Redemption | Redemptio

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7).

Pexels.com

We know more about the church of Ephesus than any other church in the New Testament. This is because of a great deal of correspondence concerning this church and the apostle Paul also stayed in Ephesus on two occasions; a brief stopover and a prolonged stay of about two to three years.  He was the first Christian missionary to this city. Therefore, it was also an important city in the early Church history.  

In Ephesians 1 we read about the wonderful spiritual riches in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) and how God provide these riches for us, including our redemption. In Him, our Lord and Saviour, we have redemption. We can not trust in anything, or anyone else for our redemption. 

In the time of the apostle Paul, Ephesus was a huge port city. It was one of the largest cities in the Roman empire. A metropolis of commerce and finance. In this city there was also an enormous pagan temple dedicated to Artemis. This temple was the largest Greek temple ever built.  It was central to Ephesian life and also visited by many. We can imagine how the Ephesians came to this temple daily and worshipped a false idol, the lady of Ephesus. 

The apostle Paul wants to make sure that the Ephesian believers understand this incredible important truth:  in Christ we have redemption. In Him we are fully set free. In no one else. Only in Christ.  Paul's message is also for us today. We are redeemed, free from bondage and are no longer under condemnation. We are fully free in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. We do not hope for it, because we already have it. 

Today, only a few fragments remains of the colossal temple at Ephesus. The British museum houses artefacts and remains of the goddess of Ephesus. In contrast, we know that our Redeemer lives. As we read in in Job 19:25: "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.'' Amen

Reflection on Ephesians 1:1-12 by Hanne

Humiliate | Humiliet

"My God may humiliate me" — 2 Corinthians 12:21.

Paul the Apostle knew how to humble himself before God. After his conversion, he was willing to be brought low for the sake of the Gospel, no longer wanting to be proud and selfish as he was when he persecuted Christians. Consequently, Paul frequently writes about humility as a foundational virtue of the Christian life. In his letter to the Philippians, he encourages followers of Christ to do everything in humility and to count others as more significant than themselves (cf. Phil 2:3).

For Paul, human weakness is the canvas for God’s power. Understanding that God’s grace is sufficient for him, he does not fear his own imperfections. On the contrary, he is content with his weaknesses and difficulties, knowing that when he is weak, then he is strong with the power of God. As a humble person, Paul strives to put on a "compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience" (cf. Col 3:12), always remembering that the Lord forgave his many mistakes. He was given the grace not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think (cf. Rom 12:3). Thanks to the virtue of humility, he saw himself exactly as God saw him. As Pope Benedict XVI beautifully noted: “Humility is not a virtue of the weak but of the strong, of those who do not need to mistreat others to feel important. Humility is the truth of life, the awareness of our smallness before the grandeur of God, which opens us up to love” (General Audience, 2005).

Reflection on 2 Corinthians 12:21  by Jozef.

(Listen to podcast here)

Singaculum apostolatus | Seal of my apostleship

"For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 9:2).

Apostle Paul was searching for his own identity. He wanted to understand himself better so he could help other people. He knew that he was an apostle, but some people were questioning Paul's authority because he wasn't one of the original Twelve and because he worked with his hands.

He was called by Jesus Christ. Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, and he saw Him with his own eyes (1 Corinthians 9:1). But he also calls himself "the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle," because he persecuted the Church of God (1 Corinthians 15:9).

Nonetheless, he became a faithful servant of Christ and an ambassador for Him (2 Corinthians 5:20). He was beaten, put in prison, and treated like trash (1 Corinthians 4:11-13). When people said he was not a real apostle, he defended himself boldly (2 Corinthians 11:5).

He told the Corinthians, "You are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 9:2). You are my living letter that everyone can read (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). This is what Christian leadership looks like: I serve you, not the other way around. My power comes from my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). I don't demand my rights - I give up everything for the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:12). "By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10).

My life proves the Gospel is real when you see Jesus in me - in my love, my sacrifice, and my willingness to suffer for you (Galatians 6:17).

Now, let us ask ourselves: Do we know who we really are? What do we want to achieve in our lives and in our communities? Isn't it enough to follow Jesus and become like Jesus to others?

Do you know your identity? Do you know yourself and your ministry? Maybe you also have sinned, but Jesus has helped you. He took pity on you. Therefore, preach the Good News and work as an apostle of Christ in your own way.

