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With all the Christmas cards we’ve received, and the emails, and our own nativity scene, it is easy for us to imagine what happened that evening, and to see the warm glow of the child giving off divine light, he is the light of the world, amidst that dark and damp and musty place for animals. Mary and Joseph are warmed by the glow too.
Yet there is a tinge of reproach in John's description. John says it at the very beginning of the account of the incarnation itself. “He came to his own people, and his own did not receive him.” (Jn 1, 11).
Music: Die Schonsten Deutsche Weihnachtslieder, begins with Holy Night. @christmasworldbyzyxmusic3882
Thumbnail: Adoration of the Shepherds by Jean Baptiste Marie Pierre (1714-1789). Detroit Institute of Art.
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A meditation preached at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto on December 20, 2024.
With the scene of the annunciation to Mary, redemption has begun. But the last thing the angel mentioned was meant to show that the incarnation takes place within the larger context of the family, Mary’s family, but also Elizabeth's family. God decided that Elizabeth should bear a son. Mary would participate in this, to give support.
The unity of the members of a family - and, with more reason if they are children of God through Baptism - manifests the unity of God, his Creator: "The Christian family is a communion of persons, reflection and image of the communion of the Father and of the Son in the Holy Spirit”. (CCC 2207).
This is the time to contribute to family warmth. Provide affection and service. St. Josemaria often explained that the model of our family life is in the Holy Family of Nazareth. He liked so much to imagine the personal and close relationship that Jesus, Mary and Joseph had, that he said to his spiritual daughters and sons: "to this Family we belong."
Music: relaxing-piano-music-248868
Thumbnail: Thomas Kinkade HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS MEMORIES
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Preached on Gaudete Sunday at Lyncroft Centre, Toronto, December 15, 2024.
Phil 4, 4: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
There are the surface aspects of our life, there are the edges. Some days were good, other days not so much. But deep on the river bed there is calm.
Music: relaxing-piano-music-248868
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Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation at Lyncroft Centre, Toronto on December 9, 2024, solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, her preservation from all sin, meant that not even a tiny shadow of darkness existed in her soul. Knowing this was the product of a process. First the Christian people realized it, then theologians discussed it, and gradually the Church became more and more aware of what it means to say she was full of grace, the holiness of the mother of God.
The realization that she was redeemed in a unique way, right from the moment of her conception.
Music: Regi Stone, All Heaven Declares, YouTube music
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Fr. Eric Nicolai peached this meditation on December 4th, 2024 at Kintore College.
Today’s Gospel is from St. Matthew St. Matthew 15, 29-37, about the multiplication of loaves and fish.
Crowds had followed him. So many people were attracted to him. And Matthew gives a brief description of these people: they were lame, blind, deformed, mute, and many others. These people with all these infirmities could not have gotten there on their own.
They needed friends or family to get around, or to help them understand what Jesus was saying. All this moved the heart of Jesus. He was moved by the suffering, he saw people hindered by their limitations and their pain, but I think he saw beyond that, he was also touched by the generous solidarity of people around them. People helping them to get their food, to protect them, guide them, and encourage them.
Music: Regi Stone All Heaven Declares from Catholic Music Youtube channel
Image: Jean-Francois Tissot, Life of Christ, 1890s.
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A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on December 3, 2024 at Ernescliff College, Toronto.
Jesus addresses a word of hope to His disciples: “Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand” (Luke 21, 28). During the time of advent, a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord, we may feel a faint whisper of sadness, maybe discomfort. The Lord invites us to stand erect.
This is what the life of Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) was like. What an example of zeal and apostolate.
Music: Regi Stone, All Heaven Declares, from Catholic Music Youtube channel
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Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation on November 24, 2024, the solemnity of Christ the King in Lyncroft Centre, Toronto.
John 18, 33: ’Are you the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?’
Thinking it would placate Jesus, he had the inscription placed over his head on the cross: Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews. In Hebrew, Greek, and Latin: Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judaeorum… Different characters and languages that suggested his own universal kingship in the universal church.
