Saturday, 10th Week: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
God has reconciled us in Christ; We are new creations.
In his book, The Christian Vision, John Powell tells about a
young man who was terribly nearsighted. For the first 18 years of his life he
could see only a few feet in front of him. When the young man finally got
glasses, he was amazed at how beautiful the world is. He said, "Getting
glasses was the second most beautiful experience of my life." "What
was the first?" asked Powell.
"The day I came to believe in Jesus and saw that God is
truly my Father," said the young man. "It was like beginning a new
life."
This is exactly the way Paul puts it in today's reading,
when he says that through Christ we have become a new creation.
***
What was our most beautiful experience in life? "Christ
changed us from enemies into his friends." 2 Corinthians 5:18
***
In a very
dense text, Paul speaks of the ministry of reconciliation of himself and of the
Church. God has reconciled us and the world to himself; he does not accept the
world in as far as it is sinful but rather draws the world to himself and makes
it – and us – a new creation. All this he does through
Christ, who brought us reconciliation.
The same
ministry of reconciliation between people and God, from person to person too,
has been entrusted to the Church, to us. Are we agents of reconciliation?
***
Opening
Prayer
God our
Father,
to make it
possible for us, sinful people, to live again in your friendship, you let your
Son Jesus Christ take our weakness and failures upon himself and die the death
we deserved.
Make us
your new creation through him, that we may no longer live for ourselves. Let
his love move us to be his ambassadors of peace and forgiveness to everyone of
goodwill in the Church and in the world. We ask you this in the name of Jesus
the Lord.
***
Matthew 5:33-37
Don’t swear but act — live in truth, not illusion
Jesus teaches us something powerful: Let your “yes”
be yes and your “no,” no (cf. Mt 5:37). Don’t swear — act. Don’t mask
the truth — live it.
To live in truth is to live in freedom. It gives your life a
foundation. But how often do we say things just to fit in, to please others, to
avoid discomfort? This kind of duplicity erodes our sense of identity. It
creates confusion — not only in others, but within ourselves. We lose
transparency, and slowly, we lose our identity. The Lord calls us to be honest
— not flawless, but real. To admit our mistakes, not to hide them. He wants us
whole, not split in two.
Some say, “It’s just a little lie.” But small lies pile up,
like dust on a window — eventually, we can’t see clearly. Lies wound
relationships, corrode trust, and isolate us. And worst of all, we can begin to
lie to ourselves. Let’s ask for the grace to be people of integrity, who reject
falsehood and speak truth with love — even when it costs us.
There is one witness who sees our hearts: God. But He is not
a harsh judge waiting to catch us in failure. He is a loving Father who
delights in our freedom. Following Christ is not about ticking boxes or fearing
punishment — it’s about walking in truth, with courage, as children of the
light.
So don’t swear—act. Let our life speak. Let our truth shine. And remember: we were made for the truth, because we were made for love. Amen.
