We Need Bigger Arms Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe Frankenfield Feast of Christ the King 2 Samuel 5:1-3 There was a story going around several years ago about a little girl cr...
Joining The Moral Quest Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe Frankenfield 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Malachi 3:19-20 “You know what I can’t stand about Christians,” a friend told ...
Faith – With Help From Our Friends -Joe Frankenfield Thoughts on the First Readings 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 In a society which places as much emp...
The God Who Cares Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Wisdom 11:22-12:23 For as far back as we can remember people have looked up a...
Jesus’ Family Value Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18 One of today’s headlines was census confirms r...
Trust That God Will Do – What? Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe Frankenfield 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Exodus 17: 8-13 Trust in the Lord. Turn your troubles over to God...
The Measure Of Faith Thoughts on the First Readings 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 Kings 5;14-17 Physicians sometimes use medicines in ways their developers didn’t intend or ...
Messengers Of Hope Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe Frankenfield 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Habakkuk 1:2-3 to 2:2-4 Don’t jump! If God’s revelation were made into a thirty sec...
The Gift of Faith: Freedom To Care Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Amos 6:1, 4-7 A father once told me about a disturbing story...
Salvation: It’s About Life Not Death Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe Frankenfield Amos 8:4-7 “The Church has gotten too concerned with the world and politics. We’ve to ge...
God Re-Examined Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Exodus 32:7-12, 13-14 I once sat in on a discussion about God with a group of university students. The quest...
Missing The Plan Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Wisdom 9:13-18 “I know God wants me to marry this guy; I’m absolutely certain He wants us together.” The yo...
Sharing: It’s About Justice Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 “I really think we should be giving more to the poor,” a good fr...
We Needs To Listen Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Isaiah 66:18-21 A solemn, young Catholic once told me that the first thing that we need to be clear about...
Keeping Things Straight Thoughts on the First Readings Feast of the Assumption of Mary Revelation 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10a “There’s nothing we can do about the church. They’ve got all ...
No Faith Without Trust Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Wisdom 18:6-9 “Honest, I won’t pull the football away this time.” “That’s what you said last year.” “...
Faith Hopes And Loves Thoughts on the First Readings Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23 There’s a strain in Christian thought that says that most everything we spend our lives working at an...
Just Living Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Genesis 18:20-32 “You’re going to be tempted many times to count the cost of love and ask yourself whether or n...
Tending The Web Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Genesis 18:1-10 “Always be nice to a stranger and help him if he needs you because he may be Jesus in disgui...
First You Choose Then You Live Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Deuteronomy 30:10-14 “Religion is really a very simple thing,” a fellow once told me. “Everyo...
Prophets Of Hope Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Isaiah 66:10-14 “I’m taking my son out of his classroom,” the young mother told me, “his teacher is so nega...
Religion: For Our Sake – Not God’s Sake Thoughts on the First Reading – Joe Frankenfield Zechariah 12:10-11, 13:1 As we grabbed a moment of peace and quiet in a l...
It’s About More Than Forgiveness Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield 2nd Samuel 12:7-10,13 Many years ago a recent convert to the Church told me that join...
The Humility Of Mixed Motives Thoughts on the First Readings The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ – Joe Frankenfield Genesis 14:18-20 A story on the CNN website rec...
Trinity Reconcidered Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Proverbs 8:22-31 When most of us learn about the Holy Trinity, our response is, Okay; if you say so. Ma...
God’s Chosen People (Like Everyone Else) Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Acts 2:1-11 I was three when my younger brother was born. For three years I’d...
Christians At Ease? Thoughts on the First Readings Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20 John wrote his letter to the Christians in Asia Minor (today’s Turkey) to assure them of Jesus’ re...
We Work: God Makes It Happen – Joe Frankenfield Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23 “When are you going to stop taking your sister’s toys?” the frustrated mother asked her four year o...
A Person Of Faith Is A Person Of Hope Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Revelation 21: 1-5 I’m reading What Hath God Wrought by Daniel Walker Howe. It contai...
God’s Gift Of Worship Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Revelation 7:9, 14-17 If God can watch over and take care of you day and night for a week, don’...
Loving God – Loving OurselvesThoughts on the First Readings – Joe FrankenfieldRevelation 5:11-14 Rogers and Hammerstein adapted the story of Cinderella for a television...
A Difficult Love Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19 Opposition has lined Christianity’s entire journey. Since Jesus, those who shared...
God In Front Of Us Thoughts on the Second Reading – Joe Frankenfield Acts 10:34, 37-43 Years ago I met a young couple preparing to baptize their first child. The dad commented that...
A Time For Prophets Thoughts on the Second Reading – Joe Frankenfield Isaiah 50:4-7 Several years ago, at a parents’ gathering a mother commented that we need to do better te...
In The Image of God 5th Sunday in Lent – Joe Frankenfield Isaiah 43:16-21 Jesus presented a new image of God. The image he offered was not discontinuous with that given by hi...
Knowing God – Cautiously Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield 4th Sunday in Lent Joshua 5:9, 10-12 What are we to make of the God of Israel? On the one han...
Stop Praising the House and Grab a Hammer Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield 3rd Sunday in Lent Exodus 3:1-8,13-15 “Take off those muddy shoes before you come ...
Religion: The Same And Changing Thoughts on the First Readings – Joe Frankenfield 2nd Sunday in Lent Genesis 15:5-12 When ancient Hebrews told the story of how God used Abram...
To Live With Courage Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe Frankenfield 1st Sunday in Lent Deuteronomy 26:4-10 “If you decide you’re going to do something, give yourself to it comple...
God’s Word Is Good Thoughts on the Second Readings – Joe Frankenfield 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20 Rain was dripping from a gray March sky seve...
We Make a Difference Thoughts on the Second Readings – Joe Frankenfield 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1Corinthians 15:1-11 Most of us respond ‘aw shucks’ to the goo...
Forgive – or Forget It Thoughts on the Second Reading – Joe Frankenfield 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 Love is always patient, kind, truthful, f...
The Price of Faith Thoughts on the Second Reading – Joe Frankenfield 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 “When the boat’s sinking, everybody bails,” my uncle J...
Thoughts on the Second Reading – Joe Frankenfield Second Sunday of Ordinary Time 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Driving back from a family gathering (not yours or mine, of course) occ...
It’s About Bringing People In, Not Putting Them Out Thoughts on the Second Reading – Joe Frankenfield The Baptism of the Lord Acts 10:34-38 My father was an office man...
Feast of the Epiphany Thoughts on the Second Reading – Joe Frankenfield Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 “It’s my bike and I can do what I want with it.” My nephew was so angry at my br...
Getting the Roster Right Thoughts on the Second Reading – Joe Frankenfield Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24 How large is our family? T...
But Can We Really Trust Him Thoughts on the Second Readings – Joe Frankenfield Fourth Sunday of Advent Hebrews 10:5-10 A priest I worked with many years ago had the reputatio...
Faith’s Strength Thoughts on the Second Readings – Joe Frankenfield Third Sunday of Advent Philippians 4:4-7 Every high school freshman class has a big kid: the guy who...
On Good and Bad Days, We’re Family Thoughts on the Second Readings by Joe Frankfield Second Sunday of Advent Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 I recently heard a news story about a sma...
Friends With God Thoughts on the Second Readings -Joe Frankenfield First Sunday of Advent 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 A number of years ago a couple returned to visit the parish I was...
