St. Paul sometimes uses the analogy of the “aroma” or “fragrance” of Christ. In Ephesians 5:2, he speaks of the Messiah’s “fragrant offering” of himself to God on our behalf. In 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, St. Paul compares his spreading of the knowledge of Christ to the diffusion of an aroma. Likewise, he instructs the Philippians (4:18) to make their lives “a fragrant aroma,” a sacrifice pleasing to God.
To play out St. Paul’s analogy, a life of faith and love gives off a pleasing fragrance. A life of hatred, unbelief and indifference reeks to high heaven.
This Lent, let us take St. Paul’s analogy seriously. After all, there is a good basis for it in our culture. We are constantly advertising products designed to make us smell better. And don’t we like to think that others find us pleasant to be around?
Because we understand the basis of St. Paul’s analogy, we can more readily apply it to ourselves by asking, “What kind of spiritual fragrance do I radiate?” Or, to put it more bluntly, “How do I ‘smell’ spiritually?” If our lives are to emit the sweet scent of self-giving love, we have to go to the source. That source is not our attempts to be kind or virtuous. Nor is it trendy spiritualism or arcane spiritual techniques. No, the source is Christ who gave his life in sacrifice to God for us and for our salvation. It is the aroma, the pleasing fragrance of his sacrifice, that we are to carry within ourselves and diffuse to those around us.
It is Jesus’ self-offering on the cross that cancels out the stench of our sins, the stench that results from inward corruption, the mustiness that results when we refuse to allow the light of his glory to enter the self-enclosed chamber of our inward selves. Only Jesus’ sacrifice is fragrant enough, not simply to cover over the stench of our sins, but indeed to eliminate it by their forgiveness.
But this does not happen without our consent and cooperation. Deep down, in our inmost soul, at that point of contact between us and the divine, we must be willing to be emptied of sin and self-centeredness so as to be filled with the fragrance, the aroma of Christ. Nor can we be emptied of sin and self-centeredness without resolutely praying, engaging in spiritual discipline and giving of ourselves to others, especially those in need – the very disciplines that are at the heart of Lent.
But what happens when we find ourselves somewhere in between? Looking into our hearts, we may find that we are not fresh out of the fragrance of Christ, but neither are we completely filled with it. In fact, we may be like a perfume bottle that is almost empty but still exudes a pleasing fragrance. This can happen when we still believe and do good for others yet fail to return to the source in order to have the fragrance of Christ replenished within us. Eventually the perfume runs out, the fragrance goes away and a foul odor may take its place.
Lent is a time to be refilled with the fragrance of Christ by prayer, reading Scripture, regularly confessing our sins and receiving absolution in the sacrament of reconciliation, and, above all, participating each Sunday in the Mass wherein Christ’s offering of self is made present again.
Let us be filled to overflowing!
Those truly filled with Christ’s self-giving love cannot remain self-enclosed but instead are impelled to become a diffuser of his truth and love by how they live, what they say and by their love of others, especially those in need.
May you have a fragrant Lent!
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