Joseph Osho

  In the 1st reading (Zeph 3:14:18) of today's feast, we are told to rejoice because the Lord, the king of Israel, is in our midst and has come to revoke our sentence.   The gospel (Lk 1:39-56) centres on the profound encounter of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. After the Annunciation, Mary went “in haste” from Nazareth to the house of her cousin Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, which was in a village in the hill country of Judea.  On arrival, she found her elderly cousin also pregnant.  Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary, “filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Mary is often seen as the new Ark of the Covenant as she bore Christ within her for those 9 months and Elizabeth rejoiced when she stood in the presence of that human ark, same with the child within her(he leapt for joy in the womb).  Having received the Holy Spirit and    also Christ at ...

  Take courage I have conducted the world Before Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the prince of peace departed from this world, he gave us an instruction not to worry. Scriptures says let not your heart be troubled or be afraid. The victory of Christ is total and complete.  In this world of political and social unrest, of faith being abandoned, when the sanctity of marriage and parenthood is under attack, schools and farmlands are being destroyed, we must remember Jesus’ words –  take courage, I have conquered the world.  Yes indeed, he did it for us – as soon as his body was hung from the cross and he took his last breath, this is the moment he conquers the world for every one of us.  We are ambassadors of Christ, stop worrying about a past you cannot change leave the moment with God who knows the future. Many went earlier to their graves because did not believe that Jesus is the prince of peace and he says do not be afraid.i am the God that never fails....

  Acts 7.55-60; Ps 96; Apoc 22.12-14, 16-17, 20; Jn 17.20-26 Today, on the Seventh Sunday of Easter we stand at an edge or a strange point in the liturgical year.  The Lord has Ascended to heaven, as we celebrated on the Solemnity of the Ascension a time of vigil, a time of watching and waiting, a time of grace.  The apostles have been allocated their mission, to proclaim the gospel and to extend the Church.  They have been promised many gifts to enable them to fulfil their mission.  Now they await the spiritual resources to fulfil their task. The gospel reading today comes from a long prayer offered by Our Lord and given to us by Saint John.  It is often called the priestly prayer of Christ because in it Our Lord asks that we may receive the benefits which will flow from His death on the Cross.   He prays and wishes that all peoples who believe in him that they may be one just as it’s with the Godhead. He prays for our unity with the Father and that t...

  In today's first reading taken from the Acts of the Apostles(18:23-28), we see Paul strengthening Christian communities through his pastoral visits.     Yes, as disciples of the Lord, we get tired and weary and we need our strength renewed. Paul had to strengthen Apollos in the Christian teachings properly.   When Priscilla and Aquilla took him aside to offer advice he was grateful and saw it as a learning experience.  When the brothers opened a pathway for him to continue to spread the good news of Jesus the Christ, he was excited to expand his travels and was highly successful in bringing more followers into the fold. Here faith is renewed and given to others. Life can be difficult but we need our brothers and sisters in the Lord to help renew our faith experience while we also strengthen others.  Where does this find model? We see in today's gospel, Jesus telling the disciples what to do when they have faith challenges. “Whatever you ask the Father in ...

“.But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.- Jn 16:20-23 As I go through the readings of today, I think of my own life experiences when we suffer grief , especially when something devastating changes one’s life or the loss of a loved one that brings pains and distress, yet the world goes on unknowing of what we have been through. Paul had already been put behind bars thanks to the earthquake and now he is accused of “inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.”-Acts 18:9-18.  On the contrary, Christ in today's Gospel consoles our minds over pain and sorrows. With illustration for instance, as a woman who gives birth to a child, that pain and anguish can be horrible – in the moment. And then, as your newborn baby is placed in your arms moments later, you almost immediately forget the pain you had just experienced, because it is replaced with a joy that you never fathomed.  Now, think of the day we will...

  Today is Ascension of our Lord, it brings our minds to everlasting liberty. We will     live together forever as one. Our voices will ring victory to the Lamb of God who sits on the throne. What we have reported by Luke in his Gospel and Acts of the apostles , draws our attention to the Transfiguration.   We see a striking synergy between Christ, Moses the chief law giver of the Old Testament and Elijah the greatest prophet of Israel. By this he is affirming that Christ is indeed the new Moses and Elijah in whom we can find the fulfilment of all the old testament laws and prophecies. He has fulfilled all that the law and the prophets says.  After his Resurrection, and for forty days, He took this time appearing to them to assure them that He had truly risen, and to adequately prepare them for the mission ahead of carrying on the good news as His witnesses to the Jews and gentiles, and indeed to the ends of the earth.   This departure of Christ today signi...

  The Holy Spirit has many vital functions in our life.  Perhaps the simplest one for us to understand is that He comes to our side when we desperately need help and call for assistance.  He is called The Comforter, or the Advocate, as a good lawyer is a great help when we are in trouble. Jesus says in today’s gospel, the spirit of truth will lead you to the complete truth…all he tells you will be taken from what is mine”~John 16:12-15.  So then do you desire to speak for Jesus—how can you unless the Holy Spirit touches your tongue? Do you desire to pray? Alas! what dull work it is unless the Spirit makes intercession for you! Do you desire to subdue sin? Would you be holy? Would you imitate your Master? Do you desire to rise to superlative heights of spirituality? Are you wanting to be made like the angels of God, full of zeal and ardour for the Master’s cause? You cannot without the Spirit—“Without me, you can do nothing.”  Take time today to reflect on the in...

  In trials and tribulations, our faith is being tested. That is when whatever we believe in is put to the test. That is also the time when we will know how much trust we have in God to save us.   Today’s first reading is a starking story of deliverance. The crowd rushed Paul and Silas, arrested them, flogged them, put them behind bars with chains and placed a goaler to watch them.  The other prisoners were certainly surprised that despite their awful situations, Paul and Silas were still in high spirits and far from being dejected.  The wonder and beauty of faith amidst trials is that it opens believers to the signs and wonders of God. The earth-shaking worship of Paul and Silas indeed brought about the signs and wonders of God.  The melody was the weapon and as a result, doors were been thrown open, there were breakthroughs here and there, and a jailer was converted together with his entire household. Only God can do these things! WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?...