Joseph Osho

  All Saints, Solemnity Revelation 7:2-4,​9-14  Psalm 23(24):1-6 1John 3:1-3  Matthew 5:1-12a In today’s first reading, John sees “a great multitude that no one could count,” gathered from every nation, tribe, people, and language. No individual or committee could count them either! The Church canonizes holy women and men as examples for us to learn from and as intercessors with whom we pray. Yet today’s feast reaches far beyond the canonized saints: it celebrates all those God has welcomed into heaven. When Jesus names the blessed in today’s Gospel, he begins not with worldly achievement but with humility and hardship: the poor in spirit and those who mourn. He concludes with those persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Take a moment today to remember the saints in your own life who will never be canonized. Tomorrow, on All Souls Day, we will pray for our departed loved ones by name. Today, we give thanks to God for their lives and the ways they have shaped ours. As t...

  Saturday of week 30 in Ordinary Time  Philippians 1:18-26 Psalm 41(42):2-3,5 Luke 14:1,​7-11 Who Wants to Be the Last? Dearly beloved in Christ, we live in a world where money, power, and respect can seem to take priority, and we may forget that we are dust and to dust we shall return. So, how can we be saved? We are called to believe in Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself and gave His life on the cross so that we may be saved. What, then, is humility? The word comes from humus—earth. Humility invites us to recognize God as the Creator of all things and to understand that we are equal in God’s sight. Every act of humility involves letting go of pride. Every act of courage involves overcoming fear. Every act of love involves setting aside selfishness. By letting go of the false self, we discover the true self, made in God's image. Humility is the queen of all virtues. It acknowledges our dependence on God’s grace. Pride can lead to a fall, while humility and sacrifice are at th...