In Your Presence

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...

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 au...

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 f...

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 -...

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 Jesu...

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 wh...

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 qualit...

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. T...

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...

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 co...

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 19:23-3 0: 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 throug...

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; an...

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Kintore College in Toronto on August 10, 2024. Yesterday was the feast of St. Edith Stein, Theresa Benedicta of the Cross. Beatified in 1987 then canonized in 1998 by Pope John Paul II.  She is one of the 6 patrons of Europe. Both she and St. Lawrence (today's feast) were martyrs for the faith. She was a Jew that converted after reading Theresa of A...

Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this mediation at Cedarcrest Centre in Belfountain, Ontario, August 2, 2024. Eph 4, 17, 20-24 : I want to urge you in the name of the Lord, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live. Now that is hardly the way you have learnt from Christ, unless you failed to hear him properly when you were taught what the truth is in Jesus. You must give up your old w...

A meditation preached at Ernescliff College on the feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, 2024. In the Old testament the prophet Daniel had a vision that foreshadowed the transfiguration: Thrones were set in place and one of great age took his seat. His robe was white as snow, the hair of his head as pure as wool. (Daniel 7, 9-10). The Transfiguration scene can help us consider what Heaven will b...

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Cedarcrest Conference Centre in Belfountain, Ontario on August 3, 2024. Matt 14, 1: Herod made a rash decision under the pressure of his passions and his human respect. We must be contemplatives. What does it mean to be a contemplative in the middle of the world? Music: Recordações do passado (Souvenirs from the Past) a Valsa for piano (1885) by Ernesto...

A meditation preached to Lyncroft centre in Toronto, July 28, 2024. It is the 17th Sunday of Ordinary time, year B. It is the account of multiplication of loaves and fish in John 6 in which the Lord asks the apostles to give the people bread, but then he does the miracle himself. It is an image of the apostolic mandate that we have received. We are apostles. Saint Josemaria said: you are not peopl...

A recollection for priests at Saint Aidan's parish in Toronto, preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on July 16, 2024. Based on the parable of the pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9-14). Two men in a temple, praying, doing a good thing, but with different results. A security camera might have made them appear as two men praying with their own style, or culture. But Jesus sees below the surface, and w...

Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation on July 16, 2024 at Ernescliff College in Toronto. Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock, a Carmelite, on July 16, 1251, and promised a special protection to those who would wear the habit, later the scapulary. All you had to do was wear this garment. Like a protective clothing, and stay faithful. This promise of our Lady boosted the Carmelites street cred. Our...

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Chipnee camp for girls in the Durham region north of Toronto on July 11, 2024, the Feast of St. Benedict of Nursia. Music: Original track by Michael Lee of Toronto.

A meditation preached on July 8, 2024 by Fr. Eric Nicolai at a camp for girls in the Collingwood area, Ontario. Matthew 9, 18-26 : While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woma...

A meditation preached on July 1, 2024, Canada Day, at Tour des Pins Centre in Montreal. The Gospel of the day is from Matthew 8: “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” This is after the centurions faith, several amazing cures, people possessed by demons, healed of terrible illnesses. Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. What...

This meditation was preached in Ernescliff College by Fr. Eric Nicolai on the feast of Saint John the Baptist, June 24, 2024. He was a voice crying in the desert, the prophecy of Isaiah 40, 3: Vox clamantis in deserto: Parate viam Domini, rectas facite in solitudine semitas Dei nostri. A voice of one calling in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for...

This meditation was preached on June 19, 2024 at Hawthorn School for Girls in Toronto. Josemaria opened his homily saying " we must realize all the richness hidden in the words, “the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” Let’s not lose sight of these riches. Like all the feasts and solemnities, there is something here to enrich us. There are many layers we must tap into in order to discover the love of Jes...

This meditation was preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai to a group of priests at St. Paul the Apostle parish in Toronto on June 11, 2024. Today is the feast of the apostle St. Barnabas. Who was Barnabas? Acts says he spoke boldly, and effectively, and defended St. Paul. We imagine them both speaking with lots of self-confidence. Saint Josemaria dreamt about the responsibility of ordinary Christians in th...