christ, who had instituted this Sacrament after His glorious resurrection in John 20:22-23: When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." 

I will close my short sharing with the words of this hymn, "Turn Your Eyes" by Sovereign Grace Music. My prayer is that all of us here will turn our eyes unto Jesus in moments of human weakness and fiery trials to truly exude His fragrance in our own earthly lives, to a world that is descending into godlessness and endless fears (of wars and calamities).

Verse 1 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus 

Look full in His wonderful face 

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim 

In the light of His glory and grace 

Verse 2 

Turn your eyes to the hillside 

Where justice and mercy embraced 

There the Son of God gave His life for us

And our measureless debt was erased 

Chorus 

Jesus, to You we lift our eyes 

Jesus, to You we lift our eyes

Jesus, our glory and our prize 

We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true 

Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You

Verse 3 

Turn your eyes to the morning 

And see Christ the Lion awake 

What a glorious dawn, fear of death is gone 

For we carry His life in our veins

Verse 4 

Turn your eyes to the heavens

Our King will return for His own

Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout, 

'All glory to Jesus alone!'

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/UHHPbBfinXs?si=NYnQ1pnGxkJ_z-sI 

Original words (V1) and music by Helen H. Lemmel. Add. words (V2-4) by George Romanacce, Nathan Stiff, Nic Trout, and Kevin Winebarger. Chorus by George Romanacce, Nathan Stiff, Nic Trout, and Kevin Winebarger 

© 2019 Sovereign Grace Worship/ASCAP, Sovereign Grace Praise/BMI, Sovereign Grace Songs/SESAC (adm. by Integrity Music). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Churches. All rights reserved.

Reflection on 2 Corinthians 2:10-18 by Chris Tan

Proclaim Jesus Christ

"For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake." – 2 Corinthians 4:5

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Dear friends in Christ Jesus, each follower of Jesus who has encountered Him personally and lives the values He has taught is also ought to share that faith with his neighbors. This is a call for each Christians. If we have received the faith then we need to understand that it is purely God's gift and his mercy. Jesus has already paid the price for us.

As we know, it is quite challenging in this modern world to preach the gospel of Christ. Paul is encouraging all those who are involved in such ministries not to lose their hearts. He also reminds us that we are not seeking our glory by proclaiming ourselves but we are to proclaim Jesus and seek His glory.  

Paul is comparing the disciples of Jesus as clay jars which are fragile. The power does not come from us but belongs to God. He is the source. We are to be his faithful slaves who seek God's glory. Paul also reminds us that in the process of our ministry in proclaiming the gospel we will have to face afflictions and persecutions but at the same time we won't be crushed or forsaken.

Let's ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in the true path. Let the life of Jesus be visible for others in and through our lives. Let our lights shine in the darkness.  Amen.

 

Bible Reflection on 2 Corinthians 4:1-9 by Fr. George Joseph SVD

New creation

''If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away.  Behold, the new has come" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

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This line of reflection invites us to live happily in the present moment while being grateful for the blessings, graces, joys, and sorrows that have occurred in the past. Our past is an inseparable part of our lives, but that doesn't mean we should dwell in it. Whatever happened in the past is a story that we cannot deny, but we must accept it with gratitude because God certainly always has a plan for us behind every event and occurrence. When we receive baptism as Christians, we become new creations, new people. We should live as new people in Christ, doing deeds of light such as goodness, joy, peace, and so on.   Our lifetime here on earth is too short for us to always grieving the past.

We are invited to fully enjoy our present life by doing good deeds.  Why do we wanted to live in darkness just because we want to enjoy life?  Maybe some of us still enjoying debauchery which is then spiced up with drunkenness, slandering and killing people with our tongues and actions, jealousy, laziness?  Actually it’s brings anxiety that will never end in our lives.  In this holy Lenten season, let us freely leave our old live and embrace our life as children of God.  Our conscience longs for a quiet life full of peace in planning the future, a life full of confidence in God's love in the present.  If we cannot accept our past, we cannot enjoy the present and also cannot focus on preparing for the future.  

