Posts by Nicole Buchholz
Who Deserves It?
The Ones Who Do Not Deserve It: Our natural tendency in life is to question why we did not get something that another did, and consequently, to judge why we deserve it more than others. In the Gospel today Jesus talks about the ones who “don’t deserve it” getting something: “there were many widows in…
Read MoreI Do Believe, Help My Disbelief
But if you can do anything… In the Gospel passage today, we see a parent at his whit’s end, trying to find a cure for his child. Hope is running out in his heart. After seeing that Jesus’s disciples are unable to cure the child, this father’s discouraged plea of, “But if you can do…
Read MoreHope of the New Covenant
Both the reading from Hebrews and the reading from Mark today contain some beautiful seeds of hope. Hebrews refers to the new covenant God establishes with his people. This is referring to Jesus Christ. The hope of this passage is that no longer does the adherence to the covenant rely solely on our fidelity to…
Read MoreHope That Does Not Disappoint
On this last day of Advent, the eve of Christ’s birth, my prayer is a prayer of hope. With the birth of a baby there is so much to hope for. It is an event that inspires love, joy, and life. Hope is the fruit of this. This Jubilee Year is a Year of Hope:…
Read MoreA King Worthy of the Name
The title “king” naturally has a political implication. It is no surprise that Jesus’s contemporaries expected a political king in the Messiah. The Messiah was to be the son of King David, and his kingdom was to have no end. All of this is easily translated into anyone’s mind to a great political leader who…
Read MoreStanding Outside
Recently I was able to attend a gathering in which many friends I have made over the years were attending. I have been to a few of these gatherings over the years and was not thinking much about how I would spend my time, except to generally be with friends. When one friend reached out…
Read MoreBefore Philip Called You, I Saw You Under the Fig Tree
What happened under the fig tree? We will never know this side of heaven. “The Chosen”series offers one interpretation of events, and our prayer and imagination can come up withmany others. The point is, Jesus saw him. What does it mean to be seen by Jesus? It could be a feeling of being caught in…
Read MoreA Call to Prayer
Reflecting on today’s readings about God calling Jeremiah and the parable of the sower moved me to pray for all people discerning a vocation to the priesthood or some form of consecrated life within our Church. This reading from Jeremiah was read in the Mass of my consecration, as I am sure it was read…
Read MoreBonded From the Womb
Having had the grace of knowing a few sets of twins in my lifetime, it has always impressed me that there is a depth of communication between them that exists simply because they spent months together in the womb. They are connected in a way that few other people will ever connect. They always come…
Read MoreStriving for Virtue in Love
Today’s readings are all about love. The message for me is: if you want to grow in virtue, then start loving yourself and others as God loves. It is a high demand, but that is what real love entails. As I contemplate love, I can easily fall into the error of only seeing the comfortable…
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