Who Gives To Whom: Keeping It Straight Thoughts on the Second Readings by Joe Frankenfield 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Hebrews 5:1-6 Sacrifice was central to Jewish faith in Jesus...
Wanted: A Bigger God Thoughts on the Second Readings by Joe Frankenfield 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Hebrews 4:14-16 I didn’t get to Mass last Sunday. Johnny was sick and I was up...
Wanting God’s Will (Generally) Thoughts on the Second Readings by Joe Frankenfield 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Hebrews 4:12-13 “Be careful about what you wish for,” my uncle...
Thoughts on the Second Readings 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time by Joe Frankenfield Hebrews 2:9-11 Brothers and sisters: He “for a little while” was made “lower than...
Hope’s Execution Thoughts on the Second Readings by Joe Frankenfield 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time James 5:1-6 I learned in grade school that Catholics say confusing things. F...
Weighing the Cost of Winning Thoughts on the Second Readings by Joe Frankfield 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time James 3:16 – 4:3 Two weeks ago, during president Obama’s address to cong...
Praying Love Alive Thoughts on the Second Readings 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time by Joe Frankenfield James 2:14-18 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has f...
A Faith For Others Thoughts on the Second Readings by Joe Frankenfield 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time James 2: 1-5 Watching small children play soccer is great fun. They swarm. The b...
A Faith Lived Thoughts on the Second Readings by Joe Frankenfield 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 Ted Kennedy’s death this week reminds us of the good one per...
Unfolding Revelation Thoughts on the Second Readings by Joe Frankenfield 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Ephesians 5:21-32 Once every year, when I was growing up, the pastor at Mass w...
Called To Get On With It Thoughts on the Second Readings by Joe Frankenfield 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Ephesians 5:14-20 The-world-is-going-to-hell-in-a-hand-basket conversation...
Imitating God: Finding Ourselves Thoughts on the Second Readings by J. Frankenfield 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Ephesians 4:30-5:2 Normally we’d dismiss someone who suggested that...
Looking Deeper: Finding God Thoughts on the Second Readings by J. Frankenfield 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 “I wish I knew that what I’m doing made a differen...
The Eucharist’s Union Thoughts on the Second Readings by J. Frankenfield 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Ephesians 2:13-18 For years I’ve watched children come to the altar for ...
Practical Mystics Thoughts on the Second Readings by J. Frankenfield 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Ephesians 1:3-14 “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; I’m tired of hearing about Jesus,” a young ...
The Risk of Faith Thoughts on the Second Readings by J. Frankenfield 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 A while back I attended a children’s piano recital. The kids...
On God’s Ground Floor Thoughts on the Second Readings by J. Frankenfield 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15 Parents and teachers of small children have ta...
Jb 38:1, 8-11 2 Cor 5:14-17 Mk 4:35-41 The readings from Sunday June 21, remind me of the stories of people who have asked me to pray for a miracle for them as they dealt with the ...
Ex 24:3-8 Heb 9:11-15 Mk 14:12-16, 22-26 Memories have flooded me this past week as I thought about the readings for Sunday June 14th. I kept seeing the various meal tables that I ...
Dt 4:32-34, 39-40 Rom 8:14-17 Mt 28:16-20 When I was in college I had an opportunity to be an intern in South Chicago as a community organizer. I was green behind the ears and had ...
Acts 2:1-11 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 Jn 20:19-23 Although I have never lived in a geographic area that is prone to earth quakes I find myself quite curious about the mile distance from...
Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26 1 Jn 4:11-16 Jn 17:11b-19 I have somehow got on several unsolicited groups that champion justice issues and stores. So when I open my email I am overwhelm...
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 1 Jn 4:7-10 Jn 15:9-17 When I lived in northern Japan about thirty years ago, it was not unusual for an unknown person to see me having lunch with anoth...
Acts 4:8-12 1 Jn 3:1-2 Jn 10:11-18 This past week provided for me a variety of different experiences. The first part of the week I worked, prepared for a colonoscopy, had the colon...
Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
1 Jn 2:1-5a Lk 24:35-48 A few weeks ago an email came to me. It said, “You have got to watch this, it gave me goose bumps!” love Anne. So despite th...
Jer 31:31-34 Heb 5:7-9 Jn 12:20-33 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.&#...
Holy Week and Easter Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Col 3:1-4 or I Cor 5:6b-8 Jn 20:1-9 or Mk 16:1-7 or Lk 24:13-35 Beginning with the readings on Palm Sunday up until today Easter Sunday I ha...
Jer 31:31-34 Heb 5:7-9 Jn 12:20-33 I have had the opportunity to move a number of times in my life, both geographically and from one job to another. One of my greatest fears about ...
Eph 2:4-10 Rom 8:31b-34 Jn 3:14-21 Two weeks ago, I spent time with a dear friend and with her mother. Her mother had been placed on hospice a week and a half before our visit. Ann...
