Fr. Scott Lewis

God gives us His promise of friendship

May 16, 2013

Trinity Sunday (Year C) May 26 (Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15) How does one describe that which is infinite and beyond human comprehension? In other words, how do we talk about God?

God is love, God is light

May 9, 2013

Pentecost Sunday (Year C) May 19 (Acts 2:1-1; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23) What actually happened at Pentecost? What would a video recorder have registered? The issue is clouded by the fact that we have two accounts in the New Testament and they are very different. The descent of the Spirit in Acts is rather noisy and flashy, and it results immediately in public proclamation of Jesus by the assembled disciples. The giving of the Spirit in John was a quiet, intimate affair in the upper room. Jesus bestowed the Spirit personally on His followers, but there was no record of an immediate public ministry.

God is love, God is light

May 9, 2013

There remains much to be done

May 2, 2013

Ascension of the Lord (Year C) May 12 (Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23; Luke 24:46-53) Just where did Jesus go when He ascended? In a medieval artistic rendering of the Ascension, Jesus’ feet dangle from under a cloud as the rest of His body disappeared. This definitely represents a literal way of reading the text as well as a spatial understanding of the cosmos. God is ‘“up there” somewhere, and when we die we go either “up there” or “down below’” as the case may be.

God is as near as we wish Him to be

April 25, 2013

Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C) May 5 (Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Psalm 67; Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23; John 14:23-29) What are the basic entry requirements for joining the people of God? This is an age-old question that continues in our own day. In the reading from Acts, we can eavesdrop on a debate that tore the first Christian community apart: does one have to first become fully Jewish, observing all of the elements of the Law, in order to become a follower of Jesus? There were those who interpreted the Law and tradition very strictly and those who were more flexible. The hardliners from Jerusalem had unsettled the community of Antioch and upset the delicate balance between Jewish Christians and gentile converts. Some community members refused to even eat at the same table as gentile Christians. Old ideas die hard, especially those involving separation and difference.

Self-giving love is not optional

April 18, 2013

Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year C) April 28 (Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145; Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:1, 31-33, 34-35) Becoming a follower of Jesus Christ was not an easy task in the first century. It often involved the loss of friends, the estrangement of family and alienation from one’s culture. Occasionally violent persecution was thrown in.

True faith withstands all

April 12, 2013

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year C) April 21 (Acts 13:14, 43-52; Psalm 100; Revelation 7:9, 14-17; John 10:27-30)

We are called to be witnesses to God’s kingdom

April 5, 2013

Third Sunday of Easter (Year C) April 14 (Acts 5:28-32, 40-41; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19) It is well known that dictatorial or totalitarian regimes rule by fear. The oppressed know that they must keep silent at the least and maybe even mouth the party line. The consequences for not doing so are fearsome. Even so-called democratic cultures and societies also use a form of fear to coerce people — the fear of ridicule, exclusion or labelling. The message is clear: do not challenge the status quo or the powers that be, even if they are somewhat benign.

In Jesus we have nothing to fear

March 29, 2013

Second Sunday of Easter (Year C)April 7 (Acts 5:12-16; Psalm 118;Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19;John 20:19-31) People are seldom brought to faith by mere words — it is what they see and experience that stirs their soul. The people of Jerusalem had probably heard the preaching of many would-be prophets and messiahs but these movementshad sputtered out and disappeared from the scene. The early community of Jesus followers wasdifferent — here divine power was clearly at work, just as in the words and actions of Jesus...

The Resurrection transformed our world

March 22, 2013

Resurrection of the Lord (Year C) March 31 (Acts 10:34. 37-43; Psalm 118; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18) If the Easter event occurred in our own day, how would the news be transmitted? We can imagine media blitzes, live interviews, endless analysis by “talking heads” and replay after replay. We would probably tire of the story, and as with most media events, it would soon be supplanted by something more exciting (at least for a time). Media can give us immediacy and a lot of “facts” but it often lacks sincerity, passion and the authenticity of one human heart speaking to another.