Joseph Osho

  ST JEROME , PRIEST, DOCTOR Zechariah 2:5-9,14-15 Luke 9:43-45 PAY ATTENTION TO THE WORD OF GOD In Nehemiah 12:16, we see that Zechariah was the leader of a priestly family. (Iddo Meshullam from Ginnethon’s family).  He had of the foremost apocalyptic writing during the post-exilic era. Today’s first reading is the third vision of the famous visions of the night upon which God instructed him to tell the remnant of Israel that God will restore Jerusalem and all nations will flow to it. More importantly is the fact that, God will be a wall of fire around it and its glory. This is also an anticipation of the heavenly Jerusalem. In  today's Gospel, as Jesus goes up to Jerusalem together with his disciples, he reveals to them for the second time his passion, and yet they did not understand the messianic knowledge, they were still yet to grasp fully the truth about his mission.   I think the readings are telling us that, when the believer has begun with trembling feet to ...

DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF ANGELS?  Daniel 7:9-10,13-14 John 1:47-51 Today, the Church celebrates the Archangels Micheal, Gabriel and Raphael. These three are celebrated today because of the important role they play in the plan of God’s salvation for humanity.  Michael means ‘who is like God’ (Dan. 10:13-20; Rev. 12:7; Jude 9), Gabriel means the power of God- the messenger of the Incarnation of the Son of God to the Blessed Virgin Mary (Lk 1:19-26) and Raphael means God heals (Tob. 12:15-20) During the time of Jesus, the denial of existence was already in existence made manifest by the school of Sadduccess Acts 23:8. Denied also by materialists, empiricists, and rationalists of the modern age, however, we cannot reverse what God has been made and written in Sacred scriptures. By their function, Angels are pure spirits who deliver God's message. The Hebrew word ‘malak”, used in the Old Testament, signifies more precisely ‘messenger”, "delegate" or "ambassador...

  SEEK THE LORD WITH A PURE HEART Haggai 1:1-8 Luke 9:7-9 Evil is not profitable and does not please the Lord. For those who are wicked to God prophets and God’s faithful ones, they do not end up well. In today’s gospel passage, after Herod had beheaded John the Baptist, he remained restless because no one can bury the truth. He heard about Jesus and his ministry and that gave sleepless nights. He was curious and wanted to meet the Lord for the wrong reasons. The question before us today is whether we are willing to be open to the message of Christ, which is meant to transform our lives daily. If you were in the position to rule would there be bloodshed in the streets? Will there be chaos in the land because of your selfish decision?  The choice is ours to make but never forget that there are consequences for all our actions. As Christians, we are called to witness to Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life. May God give us the grace to live in his ways daily. Amen....

  TO SERVE THE POOR IS TO GO TO GOD-ST VINCENT DE PAUL Ezra 9:5-9 John 9;1-6 St. Vincent De Paul was a man who understood greatness in the service of the poor and the needy. He is known for his charitable works. In today's Gospel, the Lord called the twelve and gave them authority and power over all devils, to heal the sick, and to preach the good news of God’s kingdom from village to village.  We are expected to become selfless for the good and the unwanted. But sometimes we put up obstacles and the obstacles is our sinfulness. Pride, Jealousy and selfish ambition had already been carved into our minds and hearts. But If we could let ourselves rejoice in the Lord by proclaiming his word and believing in him, we will become true disciples of Christ.  More so, let us stop being greedy and give to the poor and the needy.. No matter what, we will always have enough to give whether we are rich or poor. We have enough time and talent to give. We have enough comfort and care to...

ONE GREAT FOLD, ONE HOLY FAMILY  MEMORIAL: SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN, MARTYRS  Ezra 6:7-8,12,14-20 Luke 8:19-21 Whenever we wake up in the morning and whatever we do throughout the day, we must always give praise and thanks to God our Father for all his blessings and favor upon us. We should also acknowledge those who do good to us. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ praises his mother for hearing and doing the word. As we all know, Mary was first presented to us as hearing and receiving the word in Luke 1:38; Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word. Again in Luke 2:19; 51, we find Mary treasuring all these things in her heart. She pondered about the word of God in every event that she encountered.  It means that prayer is vital to hear God’s Word just as hearing and doing God’s Word is at the heart of following Christ-Word incarnate.   The salient question is where do we encounter God’s Word and our best can we appreciate it. F...

  BE A PARTAKER OF THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS IN LIGHT Ezra 1:1-6 Luke 8:16-18 We have been given the light of Christ’s love, and as Jesus tells us in today's Gospel, we are not to hide it, but share it! One thing is clear, as we seek to do God’s will, we receive more and more insight into what that will may be for us.  As we seek to know God’s love and are willing to share it with others, the more we will receive to do just that. But if we try to interpret God’s will to match ours, instead of the other way around, we will grow less close to God. Indeed, God bless anyone who receives this light, and God bless the believer who lets it shine to others! At the end of his life, he too will partake of the inheritance of the saints in light. 

  Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)   Isa 55.6-9;   Phil 1.20-24, 27;   Mt 20.1-16 THE LORD IS KIND TO US ALL, SHOW GOD’S KINDNESS TOWARDS OTHERS! We should never underestimate the riches of God’s grace, mercy, and kindness. Today’s parable in the Gospel is about the unfathomable purposes of God in his distribution of grace.  And what is grace?  It is God’s own life, his own energy, his own love, in a word, himself.  He gives himself.  Now, God is infinite, and therefore his gifts cannot be measured, cannot be quantified.  Nor should they be analysed in the carping way we so often haggle over the material things of this world.  God's own life is his to give, and he gives it as he pleases, with what sometimes seems like reckless generosity.   We have just heard in the Psalm:  "The Lord is just in all his ways and loving in all his deeds."   It is not for us to question God’s motives.  We might feel tha...