Posts by Nicole Buchholz
Martyrdom
Martyrdom is often referred to as a strictly Christian concept, but in the books of Maccabees we hear of countless martyrs: men and women who would rather let their lives be taken than betray their faith in God. The first few chapters of 1 Maccabees describe horrendous martyrdoms and desecrations of the temple in Jerusalem…
Read MoreThe Fear Greater Than Death: To Be Separated from God
What is it that separates us from God? In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul asked, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:35) He then answered himself, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height,…
Read MoreLife is Christ, Death is Gain
Lately I have been reflecting on life and death quite regularly. I’m sure that is why, when I first read today’s readings, the second reading seemed to stick out to me particularly. For the past few months good friends have lost a parent or found out they may soon lose one, cancer has resurfaced, babies…
Read MoreUnder the Fig Tree
We all have low moments in life, times when we aren’t sure what to do or how things will work out. In these desperate moments, I have at times tended to think I’m alone and that there is no help for me. Yet, my experience has been that God proves His fidelity by being right…
Read MoreLooking for a Sign
Years ago, while traveling through Florida on one of many apostolic trips, my fellow consecrated sister and I got lost. Being poor missionaries in the early 2000’s, we didn’t have a Garmin or any other electronic mapping device, so we relied on a shoebox full of atlases and Triple A maps to get us to…
Read MoreOur Mission
Big plans in store. The Christian concept of personal mission is something very clearly presented in the life of John the Baptist. From the moment the angel told Zechariah about John, he had a mission. In Jeremiah we read, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated…
Read MoreThe Inheritance Among All Who Are Consecrated
What is this inheritance? Am I part of it? It sounds great, but I want to know more. Paul’s words to the people of the church in Ephesus are actually packed with meaning: “And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you…
Read MoreBeing Filled
The Gospel today is a follow-up from Last Friday’s gospel of the feeding of the five thousand. The beginning of that passage says that the crowds were looking for Jesus “because they saw the signs he was performing “(Jn. 6:1) In today’s Gospel, Jesus seems to scold the crowds for not looking for him because…
Read MoreGod Will Take Care of Him
In the first line of today’s reading the “wicked” say, “Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;…for according to his own words, God will take care of him.” It makes me think of the story in the book of Daniel about Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego who were unburnt when thrown…
Read MoreWhy Do We Fast, and You Do Not See It?
The first reading today is one of those “slap in the face” readings. The prophets of the Old Testament definitely had it rough, but this is one of those times that it was particularly intense. The sarcasm of Isiah just comes through loud and clear! What the Lord is basically saying to Isiah is, “Tell…
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