Let us sow spiritual seed among our brothers and sisters, just as Apostle Paul did in his time (1 Corinthians 9:11). Amen. 

Reflection on 1 Cor 9: 1-12 by Fr. Józef Trzebuniak SVD

(Listen to podcast here)

Congregatis vobis | Assembled

„When you are assembled and the power of our Lord Jesus is present” (1 Cor 5:4).

 

In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul declares: "When you are assembled and the power of our Lord Jesus is present (1 Cor 5:4)". These words illuminate the mystery of what we celebrate each time we gather as the Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that the word "Church" - from the Latin ecclesia - signifies "convocation" or "assembly." This is no only human gathering, but rather a divine convocation. As Saint Cyril of Jerusalem instructed in his Catechetical Lectures, the Church is "rightly named Ecclesia because it calls forth and assembles together all men."

We are assembled as a community not by human initiative, but by the God’s Word. The Church exists as the people whom God calls and gathers from every corner of the earth. Through the sacraments of faith and baptism, we have been incorporated into Christ's Mystical Body, becoming children of God and temples of the Holy Spirit. Even when the Christians are geographically separated, the Holy Spirit maintains the spiritual unity.

The early Church Fathers, particularly Saint Ignatius of Antioch and Saint Cyprian of Carthage, emphasized that each particular Church participates in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Our local community is thus a manifestation of the universal Church.

In this sacred gathering, assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we better understand the Church's mission. We intercede for the salvation of souls, particularly for those in spiritual danger. We seek deliverance from sin and pray earnestly "that their spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord (v. 5)".

Saint Paul also teaches in his Letter to the Romans: "So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (Rom 12:5)". It happens in the sacred liturgy, most especially in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, where Christ himself becomes present among his people. Here, the Church becomes the assembly of the saved, called together by the Word of God and united in the power of the Holy Spirit.

May we never forget the dignity of our calling as members of Christ's Body. May we always pray for one another and support in every situation of our life. Amen.

Reflection on 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 by Józef Trzebuniak.

(Listen to podcast here)

Serviamus in novitate | Serve in the new way

"But now we serve in the new way of the Spirit" (Romans 7:6).

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In the heart of Paul's letter to the Romans, we find this beautiful verse that captures the essence of our Christian journey. "We serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."

St. Augustine reflected on his own experience and wrote in his Confessions: "For the law commands what cannot be fulfilled; grace gives what is commanded." How many of us have felt this tension? We know what is right, yet find ourselves unable to do it consistently.

Paul tells us we have been "released from the law". This is the mystery of our baptism, where we were united with Christ in His death. As we read in Romans 6:4: "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

What does it mean to "serve in the new way of the Spirit"?

First, it means our relationship with God is no longer based on fear but on love. "There is no fear in love," says 1 John 4:18, "but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment."

Second, it means the Holy Spirit empowers us. As Ezekiel prophesied: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Third, it means our service flows from gratitude rather than obligation. St. Basil the Great wrote, "When someone has been counted worthy to receive the Holy Spirit, he obtains as a result a wealth of incredible treasures."

Accordingly, when we face temptation and struggle with sin, we should turn to the Spirit who helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us (Romans 8:26).

Brothers and sisters, let us examine ourselves if we embraced the new way of the Spirit?

The great news is that this new way is available to all who trust in Christ.

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to lead us in this new way, transforming us, so that our service might flow from love, joy, and gratitude. And may our lives be a testimony to the freedom and power of serving in the new way of the Spirit.

Bible reflection on Romans 7: 1-13 by Fr. Jozef Trzebuniak SVD

(Listen to podcast here) 

Sine prohibitione | Without hindrance

“With all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31).

Brothers and sisters, our passage concludes the book of Acts with a powerful image: the Apostle Paul, under house arrest in Rome, "proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance."

Paul is literally chained to a Roman guard, confined to a rented house, awaiting trial before Caesar – and yet Luke describes his ministry as "without hindrance." What a remarkable paradox!

This challenges our natural assumption that freedom means the absence of limitations. Paul found his greatest freedom precisely when his external circumstances were most constrained.

I'm reminded of the remarkable story of Joni Eareckson Tada. As a teenager in 1967, Joni dove into shallow water, broke her neck, and was paralyzed from the shoulders down. She initially fell into deep depression, struggling to find purpose in a life now severely limited by her physical condition.

