Fr. Scott Lewis, S.J
He is a past president of the Canadian Catholic Biblical Association.
Breaking death's barrier
Second Sunday of Easter (Year C) April 11 (Acts 5:12-16; Psalm 118; Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19; John 20:19-31)
Simplicity and power often go hand in hand. In many of the accounts of the earliest days of the Christian community, life was indeed simple — not easy — but accompanied by what Acts refers to as “signs and wonders.” There were no creeds to give ascent to for the simple reason that they had not yet been formulated. The simple entrance requirement was faith in the person and mission of Jesus the Messiah and a belief that He was indeed God’s emissary.
An essential part of this profession of faith was a commitment to discipleship, fidelity to the spiritual path of Jesus and a willingness to share in the joys and struggles of the community that bore His name. It is also very striking that the initial attraction of the faith for outsiders was not liturgy, worship spaces or social standing. The attraction was the obvious signs of God’s presence working in and through believers for the good of others. It was this that led people to view the community with awe and respect.
There is one humanity under God
God has saved the most amazing and world-altering part of His revelation in Jesus until the last. Peter recites the ancient proclamation of the good news: the wonderful and powerful deeds of Jesus, the healing that He performed and the many deeds of compassion and mercy that flowed from Him.
To know God is to live a life of service
Change does not come easily, especially when cherished and time-honoured traditions and ideas are challenged. And this is even more evident in the realm of religious beliefs as the struggle during our own time attests.
God is meant to be encountered
Nearly every Christian home has a Bible — sometimes it is read with regularity, but often it is little more than an adornment. Unfortunately even many of those who read it do so in a superficial or literal manner.
Meet adversity with dignity, courage, hope
Paul is a hard man to keep down. He has just endured being stoned and left for dead, but he merely got up, dusted himself off and continued his journey and mission. He doesn’t seem disillusioned or discouraged — in fact, he spends time encouraging others in the faith.
Discipleship is manifested in love
The man who denied Jesus three times is now courting imprisonment and death by his unrelenting proclamation of the Good News. Peter is unfazed by threats and bullying. One’s life can be very different after having encountered the Spirit of God.
Do Jesus' work of healing, redemption
“What we have here is a failure to communicate!” This was a famous line from the movie Cool Hand Luke. In fact, people are often separated and alienated by a common language. On the other hand, often those who do not speak a word of each other’s language communicate eloquently through smiles, kindness and generosity, and the medium of music.
Who are we to question God’s ways?
Moral outrage and indignation can be very satisfying, but can also be a cover for our own darkness. David discovered this to his immense chagrin.
Centered on God, we can face all challenges
Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year C) April 29 (Acts 13:14, 43-52; Psalm 100; Revelation 7:9, 14-17; John 10:27-30)
An encounter between the old and the new is seldom peaceful or smooth. The old does not give way gracefully, and the struggle is often hateful and hurtful. The new is not necessarily correct, but often it is not even given a fair hearing.
He is always with us
Many in the crowd were thrilled at what they saw happening in the midst, but still they hung back. Some were afraid of persecution if they joined this strange band of miracle workers, others perhaps did not want to be let down or disappointed.