In Your Presence

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Ernescliff College, March 19, 2026.
There is a passage from Colossians that appeared in yesterday’s vespers to Saint Joseph. It applies to him, and to us. Colossians 3:23-24: "Whatever your work is, put your heart into it as if it were for the Lord and not for men, knowing that the Lord will repay you by making you his heirs. It is Christ the Lord that you are serving."
The response says: "The virtuous man will bloom like the lily."
As we woke up this morning, on our knees, we renewed our dedication, our yes. We want to bloom like the lily today. We call it renewing, but we might also call it refreshing, face our call with a fresh face, a luminous gaze, full of awareness of God’s presence. 1 Samuel 16: We have the stirring account of the call of David, his vocation, and his anointing by Samuel. David was the youngest; he was gone, he was not even in the list. He was not even on the list of nominees. "Jesse had him sent for, a boy of fresh complexion, with fine eyes and pleasant bearing."
Music: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Thumbnail: Bartolome Murillo, Saint Joseph with the child, 1670. John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida.

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on March 12 at Kintore College, Toronto.
Today’s Gospel from Luke 11:14-23, tells us that Jesus was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke and the people marvelled.
Those who opposed him said that he had done this through the power of Belzebul, through the devil. But Jesus easily responds that this would be the devil working against himself, divided against his own interests. Jesus heals because it is a sign of his power; he is able to heal in a way that no human power could. But he heals out of compassion, like when he healed the man born blind.
The sacraments are channels of his mercy, of his healing: like annointing, like confession, like the nourishing power of the eucharist.
Music: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Thumbnail: Stainedglass, Meung sur Loire 19th century.

Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation on March 8, 2026 in Ernescliff College, Toronto. It is similar to the previous day's meditation in Lyncroft centre, titled "Begone Satan!".
Conversion, like Jesus at the well, is first and foremost an initiative of God. We respond with our freedom. It’s in that most intimate part of ourselves, where the image of God deep within us, needs to be awoken, brought back to life, as though it had remained dormant but now is brought forth into the wild.
We have the freedom now to exercise penance through Lent in a way that leads to conversion, and to defeating the toxic presence of the evil one.
It’s what Jesus does in the desert (Matt 4), the Land of Mordor, this dark motif that sets the tone for all of Lent. A time of penance that purifies us, that awakens in us an interior struggle, that reminds us that we will never really convert if we just coast along, if we drift through life, if we just go with the current.
Music: Carlos Gardel, Soledad, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink.
Thumbnail: The Temptation Of Christ, by Duccio Di Buoninsegna, 1308, Frick Collection

A meditation preached at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto, on March 7, 2026.
The devil tempts Jesus in the desert. Jesus is impeccable (unable to sin) in virtue of the hypostatic union, yet truly tempted from without in His human nature, in the sense of being really “assaulted” by the devil, not in the sense of interior consent or moral peril.
Traditionally, this scene in the desert is a contrast with Adam. New Adam motif: The desert scene is read against Genesis, where Adam fell in a garden amid abundance, Christ triumphs in a wilderness amid hunger and weakness.
Thumbnail: The Temptation of Christ by Simon Bening, Flemish, 1550 Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Music: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Luke 16:19-31: Dives and Lazarus.
Jesus tells this account of the rich man who feasted and seemed to enjoy life, but was oblivious to the poverty and the suffering of Lazarus, the poor man. It is an account that is full of details that fills us with revulsion, with shock and the callousness of the rich man. We are particularly grieved by his lack of empathy. He seems so unconcerned to help, to alleviate the poverty of Lazarus. He seems to be living in a bubble. He is unaware and unconcerned by the state of the poor man.
The problem was not his wealth but his lack of sensitivity. The poor man was not at all on his radar. He was not even aware of this guy. He would not have even remembered him. We must have others on our radar. Aware of them. Connect with them. Care about them and especially have the ability to listen carefully.
Pope Francis spoke of listening on January 26, 2022.
Music: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Thumbnail. Jean Pichore Workshop, The Rich Man at Table, Lazarus Barred at the Door. From a Book of Hours. French (Paris), c. 1500, Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France.