Joseph Osho

The thinking of the scribes that only God could forgive sins was altogether correct. Moreover, if Christ was not God, as he claimed to be, they were correct in attributing blasphemy to Jesus. Christ himself accepted both these assumptions and demonstrated his divinity in the miracle that followed. The problem was their lack of faith in Jesus.  The moment we begin to have doubts in the things of God and the ministers, we are at the verge of falling off from the rest promised us by God.  We too, need Tai h to discern God's will and find innovative ways around obstacles. We need prayer partners who are ready to pray for us. Do you belong to a community like this? If not, get over the obstacles that are keeping you from it. In all this remember that God, who is the feeder of sparrows, will also furnish you with what you need. Sit not down in despair; hope on, hope ever. Take up the arms of faith against a sea of trouble, and you shall find rest in God. Always Be grateful! Osho

SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL.  READINGS Acts 12:1-11:  2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18:  Matthew 16:13-19: REFLECTION  Today we celebrate two great men of the Church, Saints Peter and Paul. Two ordinary men, one a fisherman and the other a Pharisee and a tentmaker. Two ordinary men who recognized that God had called them to be something greater than they thought themselves to be. Two ordinary men who had courage to speak the truth that was spoken to them through Christ. They endured suffering through many hardships and trials for their words and actions and yet they kept on believing in the truth that dwelt in their hearts. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, the first Pope, started life as a humble fisherman. To this weak and impulsive man, so unpromising in so many ways, Christ entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of heaven. Peter the fisherman would be drawing souls in the net of faith and charity, drawing souls into that Kingdom which the Lord came to earth to establish. Th...

Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12 Mt 8:23-27 Once again, Jesus has to chastise the disciples for their seeming lack of trust and faith in him!  In retrospect, we really are not any different from the disciples in this regard! The scriptures are filled with the good news that Jesus is all about love, goodness, faith, trust, forgiveness.  He always has our back even when we don’t want to believe it.  It’s easy to trust in his goodness and love for us when things are going the way we want them to be.  But, the first little storm that comes our way we get all up in arms and cry “ WHY?” and fall into despair! As followers of Christ., we have to be ready to stand by his promises no matter what. We all have a story to tell. The storms of life will test our faith but we must place our trust in God even when it seems as if God is asleep.  Christ became our mediator and the perfect high priest by laying down his life for us through obedience to the Father. He bore our sins out of co...

Amos 2:6-10, 13-16 Mt 8:18-22 There are many things that keep us from giving our all to God. Fears, attachments to material things, pre-occupation and self-concern, family ties etc. We give excuses for not following God. We treasure other things and put our God-given mission aside. We really do want to live good lives but there is a but.   Today’s gospel challenges us to follow God with an undivided heart. I want to follow you, but…I have to say goodbye to my family, or bury my father, or attend to some other urgent need that may delay me.” This statement indicates a non-commital soul and can jeopardize our salvation. Before you follow Jesus think about what you are about to do. Anyone who puts his hands on the plough and look back is not fit for the kingdom of God-Luke 9:62.  What will it cost us to be true disciples of Christ? Following Jesus will cost us our lives for sure. A disciple must be willing to sacrifice everything that might stand in the way of following Jesus. A ...

  LUKE 9:62 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) I Kgs 19.16, 19-21; Ps 15; Gal 5.1, 13-18; Lk 9.51-62 The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. As Elijah was rounding up his prophetic mission, God told him to choose Elisha as his disciple. Elisha immediately left his physical plough to embrace the spiritual plough that God has called him to do.  In today's gospel, Christ was on his way to Jerusalem to fulfil the will of his Father. He decided to pass the through a Samaritan village. But with the look of things, the disciples James and John become impatient with the apparent lack of success of Our Lord's mission in a Samaritan village and are itching to deal with the situation by calling down fire from heaven.    The Lord rebukes them for their brash    impetuosity.  One irony of it is that later, at Pentecost, it is precisely fire from heaven that changes the history of the Church and the world for ever.    At Pentecost the ...

  Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19 Lk 2:41-51 So great are the advantages we reap from the incarnation of the Son of God and Mary’s FIAT, and so incomprehensible is the goodness which He has displayed in this wonderful mystery that this ought to be our primary object of all our devotions.  Today's feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is closely connected to the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus which was celebrated yesterday (Mother and Son; Two hearts inseparable).  At Paray -le-Monial and at Fatima from the very beginning of each account, God wills that the devotion and reparation should be made for our sins and the sins of others. Reparation is the chief request of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as it is of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Reparation to one Heart is reparation to the other heart and both are directed to Eucharistic reparation as it's highest form. Jesus is the source of all graces and it is through Mary -Mediatrix of all graces that they come.   The Immaculat...

  Ez 34:11-16 Rom 5:5b-11 Lk 15:3-7 What is holding me back from loving the heart of Jesus?  The heart is the center of our lives. The Heart is used over 1000 times in the Scriptures.  The wonder of revelation is that the God of the Universe has a great Heart for us.  He cares for us a million times more than we would dare believe!  The fact that God wishes to share His Triune love with us is the most incredible surprise of our lives which must not be taken for granted. Who would ever dream that God would care so much for us to send His Only Begotten Son to die for us?   This amazing grace for us is symbolized in today’s feast of the Sacred Heart.  “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. John 1:9 When Christ was pieced with a lance, there came out blood and water from his side. Our sins pierced through his loving heart yet he remains sinless. He carried our sufferings and yet we pierced him in the side, He c...

No one can be herald of the Messiah if not chosen by God.  St John the Baptist is one of those whom the Church celebrates twice a year.    In June his birth and in August his death. He brought joy to his old barren mother, Elizabeth.    At the visitation of Our saviour’s mother, he leapt in the womb of his mother. At his birth, his father's tongue was released and the people were puzzled and wondered what he will become.  His God-given mission was assigned to him before his birth. He brought glory to the people of God through his humility, he shared in the mission of Christ. He took the word of God in mind just like Isaiah and began to speak the truth. He became a messenger of God, Christ is the message. John the Baptist became the voice and Christ is the word.  When we think deeper about it, our existence too is in God's plan even before we were born. God has a plan and mission for each of us just as He had a plan and a mission for Isaiah, Jeremiah, J...

2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3 Mt 7:15-20 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. What you sow you reap. The words of today’s Gospel are a sound warning as true today as they did two thousand years ago: “Beware of false prophets in sheep’s clothing with ravenous wolves hiding below”. Everyone must judge for themselves truth from deception, veracity from falsity. The only evidence given to us as a guide is that “By their fruits, you shall know them.”  Also, we are given the warning: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire”. One can quickly imagine, the apostles, apprentices sent to the mission; going into towns trying to seek an audience open to their message, avoiding the sneering crowds who would stomp their testimonies into the ground like pigs would do pearls because they cannot grasp the value of what is being given to them. Before arriving in any town, there were enemies already waiting for them: ...

  When faced with a compelling danger do you follow the right path or the wrong way? Hezekiah was a king of Judah who loves the Lord's commands. As the Assyrian invasion continued over Israel, Hezekiah received a threat letter from Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Hezekiah presented this evil report before the Lord in his Temple.  Isaiah then sent God's word of assurance to him making him strong and fearless. That night an angel of the Lord was sent and one hundred and eighty-five men were struck dead at the enemies camp and they fled in fear. Only God can do this. Hezekiah was vindicated. God upholds his city forever. Holiness is fitting to God's house.  Holiness is and being faithful to God’s love in how we think, speak and treat others no matter the situation we are going through. In today's gospel, Jesus contrast holiness and pearls with dogs and swine? In the ancient world, pearls were considered to be precious and of great value.   Pearls were worn to enhance...