Maximilian Kolbe had a vision of our Lady who offered him two crowns: a white one for virginity, a red one for martyrdom. Which do you want? I’ll take both.

that Mary is and a sign of hope and comfort for your people on their pilgrim way. 
(Assumption preface)

Thumbnail:

Esteban Márquez de Velasco (1652–1696) , Dormition of the virgin Mary, Art Gallery of Ontario.

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on August 1, 2026 at Ellentor Centre in Toronto.

Matt 14, 22-36: Jesus walks on the water, and calls out to Peter: Come!

Water in the ancient world was always seen as a place of instability. It was a scary place when you had these rickety boats. But Jesus informs everything we do. It is our life of faith. Our faith must inform our vision, the way we think, the way we work. It leaves its fingerprints everywhere we go. There you will find the DNA of faith.

Music: pulsebox-piano-music-free-music-552725 pixabay free

Thumbnail: Walking on Water, by Ivan Aivazovsky (1888), private collection.

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on August 1, 2026 at Ellentor Centre in Toronto. John 6:1-15 tells of the account of the feeding of the 5 thousand. Lots of people. A real problem. A multitude had followed him.

Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him

He looked up with mercy, with compassion. In front of the problem, the numbers, the money, the few pieces of bread, we hear about that little boy. 10 or 12 years old. Not with his parents. Free to help.

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, John 6, 9-10: “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?”  Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Ellentor Centre in Toronto, July 31, 2026.

"Don't forget that sometimes it is necessary to have smiling faces." (The Way, 657)

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Chipnee camp in Port Burwell, Ontario, July 22 2026.

Mary Magdalene is the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared and he entrusted her with announcing the Resurrection to the Apostles themselves. She is the apostles of Apostles. Pope Francis elevated her memorial to the level of a feast.

Music: pulsebox-piano-music-cinematic-552722

Thumbnail: Antonio Canova, Penitent Magdalene 1808, St. Petersburg Museum.

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Chipnee Camp in Port Burwell, Ontario, on July 21, 2026.

We reflect on the famous story of the young rich man who approaches Jesus to ask him something.(Mt 19:16–22; Mk 10:17–22; Lk 18:18–23) It’s a key text, one of the most memorable encounters that Jesus had. It is full of youthful horizons, yet mystery and a bitter dissolution too.

What does it mean to live a full life?

Music: pulsebox-piano-music-cinematic-552722

Audiio_MULVEY_Awakening_Awakening_Instrumental

Thumbnail: Crucifixion from France, 12th century, St. Louis Art Museum.

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Chipnee Girls Camp in Port Burwell, Ontario.

The disciples of Emmaus shared an intense run home after having seen and heard the Lord. When we are together, we cease to be fragile.

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Ernescliff College, Toronto, on July 14, 2026.

Sitting in front of the Saint Lawrence River, seeing all that water pass by, sometimes calm, other times more agitated. All that water is going to a hydroelectric dam, where it will go through turbines to generate much energy.  That daily flow looks peaceful, even tranquil, yet carries with it great energy. All our activities in our life, our work, our stress- they are like that river, flowing, but they must all go through turbines to serve as sources of good supernatural energy. It is an image of what we see in the account of Martha and Mary, in Luke.

Music: pulsebox-piano-music-cinematic-552722

Thumbnail: Hydroelectric Power Dam

A meditation by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Ellerton Center in Toronto, preached on July 4th, 2026.

Mt 20:1-16: Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. From that early moment, he went out many times after. 9 a.m., He went out again about noon and about three p.m. Then again about five p.m. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

Even at the end of our life, God calls us.

Thumbnail: Jean-François Millet, les Glaneuses, Musée d’Orsay 1857

Music: pulsebox-piano-music-cinematic-552722

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on July 8th, 2026, at Kintore College, Toronto.

Today’s Gospel gives us a glimpse of that luminous moment in which Jesus entrusts his apostles with the most important responsibility of their lives. Nobody has ever been entrusted with a mission as important as this, with such decisive consequences for world history.

The account of Jesus' choice of his 12 apostles from Matt 10, 1-7: "Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.

  These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him."

Thumbnail: Massacio (Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone), "Peter Healing the sick with his shadow", Florence, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, 1424-1425.

Music: pulsebox piano music-cinematic-552722