Joseph Osho

  THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Zephaniah 3:14-18a Luke 1:39-56 THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES THE FIRST ULTRASOUND IN NEW TESTAMENT POSSIBLE Happy Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Most of us know today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke  (Luke 1:39-56).  After hearing the news from the angel that she would give birth to the Messiah, Mary traveled “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. When Mary arrived, she found her elderly cousin also pregnant. There are so many moments in this passage about which I could write.  Elizabeth was thought barren, but was now carrying John the Baptist.  And Mary, in the midst of a very interesting marital situation, has a heavenly messenger tell her she’s carrying the Son of God.  Both of these women were in the middle of truly miraculous pregnancies, having had remarkable and world-changing encounters ...

  Ecclesiasticus 35:2-15 Mark 10:28-31 There is a great insight for us in today's first reading concerning the importance of being virtuous and also being a cheerful giver. A virtuous and cheerful giver multiplies his offerings by keeping God’s commands. He knows and understands that all things belong to God and that God is no respecter of personages. He is convinced that God is the giver of life and the great rewarder. It means, therefore, through perfect obedience, he becomes a sacrifice pleasing to the Lord. Jesus says that whoever follows him with great sacrifice, obedience and love both in joy and trials will receive a reward greater than any reward in this life.  As disciples of Christ, we know that there is an amazing reward at the end of our earthly road, but at what cost? Are we sacrificing what we should, being present to the downtrodden, lonely or sick, and loving unconditionally those who truly are in need? Have we given up everything and followed him? Are we willi...

  MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH Genesis 3:9-15.20:  John 19:25-34:  BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER On the 21st of November, 1964, in an address to the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI solemnly confirmed the title Mary the Mother of Church. Mary is given Mother of the Church because she is the Mother of God and Jesus is the Head of the Church. She cooperated in the work of redemption. She became the mother of the redeemed people before her Son gave up His spirit on the Cross. Jesus says on the Cross ‘Mother behold your son”, and to the disciples behold your mother’ by extension, she became the mother of the mystical body of Christ. She who is full of grace joined the apostles in the upper room after the Ascension of Christ her Son and prayed for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which happened on Pentecost day and here also on that day of Pentecost, she helped in the conversion of many souls and took care of their needs more together with all the disciples. Thus, the w...

  Pentecost Sunday (Year A)   Acts 2.1-11;   I Cor 12.3-7, 12-13;   John 20.19-23 LORD SEND FORTH YOUR SPIRIT   The feast of Pentecost is one of the three major feasts of the Jewish people upon which they make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The three major feasts are the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Pentecost refers to fifty days ( feasts of wheat/ 7 weeks) after the feast of barley/ first fruits/ Passover. It became more synonymous with the Toriah the Ten Commandments given to them by God through Moses. Christ died as the lamb was slain on Passover in the Temple. He breathed on the apostles after His Resurrection. He said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” The Solemnity of Pentecost celebrates an almost overwhelming event – the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the apostles fifty days after the resurrection.  We heard the account in the first reading –  they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven… and something appeared to them, which seemed...

  WHAT CONCERN IS IT OF YOURS? FOCUS ON FOLLOWING ME-JESUS  Acts 28:16-20,30-31 John 21:20-25 In today's first reading, Paul is a prisoner in Rome after appealing to Ceasar. The Roman governor found Paul innocent but some others still wanted him to face the death penalty and have him killed.  In today’s gospel, Peter seems to object to the special place John has. Jesus reprimands Peter; telling him what concern is that of yours. Yours is to follow me.   Today, most of our discussion is about what others are doing or are not doing. Thus, we are not paying attention to our divine calling and the things we must do.  We can be holy with the small gestures of our lives. What St. Joseph Marello will call ‘Be extraordinary in ordinary things’. We are called to be conscious of every detail and place value on those things that seem not to matter or insignificant.    With this effort, we offer our little sacrifices and they make us holier.  Let us need to b...

  MEMORIAL OF ST. PHILIP NERI   Acts 25:13-21 John 21:15-19  DO YOU LOVE ME?  Three times in today’s gospel, Jesus asks Peter ‘Do you love me’; three times, following Peter’s ‘Yes, Lord’ Jesus commands ‘Feed my sheep’. We can make a connection to the three times that Peter denied Him around the charcoal fire.  We could perhaps connect it to the Holy Trinity.  Perhaps the significance of three times is found in faceted dimensions of what it means to ‘feed’. The passage concludes with a final command  Follow me.    Could this sharing with Peter have been more for our benefit than his?    How do we respond when we hear the question ‘do you love me?’  How do we feed His sheep? How do we help another grow in their understanding of Jesus and his words?  How do we help another grow in their desire to turn toward God for inner strength?  How do we nurture another to grow in their awareness that they belong to God?  How d...