Didn't Jesus allow all events to happen in our lives?  If up to now we are still "tortured" by the past, let's believe in God that everything happens with His permission.  Make peace with the past, be grateful that we are still given health and fresh breath until now.  Let's fight together to do God's will so that one day we can be happy together in the kingdom of heaven.  Amen.

Reflection on 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 by Sr Yanti Purnawati SFSC

Memperhatikan Hal Yang Tidak Kelihatan

Sebab kami tidak memperhatikan yang kelihatan, melainkan yang tak kelihatan, karena yang kelihatan adalah sementara, sedangkan yang tak kelihatan adalah kekal – 2 Korintus 4: 18

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Ketika kita bercermin, kita melihat bentuk wajah kita, rambut, dan tubuh kita secara fisik. Ketika kita berjalan – jalan disore hari kita melihat pohon-pohon dan pemandangan yang kita lewati. Kita mensyukuri hal-hal indah yang kelihatan ini.

Tetapi bagaimana dengan hal yang tidak kelihatan? 2 Korinstus 5: 7 mengatakan "Sebab hidup kami ini adalah hidup karena percaya bukan karena melihat". Iman membuat kita percaya akan janji Tuhan dalam tiap langkah hidup kita, dan bagi masa depan kita. 

Saat ini mungkin kita sedang mengalami masalah kehidupan, kita melihat apa dampak masalah itu bagi kehidupan kita, bagi hubungan kita dengan sesama, bagi finansial kita atau pun bagi masa depan kita. Kita tidak tahu kemana masalah ini akan membawa kita, tetapi percaya dan Imani bahwa ada hal-hal yang tidak kelihatan yang sudah dirancang Tuhan untuk masa depan kita. 

Tidak semua hal penting dapat terlihat. Terkadang, pekerjaan terpenting dalam hidup kita terjadi di balik layar. 

Percayalah akan Kasih Karunia Allah maka kesulitan hidup kita akan diubah menjadi "Kemuliaan Kekal". Amin.

 

Refleksi dari 2 Korintus 4: 10-18 oleh Meist. 

(Dengarkan podcastnya disini)

On what is unseen

 

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" – 2 Corinthians 4:18

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Focusing on What is Unseen

When we look in the mirror, we see our face, our hair, and our physical body. When we take an afternoon walk, we see the trees and the scenery around us. We are grateful for these visible and beautiful things. But what about the unseen? 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we live by faith, not by sight." Faith enables us to believe in God's promises in every step of our lives, and for our future. 

We may be facing problems in life. We can clearly see how these affect our lives, our relationships, our finances and even our plans for the future. We may not know where these difficulties will lead us. Yet, we are called to believe and trust that God is already at work in ways we cannot see, preparing something good for our future. 

Not everything that matters can be seen. Sometimes, the most important work in our lives happens behind the scenes. Hold on to God's grace. Trust that He is able to transform our struggles into eternal glory. Amen.

Reflection on 2 Corinthians 4:10-18 by Meist

From God through Christ

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. - 2 Corinthians 3:4-6

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Reflecting on 2 Corinthians 3:1-9, focus verses 4-6 and St Paul's declaration that our confidence is from God through Christ. Here was an apostle who had every right to boast of his lineage and academic achievements. In his own words, a true blue Pharisee who had upheld the strict observances of Judaism and was schooled under one of the best Rabbi in his time (pre-encounter with Christ). A zealous Jew who vowed to wipe out the fledgling Christian believers and was a witness to the stoning of Christianity's first martyr, St Stephen. Yet after his life-changing encounter with the Risen LORD on the road to Damascus, St Paul was convicted of the shallowness of his own past achievements: For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8).

Reflecting on St Paul's writing and my own experiences, I've also come to realize that in my pre-conversion self, I too had harboured pride in my own Scripture knowledge. I often relied on my own strength and limited human reasoning to pursue my own prideful spiritual path that actually led to spiritual death (and spiritual deafness to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit). It was only after hitting rock bottom in my struggles with mental health issues and spiritual desolation, where it was difficult even to pray, that I finally understood the importance of surrendering to the perfect will of the Father. 

