In Your Presence Eric Nicolai

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 our God.

Byzantine icons show him with a thinner cross, symbolizing his role as the Forerunner of Christ, a parchment, with a set of wings, to show he was like an angel of God, sending a message, the angel of the desert: The wings symbolize his ability to communicate between the divine and humans, similar to angels. These icons also show him with his own head on the ground, testifying to his future martyrdom by King Herod Antipas.

We too have to be precursors. Guide others in their freedom.

Thumbnail: Iconostasis Cephalonia; John the Baptist from 9th century, Vatican museum. For more images see https://www.christianiconography.info/johnBaptist.html

Original music by Michael Lee of Toronto.

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 Jesus.

Music: Original soundtrack by Michael Lee of Toronto, with birds from pixabay.com, SSPsurvival.

Thumbnail: Pompeo Batoni, Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1767 in The Iesu church, Rome.

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 the world playing their role of being salt and light. Matt 5, 13-16: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.

A meditation preached at Kintore College in Toronto, by Fr. Eric Nicolai, on May 30, 2024.

Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz was elected Prelate of Opus Dei in 2016. In the Old Testament book of Samuel there is a text that foreshadows the priesthood in the church and the role of the priest:

1 Sam 2, 35: "I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always."

Music: Original music by Michael Lee of Toronto.

A meditation preached on June 1, 2024 at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto by Fr. Eric Nicolai. John 6 has this powerful discourse. Words of our Lord, speaking slow, articulating each word, speaking clearly, enunciating, people listening as the warm wind blew and the birds chirped. He probably said something that underlined that this was not all symbolism. This was real.

The Jews asked "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (John 6:52), and his disciples said "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" (John 6:60)

Music: Original guitar track by Michael Lee of Toronto, Ontario.

Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation on May 24, 2024 at Cedarcrest conference Centre in Belfountain, Ontario.

Luke 10, 5: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’  If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

Music: Original music on guitar by Michale Lee, of Toronto

Museum: Jean-Francois Millet, The Sower, 1850. Boston Museum of Fine Arts.