Joseph Osho

  Saint Ignatius Loyola, Priest   Jeremiah 15:10,​16-21 Psalm 58(59):2-5,10-11,17-18 Matthew 13:44-46 FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF YOUR NAME, RESCUE US O LORD FOR YOU ARE THE GREATEST TREASURE WE SEEK  Seeking God’s kingdom and his righteousness above all else is vital for man’s salvation because God is the greatest treasure mankind can ever possess for with God everything is possible and every blessing is receivable. Our God is all-holy, all-powerful, and all-knowing. His fullness of Godhead is our unfailing inexhaustible treasure-house. He makes the unsullied garment of life our covering beauty.  Every individual believer therefore, is precious in the sight of the Lord, a shepherd would not lose one sheep, nor a jeweler one diamond, nor a mother one child, nor a man one limb of his body, nor will the Lord lose one of his redeemed people. To be sanctified and made holy must be our aim so that as a mirror reflects an image we too must be seen from that perspective reflec...

  Tuesday of week 17 in Ordinary Time Jeremiah 14:17-22 Psalm 78(79):8-9,11,13 Matthew 13:36-43 Order our footsteps by your Word, O Lord, and by your grace may we keep our conscience clear. Our hope lies in you! If God wishes, he could just sigh with anger over the evil deeds of men, and with his command, the whole universe would fade away at one instance. Was it that necessary to keep humans alive thus far, a man who is wicked and sinful in heart and deeds? With the domination of darkness and evil that covers the face of the earth, no one would wait for that long if he were God.  So the question is why is God so patient and compassionate with such a wicked world with so much evil lurking around every here and there? The answer is God is love. The Lord is so good to us. He is kind and full of compassion. He is a loving Father who cares for his children. If it were men, the world would have been over by now. God is patient with us and can never be misled. His patience is a sign...

  Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus   Jeremiah 13:1-11 Deuteronomy 32:18-21 John 11:19-27 ARE YOU GOD’S FRIEND?  Martha, Mary and Lazarus were friends of Jesus who catered for His needs. The gospels tell us that they welcomed Jesus frequently into their home, and Jesus made His home not only in their home but essentially in their hearts. Their hearts were the dwelling place of God. They believe in Him and the power of His resurrection. Christ’s passion was the greatest act of love. Giving himself to allow us to be able to enter eternal life. When we make sacrifices for others or when we assist others without recognition, we perform small acts of love. These actions reflect God’s love and as God’s sons and daughters, our acts of love help to bring the presence of God to others. Thus, active service and prayer or reflection are both ways in which we show and respond to God’s love. God wants to pitch his tent in our hearts to remain there, but the choice is ours to make. We ar...

  17th Sunday  in Ordinary Time   2 Kings 4:42-44 Psalm 144(145):10-11,15-18 Ephesians 4:1-6 John 6:1-15 The eyes of all creatures look to you  and you give them their food in due time. John’s Gospel is shot through with eucharistic ideas and glimpses. In today’s gospel, St. John recounts how Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to those who were there. All were satisfied. These actions form a familiar sequence with the liturgical celebration of the Holy Mass.  As Catholics, we believe that in the Mass the bread and wine on the altar becomes the Body and Blood of Christ. This transformation is difficult for an agnostic or atheist person to imagine, for as St. Thomas put it, “faith our outward sense befriending makes the inward vision clear.” This we know through revelation by God, that in receiving Holy Communion we receive food richer and more nourishing than any meal we might sit down to eat.  The young boy in today’s gospel offered his g...

  Saturday of week 16 in Ordinary Time   Jeremiah 7:1-11 Psalm 83(84):3-6,8,11 Matthew 13:24-30 THE LORD IS KIND AND PATIENT WITH US In our first reading from Jeremiah, God confronts the people of Israel through the prophet: “Reform your ways and your deeds, so that I may remain with you in this place. Put not your trust in the deceitful words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord!’” People were taking God’s mercy for granted because they figured they were exempt, so to speak, from any moral considerations because they worshiped in the Temple. We can’t presume we are saints simply because we belong to a certain group of people or a certain faith. Likewise, we can’t presume others are sinners simply because they don’t belong. The challenge sometimes is to be patient and honest with ourselves as to what kind of “wheat” or “weeds” we happen to be. But if we are truly humble, knowing that we need God’s grace, and grateful that God loves us beyond anything and is patient with us then we...

  Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary   Jeremiah 3:14-17 Jeremiah 31:10-13 Matthew 13:18-23 UNDERSTAND GOD ‘S WORD AND REAP A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST  If God had willed it, each of us might have entered heaven right at the moment of our conversion. It was not necessary for our preparation for immortality that we should tarry here. It is possible for a person to be taken to heaven, and to be found partaking in the inheritance of the saints in light, though he has just believed in Jesus. Our sanctification is indeed a long and continued process until we lay aside our bodies and enter within the veil; nevertheless, had the Lord so willed it,    he might have taken us to heaven at once.  Why then are we here? Would God keep his children out of paradise a single moment longer than was necessary? Why is the army of the living God still on the battlefield when one charge might give them victory? Why are his children still wandering hither an...

  Saint James, Apostle  - Feast   2 Corinthians 4:7-15 Psalm 125(126):1-6 Matthew 20:20-28 WHAT ARE YOUR ASPIRATIONS IN SEEKING FOR AN AUTHORITATIVE POSITION?  Today the Church celebrates St. James the brother of St John. He was one of the witnesses of the Transfiguration. He was the first of the apostles to be martyred, being beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I to please the Jewish opponents of Christianity. The contemporary pursuit of power is evident in society, mirroring the biblical account in today’s gospel of James and John's mother seeking prestigious positions for her sons in Jesus' kingdom. This desire for power persisted despite Jesus' warning about his impending suffering and death.Similarly, today, the craving for power prevails, highlighting the urgent need for societal transformation. The incessant striving for dominance and superiority underscores the prevalent societal shortcomings. Upon learning of the request, the other ten disciples expressed th...