Catholic Latte

Fr. Eric speaks about how a recurring theme in the Gospel texts during the Easter season is this idea of God journeying with people in the midst of tragedy. 

Fr. Eric expounds upon this theme while citing the stories of Jesus appearing in the midst of St. Thomas and other disciples while dialoging with Thomas about the reality of pain and tragedy in his life (Jn 20:24-29); the encounter between Mary Magdalene and the Risen Lord (Jn 20:1-18); and the iconic story of the two disciples journeying with Christ on the Road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35).

As a concluding example, Fr. Eric cites S02 Ep. 19 of the Abiding Together Podcast entitled “Untying the Knots.”  Here is a link to the relevant episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0zNdDnH2YERd280XUEwQLe?si=Pv6cUaA2TtWJhI1foAaz4g.

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During this ongoing time of pandemic, Fr. Eric speaks about how to cultivate a spirit of surrendering to God in this time of pandemic, focusing on a Surrender Novena written by an Italian priest named Fr. Don Dolindo.

Topics discussed include situating everything in our lives in terms of God's particular call for our lives; learning not to be thrown off by our feeling sand emotions; resisting the temptation to insist on having absolute control over every aspect of our lives; and cultivating a spirit of holding life lightly in one's hands.

Fr. Eric cites the example of the miraculous staircase built in 1873 by St. Joseph for the Loretto Sisters in New Mexico, as well as the more contemporary example of a cross that is under construction currently in St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Oshawa, Ontario.

Here is a link to the novena by Fr. Dolindo: https://catholicexchange.com/the-surrender-novena-let-jesus-take-care-of-everything.

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Reflecting on the importance of safeguarding our faith through the Eucharist, Fr. Eric speaks about the need to receive the Holy Eucharist while properly disposed. Topics include the need to speak truthfully, honestly and with transparency in light of the reality of the crucified Christ; the Eucharistic fast; the importance of receiving the Eucharist with a sense of prayerful reverence; and the need to ensure that Communion is not received while a person is in a state of mortal sin.

Drawing upon the example of the rich young man (Mt 19:16-30), Fr. Eric reflects also about the need to address basic and foundational issues in the context of the spiritual life, as opposed to “skipping ahead” to concern oneself with issues like one’s specific vocation and other more specialized matters of discernment.

This homily was given originally on Good Friday.

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Reflecting on the exhortation to love God above all things and one’s neighbor as oneself (Mt 22:37-40; Mk 12:30-31; Lk 10:27), as well as the corresponding exhortation to love others as Christ has loved us (Jn 15:11), Fr. Eric talks about how authentic love of God must always be reflected in genuine love of one’s neighbor. 

Fr. Eric cites the example of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s reflection on Psalm 68, as articulated in “33 Days to Morning Glory” (Stockbridge: Marian Press, 2018) by Fr. Michael Gaitley, to expound upon the notion of consoling the Sacred Heart of Jesus and quenching Christ’s thirst for souls through our service of other people in our community, especially those who are most in need.

Other topics include how to console Christ through His Head and Body in the sense of the Mystical Body of Christ; and the need to recognize the thirst of other people to be noticed, understood and loved, which conduces ultimately to the universal thirst for God.

Fr. Eric concludes with a petition to give generously to ShareLife, which is the official charitable arm of the Archdiocese of Toronto.  Here is a link for those who wish to donate online: www.sharelife.org/donate.

#ShareLife #livingthegospel #archtoronto #ShareLifeSunday #catholicTO

Reflecting on Zack Snyder’s “Justice League” (2021), Fr. Eric speaks about how the film reminds us of key themes in the spiritual life from a Christian perspective.  Topics include the importance of resisting the culture of haste to focus on the “journey” as opposed to the “destination” in seeking to collaborate with God’s grace; the need for Christ as Saviour; and the impact of the Paschal Mystery on our past, present and future.

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Reflecting on the common inclination to be simply more “active” in response to situations of prolonged crisis, Fr. Eric reflects on Christ’s discourse about the vine and the branches (Jn 15:1-8), particularly He speaks about the need to “abide in [Him] as He abides in [us]” (Jn 15:4).  Fr. Eric expounds up on how this notion of “abiding in Christ” can help us with regards to our work and prayer life, as well as issues of vocation and discernment. 

Fr. Eric concludes with an example from the Abiding Together Podcast entitled “Her Story: Mary Magdalene – Part 3” (S09 Ep. 14). Here's a link to the podcast episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1yz1r4JTu67IgbDgVzs7zG....

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To commemorate St. Joseph the Worker, Fr. Eric reflects on the dignity of human labour, particularly as embodied by the figure of St. Joseph.  Topics discussed include the importance of living the life of discipleship with integrity; our role in contributing to the work of salvation through our ordinary work; and the need to resist the temptation to run from our ordinary lives, and trust in the efficacy of being faithful to the duty of the moment. 

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On Apr. 29, 2021, Oshawa Catholic Chaplaincy hosted an online year end party in preparation for which those attending had been asked to prepare their own personal videos reflecting on the past year and their time with the chaplaincy program.  This is the video that Fr. Eric shared with the group.

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Fr. Eric reflects on how the Good Shepherd discourse (Jn 10:11-18) can assist us with navigating through prolonged periods of crisis, such as the current pandemic.  Topics include the importance of being fully committed to the reality of Divine Providence at work in the context of the messiness of real life; listening only to the voice of the Good Shepherd, as opposed to competing voices; and dying to oneself based on the promise of new life.

Drawing upon an analogy from “The New Mutants” (2020), Fr. Eric speaks also about the importance of not giving into our fears when engaging in matters of spiritual warfare.

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On Apr. 15, 2021, Fr. Eric gave an online presentation on the subject of relativism as part of the “Relevant Series” hosted by Centennial Catholic Chaplaincy, UTSC Catholic Chaplaincy and St. Barnabas Church in Scarborough.  Topics discussed include how to define relativism, difficulties with the philosophy of relativism, and keys to dialoguing with proponents of relativism. 

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