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"All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Rom 8,14). These words of the Apostle Paul, which we have just heard, help us understand better the significant message of today's canonization of Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer. With docility he allowed himself to be led by the Spirit, convinced that only in this way can one fully accomplish God's will.
These are the opening words pronounced by Pope Joh Paul II at the canonization of Saint Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei. It was a sunny day, with a joyful and recollected Pope. It’s been 20 years. 30 years since the beatification. What can we draw from this event?
Preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Kintore College, October 6, 2022.
Music: "Tan buen ganadico", by the choir of the Roman College of Holy Mary, Rome.
For more meditations, check my channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos
www.opusdei.ca
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Even though the Christmas season has ended, Jesus remains with us. Every day can be a Christmas for us, because we can receive Christ in the Eucharist. Christ is our strength and consolation. We are invited, in Christ, to live as children of God. The Baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan is a demonstration of this reality. God wants to say of each of us those words heard at the Baptism of our Lord: “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
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Scripture tell us: Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Let us ask God our Father for the ability to pray like our Lord Jesus did, with the same determination to persevere in prayer. May we acquire interior silence and pray with greater faith every day. A meditation by Father John Agnew.
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This Christmas podcast was first released Dec. 23, 2020. Let us celebrate these days of Christmas with all of its joy. Let us learn from the babe lying in a manger. God has lowered himself, he has made himself one of us, he has made himself small, defenseless. Let us follow Christ in the path of service and humility. A meditation by Father John Agnew.
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Jesus Christ, Our Savior, is born for us. Come, let us adore him. Today the whole Christian world gathers around together where the baby Jesus lies in a manger. May Christmas be for us an encounter with the Lord that transforms our lives, an invitation to contemplate the face of the Infant Jesus. A meditation by Father Henry Bocala.
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All of us can become saints. But we need to re-focus our attention from ourselves to Christ, so we can follow in his footsteps. And we know that Mary, the mother of Jesus, will be a powerful ally in our effort to follow her son.
A meditation by Father Henry Bocala.
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A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Kintore College on the solemnity of All Saints, November 1st 2022.
I read a book that dramatizes in first person the personality of the Good Thief. As he looked at me, I thought he was trying to smile, and then he said, “I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise.” He died that day, but we know he became St. Dismas. This is our dream. Saint Josemaria too had that dream: He would repeat that phrase: Dream and your dreams will fall short.
Music: Carlos Gardel, Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink.
Thumbnail: Portico of Paradise, in the Cathedral of San Martin de Ourense, Spanish Romanesque.
For more meditations, check my channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos
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Here are some excerpts of the solemn Pontifical Funeral for Father Jose Luis Soria, celebrated by His Grace, The Most Reverend J. Michael Miller, CSB, Archbishop of Vancouver accompanied by Msgr. de Rochebrune, Vicar of Opus Dei in Canada. The celebration took place in the Cathedral of Vancouver on October 14, 2022. May he Rest In Peace.
The full video can be found here:
https://youtu.be/kdPzxfp5wUs
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A meditation preached at Kintore College by Fr. Eric Nicolai on October 27, 2022. Today is the Father’s birthday, born in exile in France in 1944. So that makes him 78. Still young in spirit. Since 2016 he has been the Prelate, but known to all of us as the Father. Since Pope Francis’ motu propio, Ad charisma tuendum, on 14 July 2022, his elevation to the episcopacy is no longer an option. What does all this mean for us?
Music: Tan Buen Ganadico, originally composed by Juan del Encina (1469-1529), here sung by the choir of the Roman College of Holy Mary.
For more meditations, check my channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos
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A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai to High School boys at Ernescliff College in Toronto on Oct 22, 2022.
On that day, Oct 22, 1978, facing the vast crowd in the square, and beyond, in the whole world, John Paul II said:
Today the new Bishop of Rome solemnly begins his ministry and the mission of Peter. In this city, in fact, Peter completed and fulfilled the mission entrusted to him by the Lord.
The Lord addressed him with these words: "...when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go" (Jn 21:18).
Peter came to Rome!
He talked about the Quo Vadis account, from the famous 19th century novel, by Henryk Sienkiewicz. Pope John Paul II could be seen laughing hysterically, or deeply in prayer. What an example of faith.
Music: Mossy garden by Bert Alink.
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A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Hawthorn School for Girls in Toronto, on October 19, 2022. Pope John XXIII made the prophetic decision to call an Ecumenical council in 1962. Paul VI brought it to completion. Pope John Paul II then figured out how to apply it all. During the Jubilee in 2000, he reiterated some of the essential teaching so of the council. One of these that he found particularly amazing was the universal call to sanctity, as seen in Lumen Gentium.
Music: Carlos Gardel, Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink
For more meditations, check my channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos
Thumbnail: Vincent Van Gogh, Woman cutting Bread, 1885. Chalk and ink. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
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A meditation on fear, preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai, at Kintore College, Oct 14, 2022.