Ex 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17 1 Cor 1:22-25 Jn 2:13-25 As I read and heard the readings for the Sunday March 15th, I wondered, “What difference has Lent made in my life th...
Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 Rom 8:31b-34 Mk 9:2-10 The other day I glanced over to a young woman with Down Syndrome who had the very best smile on her face as she danced to the mus...
Gn 9:8-15 Mk 1:12-15 My beloved black lab Hannah has taken on a new pattern since we moved to the Southwest. She has decided that there is nothing better than rolling full body on ...
Gospel of Mark 2:1-12 In the last couple of weeks my professional work has entered my personal life. I have had two young girls with whom I have spent time die, one was 12 and the ...
Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 1 Cor. 10:31-11:1 Mark 1:40-45 Just yesterday I entered the room of a patient wearing a canary yellow gown, latex free gloves, and a mask over my nose and m...
Job 7:1-4, 6-7 1 Cor. 9:16-19, 22-23 Mark 1:29-39 This week a woman named Ann, who worked in the administration of our hospital died. Ann had worked about 25 years for this hospita...
Deut. 18:15-20 1 Cor. 7:32-35 Mark 1:21-28 My schedule has been very full lately; all good things with interesting people. In fact it seems as though there is no lack of good thing...
Jonah 3:1-5, 10 1 Cor. 7:29-31 Mark 1:12-20 I recently heard a friend tell a story about a morning she spent cleaning fish that had been given to her family as a gift. She connecte...
Isaiah: 55:1-11 Last Sunday I finished my all night call, which begins at 4:30PM the previous day and ends the next morning at 8:00AM, I was hungry. I planned to go to 9:30 liturgy...
On Sunday January 4th we celebrate Epiphany. Yearly I wonder what it was like for the three kings to 1)follow a star to find Jesus and 2)to make this extraordinary trip base...
Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17 This entry is now in its third rendition. Not due to the editorial comments of a friend who reads my near about weekly entries, but because my computer keeps...
Is 61:1-2a, 10-11 1 Thes 5:16-24 Jn 1:6-8, 19-28 From Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?” He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted...
Is 40:1-5, 9-11 2 Pt 3:8-14 Mk 1:1-8 Just last week I heard someone say loudly in the lobby, “Hey chaplain lady!” I kept walking because I am so new I thought it had to...
Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 1 Cor 1:3-9 Mk 13:33-37 I read the readings for the first Sunday of Advent just after finishing a 15 hour shift at the hospital. My mind was swimming with...
Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 1 Thes 5:1-6 Mt 25:14-30 or 25:14-15, 19-21 Two weeks ago I began a new job as staff chaplain for the medical and surgery units of a large hospital. Alth...
Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17 Jn 2:13-22 This pilgrim was sick last week and unable to put forth an entry… now to the readings of November 9th. A few weeks ago I wa...
Ex 22:20-26 1 Thes 1:5c-10 Mt 22:34-40 “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first...
Is 45:1, 4-6 1 Thes 1:1-5b Mt 22:15-21 For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not. I ha...
Is 25:6-10a Phil 4:12-14, 19-20 Mt 22:1-14 or 22:1-10 Recently I was asked to do a memorial service for a friend’s brother. The memorial service was held in a nearby town at ...
Is 5:1-7 Phil 4:6-9 Mt 21:33-43 The Vineyard In the readings for Sunday October 5th, we enter the world of the vineyard. In the first reading we hear about the owner doing everythi...
Ez 18:25-28 Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5 Mt 21:28-32 I was listening to tapes on compassion and generosity a few weeks ago. The speaker said that her father always had money in his pocket ...
I can still hear my siblings and I say, “Places saved,” as we left our seat and headed off to use the bathroom during the television commercial. I don’t remember ...
Nm 21:4b-9 Phil 2:6-11 Jn 3:13-17 About sixteen years ago I went for eight days with a group of women in August on a camping and canoeing trip to the northern boundaries of Minneso...
Is 22:19-23 Rom 11:33-36 Mt 16:13-20 Who Belongs in the Circle? Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of...
Is 56:1, 6-7 Rom 11:13-15, 29-32 Mt 15:21-28 Who Belongs in the Circle? The readings for the Sunday of August 17th made me think about the times in my life when I was an outsider t...
1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a Rom 9:1-5 Mt 14:22-33 The Otherside I am from a large family and there were many times that I looked on as one of my siblings tried to do something for the firs...
Is 55:1-3 Rom 8:35, 37-39 Mt 14:13-21 Familiar Fish and New Fishing Rods A few years ago I went out with the director of our chaplaincy department and another chaplain to go fishin...
Mt 13:44-52 Jesus said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all ...
Rom 8:26-27 Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groa...
Acts 12:1-11 The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” and from all tha...
Jer. 20:10-13 All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. ‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.’ ...
