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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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Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation on September 10, 2024, to a group of priests at Saint Aidan's parish in Toronto. The subject is the figure of Zacchaeus in Luke 19: “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
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A meditation by Fr. Eric Nicolai in Lyncroft Centre, Toronto, on the occasion of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14, 2024.
The cross is the instrument on which the Lord was executed. It was a Roman instrument of torture, state-sponsored terrorism. Jesus gave an explanation in mysterious words. Enigmatic, somewhat cryptic, evoking an image, a movement, a veiled, almost dream-like quality.
John 3, 13-17: Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.’
What does this mean for those who look upon the cross?
Music: 'Life In Motion' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com
Thumbnail: Apse mosaic from San Clemente Romano, Rome.
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In the Gospel of the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Jesus takes the deaf man aside, away from the crowd. By the finger of God a real connection is made, and he can now hear the Word of God. It is by the finger of God that Jesus will write something in our hearts during prayer. This meditation was preached on September 8, 2024 at Ernescliff College in Toronto.
Music: Original music by Michael Lee.
Thumbnail: Orans figure from the Catacomb of Priscilla in Rome.
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Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation on August 29, 2024 at Kintore College, Toronto.
Matt 14, 1-12: The account of Herod’s court, with the trendy crowd, an atmosphere of sensuality, a mood of decadence, the latest fashions, everyone vying for attention and positioning themselves in the right place to be noticed. Naturally alcohol was predominant for everyone. Certainly no self-restraint, and as a result, all judgment was disordered, immature, uncontrolled and even abusive.
He was blinded by his own passions, because of what he saw. One of the greatest services we can render to people today is to awaken in them the desire for personal prayer, that silent, interior prayer of the heart so recommended by all the saints in the Christian tradition.
London)Music: 'Undertow' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com
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Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto on August 25th, 2024, the twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary time (year B).
The focus is John 6, the denouement of the passages on the bread of life.
John 6, 60-62: After hearing his doctrine many of the followers of Jesus said, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’ Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, ‘Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?
‘It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
Music: FALL - Adrian Berenguer (Album Singularity)
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A meditation preached in the Madawaska Valley at Camp Caribou for Boys, August 20, 2024.
Jesus invited the young rich man to follow him, but he turned around and left, sad. Here's Jesus' response.
Matthew 19:23-30: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you solemnly, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.’ When the disciples heard this they were astonished. ‘Who can be saved, then?’ they said. Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he told them ‘this is impossible; for God everything is possible.’
Music: FALL - Adrian Berenguer (Album Singularity)
Thumbnail: Halfway Lake, Camp Caribou.
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This meditation was preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai to a group of counsellors at Caribou Boys Camp, near Barry's Bay, Ontario. It was August 18, 2024, the 20th Sunday of Ordinary time, Year B.
John 6, 51-58: The tremendous discourse on the bread of life in Capharneum. Jesus said to the crowd: ‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’ Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. The only bread that could have come down from heaven would be the manna that the Jews discovered in the wilderness, in the book of Exodus.
Music: Original Track by Michael Lee of Toronto.
Thumbnail: Under the pines at Caribou Boys Camp.
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