But something extraordinary happened. Joni began painting by holding a brush between her teeth. Her artwork gained attention, opening doors for her to share her faith. She founded Joni and Friends, a ministry that has provided wheelchairs to thousands of people with disabilities in developing countries and established retreats for families affected by disability.

Through her books, speaking, advocacy, and ministry, Joni has touched millions of lives around the world – all from the confines of a wheelchair. Despite chronic pain and numerous health challenges over five decades, she has recorded several albums, written over 50 books, and become one of the most influential Christian voices on suffering and disability.

Joni once said, "I really do believe that God uses brokenness, such as my quadriplegia, as a vehicle through which His power can be displayed." 

Like Paul in that Roman house, Joni discovered that limitations don't have to hinder God's purposes. In fact, her limitations became the very vessels through which God's power was most clearly displayed.

Paul's example reminds us that the gospel cannot be chained. Throughout Acts, we've seen how persecution, imprisonment, shipwreck, and now house arrest all served to advance rather than impede God's mission. 

And notice what Paul does during these two years of confinement. He doesn't complain about his circumstances or lobby for his release. Instead, he welcomes visitors, teaches Scripture, and proclaims Christ. He transforms his limitation into an opportunity.

Each of us faces limitations – physical constraints, financial restrictions, family obligations, health challenges. The question is not whether we will face limitations, but how we will respond to them.

Will we, like Paul and Joni, discover that God's power works most perfectly in our weakness? Will we find, as they did, that our greatest ministry might happen not despite our limitations but through them?

As we close the book of Acts, remember that while the narrative ends, the mission continues. The same Spirit that empowered Paul empowers us. The same gospel that could not be hindered then cannot be hindered now.

Whatever chains you face today, whatever limitations confine you, know this: God's purpose for your life remains unhindered. Your circumstances may restrict your movement, but they cannot restrict God's movement through you.

May we all find, like Paul in his chains, the freedom to proclaim Christ with boldness, without hindrance, right where we are.

Reflection on Acts 28:17 – 31 by Józef.

(Listen to podcast here)

Probati Sumus | Those Approved

“ _But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please human beings, but rather God, who judges our hearts.” - 1Thessalonians 2: 4

 

Saint Paul was a faithful Gentiles who lived and acted according to the law of God that he had received from his ancestors since he was young. But on the day when God chose him, he offered all his being and effort to proclaim the gospel to every nation. We also know that his ministry was not easy and was subjected to many obstacles and rejections. Nevertheless, Saint Paul also tried to assure us that his ministry was not to profit from misleading people, not trying to please human beings, but rather God, who judges our hearts.

 

It was not only in the days of Saint Paul, but it is also, today. Maybe not much, but there is. In society, our services are sometimes thought to win people's sympathy, to profit, or sometimes are perceived as to Christianize or ensnare others.  But the purpose of each service is that others may experience God’s love and goodness, to create communities that tolerate one another without discrimination of tribes, backgrounds, and beliefs.

 

Then, we as followers of Christ must courageously deny all our egos and dare to bear every cross of life that we experience. We must venture out of our comfort zones to proclaim joyful tidings for others, even though we will be rejected or even opposed. God bless.

Reflection on 1Thessalonians 2: 1-12 by Sr. Maria Venidora SND

(Listen to the Podcast here)

Gratia Et Pax | Thank God for You

“We always thank God for all of you...” – 1Thessalonians 1: 2

It is a challenge to preach the Word of God to unbelievers, let alone to start a church. Apostle Paul faced many difficulties in spreading the Gospel. He and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi then miraculously were freed from the jail (Act 16: 26). They came to Thessalonica and some people joined them believing the Good News of Christ, but then had to flee from an angry mob (Act 17: 5). They moved to Berea and met good believers but soon were driven out by the same Thessalonian mob again (Act 17: 11-13). Paul had challenges in Athens (Act 17: 32-33) and he finally reached Corinth, in weakness, fear and much trembling (1 Cor 2: 3).

When Paul was in need for an emotional support, came the news from Thessalonica. The church there was strong, they imitated him without any force. This encouraging news brought by Silas & Timothy was a relief and much appreciated by Paul. He and his fellow missionaries gratefully prayed for the believers in Thessalonica, for their faithful work, loving deeds, and the enduring hope they have in the Lord Jesus Christ.

