Joseph Osho

  Wednesday of week 13 in Ordinary Time  Amos 5:14-15,​21-24 Psalm 49(50):7-13,16-17 Matthew 8:28-34 Beloved in Christ, I welcome you on this first day of July—a reminder that God cares for each of us and continues to do so. May the words of Christ, in all their richness, dwell in your hearts. Amen. In today’s first reading, we immediately see how deeply God cares for His people. He urges us to seek good, hate evil, and uphold justice and integrity. The psalmist also speaks of God's care and salvation for the upright, and in the gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ goes about caring for those in darkness and bringing healing to the suffering. The people of Gadarene didn’t seem to care much about the two demoniacs. They saw them as terrifying figures. They cared less about saving the demoniacs than about watching their herds of pigs rush off the cliff and drown in the demons within them. Instead of recognizing this miracle as God's saving power over the soul, they told Jesus to leave ...

  Tuesday of week 13 in Ordinary Time  Amos 3:1-8,​4:11-12 Psalm 5:5-8 Matthew 8:23-27 The passage from today’s Gospel, Matthew 8:23-27, is brief and straightforward. Jesus is asleep in the boat when a storm begins to threaten it. The apostles awaken Him, entreating Him to save them, believing they are perishing. Jesus responds, asking why they are fearful and of little faith, then rebukes the winds and the sea to calm them. The apostles are astonished, questioning what manner of man this is who commands the winds and the sea. As followers of Jesus, we are prompted to consider whether our faith is superficial, relying on Him only in emergencies and crises. It is essential to recognize that Christ is present with us throughout every moment of our journey. He desires to be with us, always available. By acknowledging His presence in all aspects of our lives, we can deepen our awareness and act more intentionally as representatives of Christ to others.

  Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles  Acts 12:1-11  Psalm 33(34):2-9 2 Timothy 4:6-8,​17-18  Matthew 16:13-19 GOD CAN MAKE YOUR WAY PERFECT, IF YOU TRULY LOVE AND TRUST HIM  As we honor the two pillars of the Church, Peter and Paul, we reflect on their significant roles. Peter, often regarded as the Prince of the Apostles and the first Pope, began his journey as a humble fisherman. Despite his initial weaknesses and impulsiveness, Christ entrusted him with the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus also conveyed to Peter that he would shift from catching fish to gathering souls, symbolizing the spreading of faith and charity, drawing individuals into the Kingdom that Christ established—an entrance achieved through participation in the Communion of the Catholic Church. The remarkable trust Christ placed in Peter as the foundation of the Church is evident, especially considering his denial of Christ three times. Jesus was fully aware of Peter’s human frailty yet chose ...

  Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)   II Kgs 4.8-11, 14-16;   Ps 88;    Rom 6.3-4, 8-11;   Mt 10.37-42   SEEKING    AND LOVING THE ULTIMATE GOOD  1. Occasionally, the gospel offers us brief, impactful statements about what it means to follow God-the ultimate good , and today’s gospel presents a collection of such sayings. All these statements focus on the attitudes that followers of Christ should have. The gospel starts with one of the more challenging sayings: “Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me.” There are many examples in the gospels where Jesus calls people to leave their families behind to follow Him. He understood the natural desire His listeners had to stay close to loved ones in familiar surroundings, but He made it clear that to enter the kingdom of heaven, they would need to leave that security behind. It’s not just about children leaving their parents; the call extends to “Anyone who prefer...

  Saturday of week 12 in Ordinary Time  Lamentations 2:2,​10-14,​18-19 Psalm 73(74):1-7,20-21 Matthew 8:5-17 Many of the most remarkable deeds attributed to the Lord occurred in Capernaum. An exceptional display of His power and divinity was evident there; yet, ultimately, that city rejected Him. In today’s Gospel, we witness a profound demonstration of humility from a centurion, who approached Jesus on behalf of his ailing servant. Jesus intended to visit his residence, but the centurion quickly assessed the situation and, in a remarkable act of humility, acknowledged his unworthiness for the Lord to enter his house. According to Saint Augustine, the centurion, having encountered Christ, stated, "I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant shall be healed." The phrase “Only speak the word’ reflects a profound faith. Even in contemporary times, some Christians believe that Christ could accomplish more on earth if He were physic...

  Friday of week 12 in Ordinary Time  2 Kings 25:1-12  Psalm 136(137):1-6 Matthew 8:1-4 Psalm 126:1 says, “When God delivered Israel from Egypt it seemed like a dream. In contrast, today’s first reading depicts a reality far more devastating. Jeremiah had already warned the king to turn from his evil alliance with other nations and submit to the king of Babylon as the Lord instructed but he refused (Jeremiah 27:12-15). The utter desolation resulting from the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile has been surpassed in magnitude by the atrocities of the Holocaust during World War II. One can imagine enemy soldiers invading homes to plunder possessions, assault families, and set residences ablaze. Visualize loved ones, shot and deceased, lying in streets and homes. Hear the cries of children searching for their detained or deceased parents. These horrors serve as an analogy for the destruction of the Temple, the fall of Jerusalem, and the Babylonian exile. Currently, th...