Latin was the languages of the conquerors, Greek was more universal, like English today, and Hebrew, the local dialect.
Music: Regi Stone All Heaven Declares from Catholic Music Youtube channel
Thumbnail: Diego Velazquez, Crucifixion, 1632, Prado Museum, Madrid.
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A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on November 20, 2024 at Hawthorn School for Girls in Toronto.
J.R. R. Tolkien was chided by his contemporary fantasy writers for saying that the best fantasy has happy endings. For many them, the realism came in the dark, terrifying tales that ended in tragedy. But our faith tells us that death is a doorway to a happy ending, and we can prepare for it now, as we consider the kingdom of Christ.
Music: Regi Stone, All Heaven Declares. From Catholic music YouTube channel.
Thumbnail: West portal of Chartres Cathedral, Christ Pantocrator.
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Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation in Lyncroft Centre in Toronto, on November 2, 2024. Saint Josemaria faced a lot of opposition when he started his apostolic endeavours. In the Way he said: "God wants a handful of men 'of his own' in every human activity. And then... 'pax Christi in regno Christi — the peace of Christ in the kingdom of Christ'. "
We have to help him reign really with our apostolate. He wants to need us. He wants us to be docile subjects. He wants us to go out there and stir things up.
Pope Francis speaks of hacer lio. ¡Hagan lío! Pero un lío que nazca de conocer a Jesús. Shake things up. I think you would say: “make a mess!” Messiness is a good things. Later we will clean up what must be cleaned. “stir up trouble!” or “shake things up!”
Music: Regi Stone, All Heaven Declares, From Catholic Music Youtube Channel. 2003 Straight Arrow Records. Released on: 2003-01-01Main Artist: Regi StoneComposer: Darlene ZschechLyricist: Darlene ZschechMusic Publisher: Hillsongs
Thumbnail: Shove Memorial Chapel, Colorado College.
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After the Solemnity of the Solemnity of All Saints, and the Feast of All Souls, we want to examine ourselves to see if Christ truly reigns in our hearts, if he is there at the core of our being. This meditation was preached at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto on November 2, 2024.
Music: Regi Stone, All Heaven Declares, from Catholic Music Youtube channel.
Thumbnail: A stained-glass window of Jesus wearing a crown at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, photo/Gregory A. Shemitz.
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A meditation preached at Lancemore centre in Toronto on November 4, 2024. In 2017, the Prelate of Opus Dei said this: “the current situation of evangelization makes it more necessary than ever to give priority to personal contact with people. This relational aspect is at the heart of the mode of doing apostolate that Saint Josemaria found in the Gospel narratives.” (Pastoral Letter, 14 February 2017, no. 9.)
Personal contact leads to friendship, and friendship is an expression of charity. That charity in Opus Dei gives us strong bonds. We live this charity through real fraternity. Like the phrase from Proverbs: Frater qui adiuvatur a fratre quasi civitas firma. A brother helped by his brother is like a strongly walled city. (Prov. 18, 19)
Music: Choir of the Roman College of Holy Mary in Rome.
Thumbnail: Nicaea in the Nuremberg chronicles.
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Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto on th Solemnity of All Saints, November 1, 2024.
St. John the Apostle tells about his tremendous vision: After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Rev 9, 9-10)
The uncountable throng represents the spiritual offspring of Abraham, i.e., those who imitated his faith (Rom 4:11-17). The Lord had promised to make Abraham the father of many nations (Gen 17:5) and to give him progeny too numerous to count (Gen 15:5). He made him look up to the sky, and look at the stars. These same stars still lok down upon us, and invite us to look up.
Music: Carlos Gardel (1890 – 1935), Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink.
Thumbnail: Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889, Museum of Modern Art.
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A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai in Lyncroft Centre in Toronto, on October 27 2024. The focus is blind Bartimaeus and the heart of Jesus.
Mark 10:46-52: As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘Courage,’ they said ‘get up; he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.