This painful process of the Divine Sculptor relentless hammering at the parts of my prideful character that least resembled Christ, so that I may reflect more of His Son's image to the people He has allowed into my life, went on for at least 2 decades since I first came to Christ as a child of God. This continued until one day, someone sent me a link ( The Surrender Novena: Let Jesus Take Care of Everything - Catholic Exchange)  about the life of St Don Dolindo, a contemporary of St Padre Pio, and was given the beautiful gift of the Surrender Novena. This humble prayer which reminds me of blind Bartimaeus' bold cries to Jesus along the road to Jericho: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner". The Prayer of Surrender goes something like this: "Oh Jesus, I surrender myself to You. Take care of everything". Echoing what Jesus had prayed as He sweated Blood in Gethsemane: "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done." 

I will close my short sharing with the words of this hymn "In Christ Alone"

Verse 1 

In Christ alone my hope is found 

He is my light, my strength, my song 

This cornerstone, this solid ground 

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm 

What heights of love, what depths of peace 

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease 

My comforter, my all in all

Here in the love of Christ I stand 

Verse 2 

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh 

Fullness of God in helpless babe 

This gift of love and righteousness 

Scorned by the ones He came to save 

Till on that cross as Jesus died 

The wrath of God was satisfied 

For ev'ry sin on Him was laid 

Here in the death of Christ I live

Verse 3 

There in the ground His body lay 

Light of the world by darkness slain 

Then bursting forth in glorious day 

Up from the grave He rose again 

And as He stands in victory 

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me 

For I am His and He is mine 

Verse 4 

Bought with the precious blood of Christ 

No guilt in life, no fear in death 

This is the pow'r of Christ in me 

From life's first cry to final breath 

Jesus commands my destiny 

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man 

Can ever pluck me from His hand 

Till He returns or calls me home 

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand 

Ending 

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man 

Can ever pluck me from His hand 

Till He returns or calls me home 

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand 

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/m_063OI38RQ?si=0u0ACeBzDW59B0pO 

Words and Music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend © 2002 Thankyou Music (PRS) / Adm. worldwide at CaptiolCMGPublishing.com, excluding Europe which is adm. by IntegrityMusic.com

Reflection on 2 Corinthians 3:1-9 by Chris Tan

By his Spirit | A Domini Spiritu

The Lord makes us more and more like him (2 Cor 3:18). 

Who am I? I'm a human being. My soul lives in my body. But I also have the Holy Spirit who makes me like Jesus.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) in his most famous literary work "Pensées" ("Thoughts") wrote: "Man's greatness lies in his awareness of his own smallness." The central theme of his book is the paradox of the human condition. We are suspended between nothingness and infinity. Probably each of us experiences this reality day by day. And it was also true in the life of the Apostle Paul. He knew his misery but also the power of the Holy Spirit.

How is it in your life? Are you focused more on your weaknesses or your strengths? Are you a pessimist or optimist? Somehow it's a matter of your choice. We very often put a veil over our face. We keep living in the old way. But we are invited to live in the new way. This veil should be removed by Christ. If our hearts are covered with that veil of pessimism, we do not understand the power of the Holy Spirit. Often our minds are covered with the same veil, and we can't even move and fulfill our duties.

That's why in the Lenten Season let us replace the old way of thinking about ourselves. Let's start a new way of understanding ourselves and the history of humanity. The Holy Spirit does give life to the children of God. His grace fills us with confidence so that we can be very bold. We cannot follow those people who do not believe. We cannot focus on our misery. Our minds shouldn't be hardened but open to the Good News of the Scriptures. Let's read the Holy Bible with an open heart and mind.

May the Holy Spirit strengthen our weakness and enlighten our minds. Let's turn again to the Lord so he could heal us and take away our veil. In this way we will be changed into his glorious image. Amen.

 Reflection on 2 Corinthians 3: 10-18 by Józef Trzebuniak.

(Listen to podcast here)