Author name: Jessica Franks

Sin- that word we dread to hear – is rarely spoken about nowadays and except perhaps by some well-known, fundamentalist preachers who seem to speak of nothing else. Perhaps this hesitation to think about sin is a reaction to some Church leaders who in the past seemed obsessed with it or perhaps it flows from

1900 seems like a long time ago, but it really isn’t in the big scheme of things.  The top three causes of death in the United States that year were tuberculosis, pneumonia, and diarrhea/enteritis.1  Diphtheria was number 10 in the list of all causes of death in the U.S.  Eighteen years later, a deadly influenza

Welcome to the Fourth Sunday of Lent- how has the Lenten journey been going so far; no doubt you have had high points and low points in trying to focus on God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. But that is the way it is with any journey, so hang in there and pray that the

Today, as on each March 24th, is World Tuberculosis Day marking the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced he had discovered the bacterium that causes tuberculosis1,2. Tuberculosis remains the world’s deadliest infectious killer.2,6.  Every day 30,000 people fall ill from tuberculosis and 4500 people per day die2.  This disease burden is borne primarily

Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; I Cor. 10:1-6. 10-12; and Luke 13: 1-9. Almost halfway through Lent how is everyone doing? I hope this season is giving us a reason to find extra time for reflection and prayer as well as motivation to reach out to the poor. Today’s first reading is from the Book of Exodus

A doctor is called into a mission hospital late one night to see a sick infant.  As the nursing staff works to start IV fluids and give oxygen to the infant, the doctor asks the mother,  “What is the problem?”.   The mother responds, “The problem is that my daughter is one of the 40% of

The Second Sunday of Lent and I hope this season is going well for you. Today’s Gospel reading is the story of the Transfiguration from the Gospel of Luke. But today is also St. Patrick’s Day so everyone knows which will have priority with the People of God (regardless of what Father may say today!)

The First Sunday of Lent and I hope that everyone is well, getting into the reflective, prayerful spirit of this season. Today’s Gospel from Luke is the story of the devil tempting Jesus in the desolate, lonely desert of Palestine. He puts in front of Jesus visions of food (Jesus had been fasting!); power and

It is Ash Wednesday once again with Lent beginning- so what does this mean to anyone? For some people it is, no doubt, just another day; no big deal as life goes on. For others Ash Wednesday may revive past memories of what was ‘given up’ during this season. For most Lent is a time

We all start our professional careers in pretty much the same fashion with someone older asking us when we are very young, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”.  Some of us eventually answer that question by choosing careers in healthcare and become physicians, dentists, or other healthcare providers.  Most of us,