Luke 12:1-7: The people had gathered in their thousands so that they were treading on one another. And Jesus began to speak, first of all to his disciples. ‘Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees – that is, their hypocrisy. (...) ‘To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God’s sight. Every hair on your head has been counted. There is no need to be afraid: you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.’
Why be aware of the Pharisees? They knew the law. They were experts. Why? Because it seems a common conclusion that if someone knows the law, and is not truly affected by it, then the law must be to blame. It must not really have the power to transform or to change someone. Yet the Lord relies on our freedom. It is true now as well. Many lapsed Catholics will blame some priest or some religious person’s lack of integrity to justify why they don’t practice.
Music: Carlos Gardel, Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink
Thumbnail: Rembrandt, Head of Christ, circa 1648-1656, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia. Wikicommons.
https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos
www.ernescliff.ca
www.opusdei.ca
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The angels are extremely powerful beings. They are just as real as the person sitting next to you, and they are sent to guide and protect us. Let us ask our guardian angels to help make us more aware of Christ's presence, to help us in our warfare of holiness, our struggle to bring the teaching of Christ Jesus into our daily lives.
A meditation by Father John Agnew.
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Lk 1, 11-20 "Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. (...) The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
The name means God's strength. he can help us to be more attentive int he Mass, and give us fortitude in the demands of daily life.
Preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai in Ernescliff College, Oct 9, 2022.
Music: Carlos Gardel, Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink
Thumbnail: Philippe de Champaigne, The Annunciation, 1644, Metropolitan Museum, NY.
For more meditations, check my channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos
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Luke 10:25-37: ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’
Who or what are the other robbers in our life?
One might be our sheer busyness.
Busy is not your friend. It makes you feel overwhelmed, tired, and inadequate. If busy were a person, would you spend all day with that person today, and then all day with that person again tomorrow? I don’t think so.
A meditation by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Lyncroft Centre, October 5, 2022.
Music: Carlos Gardel, Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink.
Thumbnail: Rembrandt, The Good Samaritan 1630. Ink drawing, Rijiksmuseum, Public Domain.
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That explosion of grace came today in 1928, while he was on retreat with 6 other priests. He had prayed the breviary, read the Gospel, and was reviewing some notes. One note after another. Things were becoming clearer about what he was doing here in Madrid. Before he could formulate an answer, he heard sound of the bells of the church of Our Lady of the Angels drifting through the window, pealing to celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels resounded. It was like the first tremors. And then the silent earthquake hit him, deep in his heart and in his mind.
Preached in Centre Tour des Pins in Montreal, Oct 2, 2022.
Music: Carlos Gardel, Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink.
Thumbnail: Ignacio Valdéz, Painting of Sat. Josemaria, From Our Lady of the Angels, Madrid.
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At the last supper, Jesus gave to his disciples a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” This new commandment of Jesus represents a synthesis of all his teachings. May we obey Christ’s command, and follow his example, and let charity reign in our hearts. A meditation by Father Henry Bocala.
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There are nine choirs of angels. One of those choirs, or groups, are the archangels. They are powerful allies in our spiritual battles, because God gave them great power to fight against those demons we have to face on a regular basis. They are spiritual beings that we can’t see, because they don’t have a body. But they really exist. Not just in our minds, or in our collective myths, or our symbols, or our culture. They are as real as your dog, or your sister, or electricity. We can't see electricity, but we can see its effects.
A meditation preached at Kintore College in Toronto by Fr. Eric Nicolai on September 29, 2022.
Music: Carlos Gardel, Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink
Music: Francesco Botticini Three Archangels with Tobias, c.1471 Uffizi, Florence.
For more meditations, check my channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos
www.ernescliff.ca
www.opusdei.ca
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Jesus told the woman at the well in Samaria, "If you only knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'give me to drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." Let us say to Jesus, "Lord, increase my faith," so that we recognize the gift of God, Jesus who has come into this world to save us, Jesus who comes to bring us eternal life.
A meditation by Father Thomas Bohlin.
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Luke 16:19-31: One of the most striking parts of today’s parable of poor Lazarus and the Rich man, the dives, is the way the rich man, even in the afterlife, still speaks of the poor man as a servant who is supposed to do his bidding: “Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” He needs help, he has never really helped himself or helped overs. But when we step back, we see that both men are quite overwhelmed by life. Lazarus struggles to survive with his poverty and sores, the rich man goes on hardened among all that luxury piling over in his face. Both are overwhelmed in different ways, and we too get overwhelmed. What to do with this feeling? A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai, on September 25, the 26th week of Ordinary Time. Preached in Lyncroft Centre in Toronto.
Music: Carlos Gardel (1890-1935), Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink
Thumbnail: Lazarus and Dives,” fol. 78r from the Codex Aureus of Echternach, ca. 1035–40. German National Museum, Nuremberg.
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