Religious Freedom: Christian and Necessary Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe Frankenfield 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Jeremiah 20:7-9 America has a civic axiom: never mix politics and religion. It’s one of those two-handed ideas. On the one hand, the adage makes perfect sense because religion is rooted in revelation and revelation is amenable to [...]

A Morality of Promise – Not Of Threats Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe Frankenfield 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 22: 19-23 Many Catholics can remember a time when they lived in fear of committing mortal sin with the consequent prospect of an eternity in Hell. Some rejected particulars on the list of mortal [...]

Not My, Not Our; Everybody’s Religion Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe Frankenfield 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 When I was in grade school, there was a painting of St. Michael in our parish church. He had blond hair, lots of muscles, and looked something like my uncle Gene. There was also [...]

The Goal: To Love As God Loves Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe Frankenfield 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Kings 19: 9a, 11-13a There’s a revealing incident in Elijah’s life that precedes the one we read today. Jezebel, the Phoenician princess, maintained 450 prophets loyal to the god, Baal, as part of her court. [...]