They accepted the message of God, Paul brought, with joy in spite of the suffering they endured because of that. They even became an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia. Their faith had become known everywhere. They left their idols to come to God and they were waiting for the coming of Jesus, the Son of God.

The Word of the Lord changes people’s life. They become a new creation in Jesus Christ. The true believers leave a significant impact in others’ life. People are grateful, encouraged, loved and most importantly inspired by their unwavering faith.

Paul thanked God when speaking of the believers in Thessalonica. How about us? What would people think when they remember each of us? What kind of memories do we leave on other people’s mind? Do other people thank God for us?

 

 

Reflection on 1Thessalonians 1: 1-10 by Desire Litaay

(Listen to the Podcast here)

Exemplum bonorum operum (Tt. 2:7)

Who is your role model? Who has brought impact to your life?  I have one person that I admire most. Her unwavering commitment to serve God is my future-ideal-self.  She is a dear friend of mine.  I ran into her in the bank this afternoon.  She greeted me with her smiley face. Unfortunately, we could not talk for a long time as we both were rushing to go home. It was going to be sprinkling.

I respect her much due to her integrity. I still vividly remember the first time I got to know her. At the time, my daughter and I just moved to a new neighborhood. There were only two of us as my hubby had been on the other side of the world. This middle-aged-woman came together with her grandson, knocked on our door, and brought some cookies for us. I just clicked with her so well.  She is a lecturer and a mom to her two daughters. She is an example of a godly woman. She leads a simple life, and she treats all people the same. She is a loyal and helpful friend. If you need help, she is mostly available anytime. She will be the first person who is going to greet you if you meet her. She is humble, and she has finished reading the Holy Bible more than ten times. If you ask her a particular verse, she can say it in a minute as she learns it by heart.   She has passed so many hurdles in her life, but these adversaries fail to break her great faith in Lord. She always believes that God is good all the time. Her passion is to share the gospel with people that she meets. She is mostly on trips to remote villages and schools to tell people what Jesus has done to her life and to help people how they can have the conviction that they are true Christians. My friend is unstoppable.  I am frequently "envious" of her because she has so much treasure in heaven by bringing many souls to the kingdom of God.  Her life has inspired and has brought impact to numerous people including me.

The Book of Titus is a letter of Apostle Paul sent to Titus. From his letter to Titus, it can be observed that they are deeply attached as Paul addresses him as his “true child in a common faith” (1:4), and Paul regards him as his fellow worker for the gospel. The book of Titus contains Apostle Paul's advice and teaching to people in Crete and Titus. Titus is advised to be a pattern or an example to people of Crete. The teaching of Paul to set a good example does not only apply to Titus but, it also applies to each of us in present times. Our great teacher, Jesus Christ, has performed a perfect example. Jesus has only lived on earth for about 33 years. However, during His life, He demonstrated great works like feeding 5 thousand people with only five loaves and two fish, walking on the water, casting out the demons, healing so many diseases, raising people from death, and many more.  Above all, the biggest miracle and the most strikingly impressive work of all that He has performed are to die on the cross for sinful people so that these people will not be separated from God forever and ever. As a result, everyone who confesses and receives Christ personally to their hearts will have experienced abundant and eternal life. It does not mean a life without hurdles and adversaries. God’s power, mercy, glory, and goodness are revealed and manifested through those who believe in Him in these hard moments. How can we set good examples? It is seen from the fruits that we bear; the fruits of spirit manifested in our characters and the souls that we bring to the kingdom of God.

By Deisyi, Indonesia.

Unum corpus multi sumus (1 Cor. 10:17)

We are looking for beauty, truth, and goodness. We are waiting for love, peace, and happiness. We engage ourselves in relationships. Nonetheless, we feel that we are lacking something. Something is missing. Deep inside our soul is eager for God. 

Do people, things, experiences fulfill or satisfy this desire? Probably not because even if we get everything we want, we still miss something. 

Apostle Paul explains that as human beings we need communion with Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. We are capable of achieving this spiritual union in the Church. Especially when we receive holy sacraments, namely Body and Blood of Christ. As long as we are on the earth, we cannot see God face to face. However, we feel God among us and in our hearts. Although we are One Body in Christ, we experience the difference between us. 

Let's partake in Christ and become one with him. Let's pray for each other so we could have a share in the Kingdom of God.

By Józef Trzebuniak SVD