Joseph Osho

Friday of week 29 in Ordinary Time  Ephesians 4:1-6  Psalm 23(24):1-6 Luke 12:54-59 GOD’S TIME AND THE SIGNS OF THE TIME  In today’s Gospel, Christ spoke about world affairs in relation to His second coming. His listeners worked as farmers or fishers and understood how to interpret the weather: clouds approaching from the west, where the sea lies beyond Jerusalem, signaled rain, while southern winds from the deserts brought heat. They used these signs to protect or store their crops and plan their journeys. Christ expected them to read the signs of His coming and the final days with similar discernment, caring for their souls as attentively as they forecast the weather. Yet nature is unpredictable, as is the hour of Christ’s return. He calls us to recognize salvation as a privilege and respond now, while it remains the acceptable time. Every generation considers itself intellectually superior, building on the knowledge of those who came before. With more than two thousand...

  Thursday of week 29 in Ordinary Time  Ephesians 3:14-21 Psalm 32(33):1-2,4-5,11-12,18-19 Luke 12:49-53 The Fire of God’s love  The message Our Lord offers us in today’s Gospel may seem far from a promise of peace: “Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” He goes on to explain that households may be divided, as relatives differ over their understanding of Him and their willingness to follow Him. Our Lord calls for wholehearted commitment and a willingness to put everything aside in order to follow Him. His invitation is clear: follow Him without delay or reservation. Who do you love most? What choices would you make? God or man? Life or death? Peace or conflict? Justice or injustice? Eternal life or eternal separation from God? We are faced with important challenges and choices. In church today, and particularly at Mass, people bring a wide range of personal experiences. Some have spouses or families who share their Catholi...

  Wednesday of week 29 in Ordinary Time  Ephesians 3:2-12  Isaiah 12 Luke 12:39-48 STAND READY  With binoculars raised, the sailor scans the horizon for vessels, aircraft, or anything that could threaten the ship’s course. Staying alert takes patience and discipline—especially when the sea is calm and nothing seems likely to happen. Today’s Gospel carries forward yesterday’s theme:  readiness . Peter asks Jesus whether the parable is meant for everyone. Jesus responds with the story of the master’s return and the servant’s choices. Those who are ready to welcome the master will rejoice and enter God’s kingdom. Those who choose wickedness and remain unrepentant will not, having turned away from faithful service. Let us not assume we have plenty of time; life can end sooner than we expect. How are you preparing for the Lord’s coming? Are you faithfully fulfilling your duties? Jesus calls us to bring that same alertness to our spiritual lives. Danger  does not...

  Tuesday of week 29 in Ordinary Time  Ephesians 2:12-22 · Psalm 84(85):9-14 Luke 12:35-38 Ready for action You can’t be radically hospitable with a miserable face. Go ahead—try it. Invite someone to table, scowl as you serve the soup, and see how that goes. Hospitality is joy made visible: a table set, a chair pulled out, and a heart waiting—patiently and gladly—for the master’s return or for any guest who may arrive. As Christians, we are people of love: a love that stays, never gives up, and finds its way through the cracks of a broken heart. Truly, “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9). To contemplate a love so vast and incomprehensible should stir us to let go of the glittering trinkets we sometimes cling to in this life and run into his waiting arms. We need eternity, for every other hope is too brief, too limited. Prayer Lord Jesus, I give you my hands to do...

  Monday of week 29 in Ordinary Time    Ephesians 2:1-10  Psalm 99(100) Luke 12:13-21 Embracing a Life of Grace and Mercy Many of us measure success by the money we earn, the raises and promotions we receive, our productivity, and the profits our businesses generate. Our culture tells us that the more we have and gain, the more successful we are. “We earned it, so it’s okay.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers a powerful reminder: the riches we store up can separate us from God, the very source of all we have. A striking contradiction lies in amassing wealth while forgetting where it comes from. Grace and mercy come from the Lord. We receive what we do not deserve, and we are spared the punishment our sins deserve. Through Christ, we have received saving grace. So what is our goal and focus in life? When we die, we can take nothing with us—only God’s mercy and grace. We will be asked: Have we lived as Jesus did, sharing the inheritance of love with everyone we meet? Wha...

  29th Sunday in Ord. Time, Yr. A,   Mission Sunday.(100 years) Is 45:1,4-6;  Ps 96;  1 Thess 1:1-5b;  Mt 22:15-21. GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND OUR MISSION  On Mission Sunday, we are invited to pray for missionaries throughout the world. Pope Leo XIV encourages us to remain united in Christ and to recognize our shared participation in Christ’s mission of love. In summary, our unity in Christ strengthens our mission and our mission is to make God’s love known to the whole world.  The original meaning of 'piety' is reflected in Christ’s words that we have just heard: "Render to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar, and to God the things that belong to God." Piety originally referred to a moral duty—to what is due or owed. It described the responsibility one person had toward another, and was often used in reference to the duties owed to rulers and those who govern us. It could also describe the obligation owed to someone who had shown us significant kindnes...