A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Hawthorn School for Girls in Toronto.

Matthew 13:1-9: A sower went out to sow. Jesus at the lakeside. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables. He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

The beauty of the hundredfold sown in souls. The Lord seems to speak with urgency, and with joy at the thought that his grace can indeed be sown in souls who will give many fruits, hundredfold. We have the desire to be that good soil, to make for a large tree, where the birds of the air can rest.

The seed fell into a mystical soul of Saint Bridget of Sweden, that brought many visions, a deep contact with the infancy of Christ.

The seed fell iinto the souls of these great saints. But it can fall into our soul too.

Music: Michael Lee of Toronto.

Thumbnail: Nativity, by Gerard David, 1495, Vienna Art History Museum

A meditation preached at Lyncroft Centre, Toronto, on July 20, 2025.

In Genesis 18 we have the account of the appearance of the Lord to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre.  It is a wonderful account, in the heat of the day, with the cicada and the grasshoppers buzzing and the heat haze. Then we get a mirror image of this with the account of Bethany, and Jesus being treated, with his apostles by Martha and Mary. (Luke 10:38-42)

It's all about where we can contemplate God and serve him in our life. Framing our stresses, anxiety, our multiple tasks in the light of God's love.

Music: Michael Lee of Toronto.

Thumbnail: Andrei Rublev Icon of Three Angels at Oaks of Mambre, 1410 in Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto.

The verse from the psalm: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps 42:2). To thirst like that is a deep desire nestled in the recesses of our heart. Our prayer now is an occasion to explore the inner chambers of our lives.  We should do so with sincerity and simplicity.

Music: Michael Lee of Toronto, Ontario.

Thumbnail: Jan Van Eyck, The Lamb of God, Ghent Altarpiece, 1432

Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation in ernescliff College on July 11, 2025, the feast of Saint Benedict of Nursia.

The Lord sent out the apostles, his ambassadors, he sent them out, telling them to heal, to resurrect the dead. That they should bring their peace upon the houses they visit. Your peace will fall upon them.

This is a meditation preached on July 9, 2025 at Kintore College in Toronto, after having spent almost a month in Germany.

First reading is from Genesis 41. Our dramatic story of the terrible famine in Egypt. The origin of the phrase, go to Joseph.

Joseph of the Old Testament had been mistreated and even hated by his brothers, now they come to him for help. It is a deeply emotional moment for Joseph, as he recognizes his brothers, those whom he had grown up with, and who had been so jealous of him, and had often mistreated him. Yet something inside told him that they were his brothers, and that he had a providential role with them. We know that these brothers were the 12 tribes of Israel, and that they would foreshadow the 12 apostles.

Let us look at the role of memory in our resentments and how memory must be purified for us to be men and women of hope.

Music: Michael Lee of Toronto.

Thumbnail: Bas relief fragment portraying Cleopatra

A meditation by Fr. Eric Nicolai preached at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto, June 7 2025.

There is this incredible line in St. Paul in which he speaks of having the same sentiments that Christ Jesus had (cf. Phil 2:5).

“Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”

To empty ourselves like Christ, we must step down from our throne of self-importance.

Music: Original track by Michael Lee of Toronto.

Mary was there at Pentecost, she was at the centre in the early community, so she plays her role in our life too. The Holy Spirit is like the active principle in our sanctification. Mary is called the spouse of the Holy Spirit: It was to her that the Holy Spirit went.

Johnny Nash sang that hit tune in 1972:

I can see clearly now the rain is gone

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It's gonna be a bright, bright sun shiny day

He speaks about the pain is gone, bad feelings disappear, here is the rainbow I’ve been praying for.

He was praying to the Holy Spirit.

Music: Suspended In Amber WSR596 Unanswered Prayer

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Kintore College, Toronto on May 28, 2025.

Jn 16, 12-15: Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come.

Music: Creg Riley Westarmusic. Suspended In Amber WSR596 Unanswered-Prayer_FULL_WSR59641

Thumbnail: Detail from Pentecost mosaic, Rosary Basilica in Lourdes, France.

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Ernescliff College on May 18, 2025. Upon entering the oratory, I notice the holy water font had a large artistically inscribed text just over the font itself, you can see it in large letters just as you dip your finger into the water: Domine, si vis, potes me mundare. Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean (Matt 8, 3). These are the beautiful words of a leper, who on his own initiative, elbowed his way through the crowd, he came up to Jesus and made this humble petition.

Music: Michael Lee of Toronto.

Thumbnail: Jean Marie Melchior Doze Jesus Healing the Leper, 1864, housed in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes, located in Nîmes, France

A funeral homily for Mr. Peter Rebello at the church of St. Clement in Toronto on May 20, 2025. Peter died from Leukemia on May 13, the feast of our Lady of Fatima. He was 77.

Music: Be not afraid by Bob Dufford with choir.org