Preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on January 16, 2022, at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto. Luke 18:10: The pharisee and tax collector in the temple… Egotism has a lot in common with parasites... When it settles in the soul, there is no medication that can definitively expel it. It comes back again and again. It reproduces itself constantly. It reappears at the worst times and it takes us a while to realize the immense damage it does to us. So how can we get rid of it?

Music: Amazing Grace (Sublime Gracia) - Violin- Ayako Ishikawa, Internet music archive.

Thumbnail: Gustave Doré (1832-1883) from his "La Grande Bible de Tours", first issued in 1866: Pharisee and publican.

A meditation by Fr. Eric Nicolai, preached at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto, January 14, 2022.

Mark 2:1-12: Today we have the friends of the paralytic. They were expecting a cure, they were not expecting that the Lord would forgive sins. If only God can forgive sin, it means that they all had a clear sense of the severity of sin.

Music: Soledad, by Carlos Gardel, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink.

Pope Francis speaks frequently of the need to generate greater unity between the different generations. The parable of the prodigal son, his older brother and his father, related by Jesus, can help us to delve into this topic. (Lk 15)

Preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Lyncroft Centre, Toronto on January 12, 2022.

Much of the ideas were taken from a Spanish article by Diego Zalbidea, "Agradar a Dios (VI): hermanos que miran al Padre. Unidad entre generaciones distintas." https://opusdei.org/es/article/hermanos-que-miran-al-padre/

Music: Chiquinha Gonzaga (1847-1935), "Lua Branca" (white moon), played on guitar by Bert Alink.

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Preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai to a group of priests in Toronto at St. Aidan's parish. Joseph Ratzinger said: Only through the Son could we learn what a Father truly is. He is the only son of God. But through baptism he has made us adopted sons and daughters. But only through the Son can we learn this truth. And this is a truth we must seek to contemplate more and more. How? By reading, by forming our mind, our heart, our conscience, our vision, so that we see everything through this lens of fatherhood.

Music: Handel, Rinaldo Opera, aria Lascia ch'io pianga, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink.

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A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Cedarcrest Conference Centre. The feast of the Baptism of the Lord, a dimension of Epiphany, closes the Christmas season and opens it outward into Ordinary time. Also the 120th birthday of Josemaria, born in 1902.

Luke 3:15-16: A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Music: Amazing grace (Sublime Gracia) - Violín- Ayako Ishikawa on Internet Archive.

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We are all well aware that the figures that are always placed in the extremities of the nativity scene, far off, sometimes even forgotten, are the magi. Sometimes with their turbans and elaborate clothing, at times with their camels, always with their rich treasures for the child.

But why is Joseph often absent in these early representations? Fr. Eric Nicolai preaches to Lyncroft centre on January 2, 2022 and gives us an answer.

Thumbnail: fragments of sarcophagi displayed in the Pio Cristiano Museum - all carved in the 4th century

Music: Bach Prelude -Cello Suite 3 Openmusic.com

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John was a native of Bethsaida, a town of Galilee on the northern shore of the Sea of Tiberias. His parents were Zebedee and Salome, and his brother James the Greater. The words of John the Evangelist, whose feast we celebrate today, resound in our hearts: "Et Verbum caro factum est - the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1: 14). Fr. Eric Nicolai preaches from Ernescliff College on why God became man.

Music: Recordações do passado (Souvenirs from the Past) a Valsa for piano (1885) by Ernesto Nazareth arranged by Bert Alink

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Luke 2, 1-14: The beautiful account of the decree of Cesar. He wanted to get an idea of the extension of his kingdom. We experience some of that fullness. Christmas is always a special day. A unique time. It often connects us with our childhood, the mystery and innocence of that time, and this is maintained by the numerous Christmas carols we learned. Sacred music that helps you to pray, as you stand at church, or in front of the lighted tree, symbol of Christ.

Fr. Eric Nicolai recounts the origins of the famous hymn Holy Night, Silent Night, by Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber, 1818.

Music: Die Schonsten Deutsche Weihnachtslieder, YouTube 

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Fr. Eric Nicolai streamed this meditation from Ernescliff College on December 23, 2021, about the Magnificat of Our Lady (Lk 1, 46-56)

In these days as we approach Christmas, we are filled with expectation. It is a combination of deep desire, and excitement at something apparently new, even though we know exactly what is going to happen.

Let us never loose a sense of newness to our life. We really have to be aware if we start feeling blazé, and get inured to a sense of wonder that is proper to this time. The magnificat of our Lady is a way to keep sense of thanksgiving to everything we do.

This will also be available on YouTube.

Music: Canción del camino by the choir of the Roman college of Holy Mary, Rome.

For more meditations, check my channel:

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Fr. Eric Nicolai preaches on December 19, 2021 at Lyncroft Centre.

Every year the liturgy leads us to Christmas with three guides: Isaiah, John the Baptist and Mary. The first announced the Messiah from afar, the second showed him present in the world, the third bore him in her womb.

The visitation of Mary to her cousin was done in haste, because she was deeply convinced of her mission.

Music: Handel, Opera Rinaldo, Aria "Lascia ch'io pianga", arranged for guitar by Bert Alink