One of those central untouched aspects of the spirit of Opus Dei turns around friendship: our surrounded by friends, how we deepen in them, experience them, encourage our friends, get help from them. The Beatles used to say I Get By with A little Help from my Friends. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, released on their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967. How painful that must have been when some disciples stopped going with him, after the discourse of the bread of Life in John 6. These were not simply followers that had accepted his ideas, they were his friends. They could have disagreed with what he said, but stayed as his faithful friends. Things would eventually fall into place. Yet then some left. John 6, 61: "Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you?  Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before? Preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Copper Ridge Conference Center in Britannia Beach, July 31, 2022. Music: Beatles, With A Little Help From My Friends (Remastered 2009) · The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ℗ 2009 Calderstone Productions Limited (a division of Universal Music Group) Released on: 1967-06-01 Producer: George Martin. Composer  Lyricist: John Lennon. Composer  Lyricist: Paul McCartney Music at beginning and end: Guitar arranged by Bert Alink, Mossy Garden. Thumbnail: Christ Calling His First Disciples, by Adam Brenner (1800–1891) from Leicester Museum & Art Gallery For more meditations: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos

Jeremiah 26, 11-16: First reading is from a sermon by the prophet Jeremiah in the temple. He’s warning them that the temple will be destroyed. So there is this confrontation between Jeremiah and the authorities of Judah. He declares his innocence like Christ and is eventually saved by the intervention of the king.  In the Gospel of the day we have the account of the death of John the Baptist (Matt 14, 1-12). Now Herod is in his own party, so he is in his own element. The wine is flowing. He has nobody to guide him. He has already a pretty hedonistic attitude, and this leads to the beheading of John the Baptist. Titian has a spectacular painting of the moment when Salome gives the head of John the Baptist to her mother, Herodias. It dates to around 1515 and I remember seeing it with excitement in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery in Rome. Lord, let me not be afraid of the cross, or what people call the cross. The seal of Opus Dei: the Cross at the heart of the world. It is not like a medal that encircles the cross, or restricts its extent, or where it ought to be. The circle is not just a circle. It is a globe. Music: J.S. Bach, "Jesu, meine Freude", BWV 227. Thumbnail: Titian, "Salome with the head of John the Baptist," 1515, Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome. See more meditations on my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos

Matt 13, 24-30: The parable of the seeds sown in the field. There was good seed, but also weeds. Weeds all through the wheat is a dangerous poison. You think you're collecting some good wheat, but it is actually quite toxic. This meditation was preached at Copper Ridge Conference Centre, in Britannia Beach, BC, about an hour north of Vancouver, Canada. July 23, 2022. Music: Adoramus Te, Christe was composed by Théodore Dubois (1837-1924). Thumbnail: Vincent Van Gogh, The Sower, 1988. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation). For more meditations on YouTube see: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos

Matthew 12:46-50: While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Picture now the Lord stretching out his arms in a gesture of inclusion, as though he were embracing everyone in the family, as part of that covenant, as though he were saying that his followers are part of an intimate family, and can really feel at home, feel welcomed, feel together. The people of Israel too felt themselves to be part of a family. There were foreigners, outsiders, but also those of our family. A chosen people, the apple of God’s eye.But now the Lord extends that inclusion in the family, by referring to God’s will, not to blood, not to the people of Israel.“For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Music: Una rosa me diste, by the Choir of the Roman College of Holy Mary in Rome.  Thumbnail: 1940s Belgian art deco holy card of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary by Jos Speybrouck. For more meditations, check my channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos www.ernescliff.ca www.opusdei.ca

Pope Francis, in referring to the saints, gives us this answer: God chooses certain people so that we might see more clearly the reality of sanctity, so that we might see that it is He who sanctifies . . . This is the first rule of sanctity: Christ must increase and we must decrease (Homily, 9 May 2014). In Todays Gospel, from Luke 10:38-42, Jesus tells Martha: "Por unum est necessarium". One thing is necessary. What is that necessary thing in my life? We must search for sanctity like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, as the only real way home. Preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai in Lyncroft centre, Toronto, July 17, 2022. Music: Handel, Opera Rinaldo, Aria "Lascia ch'io pianga", arranged for guitar by Bert Alink  For more meditations, check my channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos www.ernescliff.ca www.opusdei.ca

Gospel from the fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary time (c): Luke 10:25-37: There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live". Preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Lyncroft Centre, July 10, 2022. Music: Handel, Opera Rinaldo, Aria "Lascia ch'io pianga", arranged for guitar by Bert Alink. Thumbnail: Rembrandt, The good samaritan, Etching, 1633, fourth (final) state. Sotheby's.

In her book "Maybe You Should talk to someone" (2019), Lori Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients’ lives.  We too are like patients, with all these inner chambers. These are chambers that we must prepare to open up, so that we can be helped to see how all the machinery is working. Preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai at Lyncroft Centre on July 6, 2022. Music: Andrian Berenguer, Fall (Album Multiplicity, 2017) For more meditations, check my channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos www.ernescliff.ca www.opusdei.ca

One of the most inspiring, and hopeful passages in St. Paul is in his letter to Timothy, where he gives him pastoral instruction in dealing with the people of God. 1 Tim 2, 4: God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. It is our dream. To be illuminated by the truth itself. St. Josemaria Escriva said in Furrow 221: Be sure of this: you need to be fully formed to face the rush of people that is going to press upon us with a specific and urgent question: “Well then, what’s to be done?” What does it mean to be fully formed? Fr. Eric Nicolai peaches at Chipnee Camp in Fort Burwell, Ontario, July 2, 2022. Music: Handel’s Rinaldo opera, aria, “Lascia ch’io pianga”, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink. Thumbnail: Fra Angelico St Peter Preaching in the Presence of St Mark 1433, museum of San Marco, Florence. Wiki Commons. For more videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos

Matthew 9:1-8: Jesus got in the boat, crossed the water and came to his own town. Then some people appeared, bringing him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’ Do I trust in God's forgiveness of my sin? What really is sin? Fr. Eric Nicolai preaches to some campers at Chipnee camp, at Port Burwell, Ontario, on June 30, 2022. Music: Handel’s Rinaldo opera, aria, “Lascia ch’io pianga”, arranged for guitar by Bert Alink. Thumbnail: Christ healing the paralytic at Bethesda, by Palma il Giovane, 1592, Collezione Molinari Pradelli, Castenaso, Italy.

Acts 12:1-11: tells us about Herod who had James executed by the sword. Since this was pleasing to the Jews, he thought he would go after Peter too. You can imagine the hostility in the air when you execute someone and it makes them happy. Though Paul and Peter had some differences, their unity is symbolized by the famous kiss of peace, where they embrace on their way to their martyrdom. Preached in Ernescliff College on June 29, 2022. Music: Faith of Our Fathers | Fountainview Academy | The Great Controversy. Thumbnail: Greek Icon of Peter and Paul embrace. For more meditations, check my channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos www.ernescliff.ca www.opusdei.ca