Joseph Osho

  Wednesday of week 18 in Ordinary Time  Jeremiah 31:1-7  Jeremiah 31:10-12,13 Matthew 15:21-28 According to today’s gospel, the Canaanite woman demonstrated persistent reverence in her faith, which earned her favor from the Lord Jesus. Her unwavering belief led to her daughter being delivered from demonic oppression. Jesus tested her resolve, and her perseverance through the test resulted in her success. Her daughter regained her health and was restored to her family. This powerful example shows that faith can lead us through even the darkest moments—when hope seems lost, faith provides a pathway forward. When doubt creeps in, faith offers us the courage to face any trial. What we truly believe matters deeply; faith in God enables us to craft our own success stories and demonstrates how He carries us through life's challenges. I urge you to nurture your faith and belief today. Believe! Have faith in God, and you will accomplish great things. There is a proverb that says ...

  Saint John Mary Vianney, Priest  Jeremiah 30:1-2,​12-15,​18-22 Psalm 101(102):16-21,29,22-23 Matthew 15:1-2,​10-14 Grow in faith by witnessing to God’s healing love and mercy Today, the Church calls us to deepen our sense of discipleship as we face the serious challenges of life today. The “team” of Prophet Jeremiah, Jesus, and St. John Vianney comes together to personally strengthen our 21st-century discipleship. Both Scripture readings are powerful. Jeremiah is sent to inspire hope among the people of Israel, who had betrayed their faith and now faced serious military opposition; God lovingly reminds them, "You shall be my people, and I will be your God." In the Gospel, Jesus preaches to multitudes and then sends His disciples across the water to the next place of ministry as He takes time to pray. The outcome: the disciples’ faith was strengthened, and Jesus continues His mission to teach and heal. Today, we’re called to grow in faith and to witness God’s healing love th...

  Monday of week 18 in Ordinary Time  Jeremiah 28:1-17 Ps118(119):29,43,79-80,95,102 Matthew 14:22-36 In today’s first reading, Jeremiah delivered a decisive blow: “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you, and you’ve been giving the people a false sense of security. Because of this, the Lord says, I will remove you from the face of the earth.” Hananiah, who had predicted freedom in just two years, died within two months of his false prophecy. In today’s Gospel, Jesus walks on water, and the courageous Peter requests the opportunity to do the same. However, his wavering faith causes him to sink into the stormy sea. Many of us may see ourselves reflected in the other disciples. At times, we might wonder why some individuals seem to enjoy greater success or luck. We may also contemplate why Peter appears to be so exceptional. It appears to be human nature to desire what others possess, even as we recognize that God has blessed us in unique ways. We might overlook the blessing...

  Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)   Isa 55.1-3;   Ps 144;   Rom 8.35, 37-39;   Mt 14.13-21   "The eyes of all creatures look to you and you give them their food in due time."   We are all familiar with those very upsetting television news pictures which show people, often tiny children, cruelly ravaged by starvation. Such pictures are a powerful reminder that food and drink are our most basic human necessities. Without food and drink, we suffer intensely, and in the end, we die. In today's first reading, the prophet Isaiah was addressing a people who had known great suffering. They had been deported from their homeland, exiled to Babylon. Isaiah's message was one of consolation: their suffering would come to an end, and they would one day be able to return home. This return from Babylon would be a new Exodus, a reaffirmation of the covenant, the contract of love, between God and his people. Through the mouth of His prophet Isaiah, the Lord ...

  Saint Alphonsus Mary de' Liguori, Bishop, Doctor  Jeremiah 26:11-16,​24 Ps. 68(69):15-16,30-31,33-34 Matthew 14:1-12 Today, the Church commemorates St. Alphonsus Liguori, the Neapolitan lawyer who became a priest, bishop, and Doctor of the Church. His writings on moral theology earned him a title still used today: the Gentle Doctor. Alphonsus envisioned the confessor as a healer of souls—someone whose role was not to interrogate or overlook, but to heal. He spoke out against confessors who used the sacrament to shame rather than to restore, emphasizing that the law exists to help a person grow closer to God, not to crush them beneath it. Most of us will never sit in a confessional and hear another person’s sins. Yet, we are constantly called to be listeners and guides for others—a spouse, a friend, a coworker, or a struggling adult child. Alphonsus’s approach applies just as much to us as it did to his priests. Do we tell the people we care about what they need to hear in a ...

  Saint Ignatius Loyola, Priest  Jeremiah 26:1-9  Psalm 68(69):5,8-10,14 Matthew 13:54-58 Recognizing God's Presence In today’s gospel passage, the people of Nazareth may recall the young Jesus, the one who grew up among them, who was lost for three days and found by his parents in the Temple and who worked in a carpenter’s shop. Their difficulty in recognizing that the preacher and healer is the same Jesus may stem from biased memories, making them less receptive to perceiving God's presence in Jesus. From today's readings, we learn that remembering the good that results from God's work in our lives through others can foster appreciation and gratitude. Conversely, focusing only on ordinary moments and overlooking God's hand in daily life may hinder our ability to recognize and accept divine blessings when they arrive. Reflecting on our lives, we often see instances where God has touched us in ways that draw us closer to Him. Such remembrance involves a sense of the...