Music: Carlos Gardel, Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink.
Thumbnail: Pompeo Batoni, Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Church of the Gesù in Rome (1767)
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Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this recollection at Hawthorn School in Toronto on October 23 2024.
We are preparing the centennial of Opus Dei, founded on October 2, 1928.
It was a shower of grace, that Saint Josemaria received on that day. We must ensure that we maintain the beauty of this charism, to ensure that it never go stale, or lose its vibrancy.
Music: Choir of the Roman College of Holy Mary.
Thumbnail: Cover of The Way published by Doubleday.
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A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on October 18, 2024 at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto. Luke the Evangelist was born a Greek and a Gentile from Antioch in Syria. Luke is symbolised by the ox, a symbol of strength and of sacrifice. But also Luke wanted to preserve the face of Mary for us. He is the painter of Mary: Tradition says he produced the first devotional icons of the mother of God. He preserved her yes to her vocation. He'll help preserve our yes to the vocation to Opus Dei.
Music: Carlos Gardel (1890-1935), Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink.
Thumbnail: Luke Painting the Virgin, by Giorgio Vasari 1565 Basilica della Santissima Annunziata, Florence.
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Fr. Eric Nicolai evokes the nature of the apostolate with young people in Opus Dei, which is entrusted to the intercession of the Archangel Raphael. It is known as the St. Raphael work. He gave this meditation at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto, on October 5, 2024.
"I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord" (Tob 12:15) Saint Raphael, whose name means "God has healed" because of his healing of Tobias’ blindness in the Book of Tobit. He is the angel that heals.
Our words must have that healing power, if we invoke him. Healed from anxiety and worry. Healed from selfishness. Healed really from any suffering. But that healing is in the soul, in our soul. This is why with Raphael's intercession, our words can give hope to young people.
Thumbnail: Rembrandt, Abraham serving the three angels at Mambre, 1646 (private collection)
Music: Ave Verum, St. Anthony's Latin Choir, from Musica Sacra Per Annum.
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A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on October 15th at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto.
Lk 1, 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.
Since Zacharia doubted, unsure perhaps of his authenticity, needed more proof, as though seeing an angel were not enough, Gabriel had the power to silence him. To give him time to reflect. In quiet.
Saint Josemaria invoqued Saint Gabriel as the patron with the work with Supernumeraries, married people in general.
Music: Michael Lee, from Toronto
Thumbnail: Duccio di Buoninsegna (1255–1319), Annonciation, circa 1307.
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A meditation preached at Lyncroft Centre, Toronto, on September 29, on the feast of the three Archangels, St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael.
Today’s Gospel from the 26th Sunday of Ordinary time does refer to a man casting out devils, and these spirits are bad angels. They too were created by God, but then they disobeyed, freely, they chose wrongly, out of pride.
St. Josemaria evoked them for the first time in October, 1932 while on retreat in Segovia. He established each one to intercede over the apostolates of Opus Dei.
Music: Original music by Michael Lee, of Toronto.
Thumbnail: Archangel Michael Vanquishing Satan, painting by Raphael Sanzio 1518, in the Louvre.
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Preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Kintore College, Toronto, September 25, 2024. Today we evoke the courage and resilience of these men and women who came to evangelize the New World: Jean de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues. They arrived in Quebec after a treacherous journey from France. They travelled to Georgian Bay and established a community among the Hurons.
Music: 'Undertow' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com
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Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation to a group of High School boys in the OneUp program at Ernescliff College, Toronto. Matthew 9:9-13: "As Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him."
By this short description, Matthew became one of the apostles of Jesus. Chosen specifically by Jesus himself. Jesus wants him to be part of this great adventure in the early church. He pointed at him, and Matthew pointed at himself, and all the publicans seem to point only at their own money, such as the 1599 painting by Caravaggio of the Call of St. Matthew in Rome.
Music: 'Jul' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com
Thumbnail: Caravaggio, The Call of St. Matthew in the Contarelli chapel in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome.
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