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Fr. Scott Lewis is an associate professor of New Testament at Regis College, a founding member of the Toronto School of Theology.

He is a past president of the Canadian Catholic Biblical Association.

Transfiguration of the Lord, Aug. 6 (Year A) Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Psalm 97; 2 Peter 1:16-19

Daniel’s vision has a long afterlife. It has been burned into the consciousness of the three Abrahamic religions and is at the core of most apocalyptic theology.

Faith: Training for kingdom of God

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17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 30 (Year A) 1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52

Imagine a supernatural being offering to grant us whatever we ask. This has been a recurrent theme in legends and mythology.

Faith: Lessons of Wisdom still relevant today

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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 23 (Year A) Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Psalm 86; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43

The righteous must be kind. This short, blunt but profound principle is often overlooked or pushed aside by overly zealous religious people or moral crusaders.

Faith: Word of God is the seed of life

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15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 16 (Year A) Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 65; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23

The Word of God is a dynamic and creative expression of the divine will, at work at every moment and in every place. It is not confined to the borders of the Church, nor can it be controlled by human beings. Its work is healing, guiding, inspiring and drawing all humanity back to its divine source.

Faith: Hope-filled visions are a light in the dark

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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 9 (Year A) Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30

Prophetic texts express the deepest longings of the human heart. Most often, these are desires for peace, justice and happiness. Poetry, literature, music and art also bear witness to these hopes, and these diverse forms of expression find their way into the lyrical chants and proclamations of the prophets.

Faith: We all have a role in discipleship

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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 2 (Year A) 2 Kings 4:8-12a, 14-16; Psalm 89; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10:37-42

The Bible is a book of familiar themes that find their way into many different stories.

Faith: We are challenged to break free from fear

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12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 25 (Year A) Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 69; Romans 5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33

Jeremiah felt absolutely overwhelmed and besieged. His entire prophetic ministry was marked by persecution, ridicule, rejection and attempts on his life. It seemed to him that a host of enemies was arrayed against him, all intent on his destruction.

Faith: There is a hunger only God can feed

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Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, June 18 (Year A) Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-59

What is the most important thing for human survival?

Faith: Jesus is proof of God’s steadfast love

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Most Holy Trinity, June 11 (Year A) Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9; Daniel 3; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18

Who is God? There is no shortage of talk, theories, books and adamant assertions about God, but what does God have to say?

Spirit gives us our inspirational boost

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Pentecost Sunday, June 4 (Year A) Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

Being filled with the Holy Spirit can be a rather scary thing. It cares little for our prejudices, opinions, fears and personal preferences, and is prone to take us where we do not want to go and ask us to do things from which we shrink in fear.

Faith: Our mission is about doing, not waiting

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Ascension of the Lord, May 28 (Year A) Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20

Where did Jesus go when He ascended? Where is God? Physics, astronomy and other branches of science have shown the old spatial notion of God and the heavens to be inadequate. God is not “up there” or in any particular place, but equally present throughout the universe.