logo
episode-header-image
May 19
29m 18s

Be like a Vitamin: the New Commandment

Eric Nicolai
About this episode

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on May 18, 2025, at Lyncroft Center in Toronto.

The Lord took care to leave a deep impression on the disciples, the apostles, when he gave them the mandatum novum. (John 13)

It was like a special legacy that he wanted to leave behind. They remembered the words, his tone, but they especially remembered his gestures of tenderness and the warm tone of his voice when he knelt in front of them and washed their feet.

They never forgot that night. It stayed imprinted on their brain.


Up next
Yesterday
You Hypocrites! The Urgency of Unity of Life
A meditation preached in the woods by Fr. Eric Nicolai at camp Caribou near Barry's Bay, Ontario.Matt 23: 13-22: Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others ... Show More
24m 25s
Aug 17
I Have Come to Cast Fire to the Earth
Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation on August 17, 2025 at Lyncroft centre in Toronto.Luke 12:49: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed!Lord, yo ... Show More
28m 55s
Aug 6
The Apostles Believed in Ghosts
A meditation preached in the rectory of the Cathedral of the archdiocese of St. Boniface, Manitoba, August 5, 2025.The account of Jesus walking on the water (Matt 14, 22-36) frightened the apostles, as they thought that Jesus was maybe not real. He becomes all the more real now i ... Show More
21m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
What the Death of Pope Francis Teaches Us
In the wake of Pope Francis’s passing, Fr. Mike Schmitz shares a powerful reflection on loss, legacy, and the enduring mission of the Church. He reminds us that while every soul is uniquely irreplaceable, the roles we hold can be entrusted to others because our identity is rooted ... Show More
7m 55s
Aug 2023
WOF 401: A Theology of Work
Friends, is work something good or bad? Is it central to being human, or a punishment resulting from sin? And how do we understand our work theologically, tying it to God? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss the Catholic Church’s view toward ... Show More
32m 31s
Apr 2025
The Meaning of Pope Francis
The passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025 marked not just the end of a papacy but the end of an era in global politics. The moment in which Francis spoke before Congress a decade ago and identified Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Martin Luther King as models of Christian mora ... Show More
1h 24m
Jul 4
The Inside Out Kingdom
Christianity is utterly different from religion. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says there are two paths—one that leads to life and one that leads to destruction. And here’s what the scary thing is: both ways have people praying, giving to the poor, obeying God’s la ... Show More
42m 13s
Jan 2025
The Lord We Can Know
Jesus Christ did not come to start a new religion. He didn’t come to start the best religion. He came to end religion. Every religion has its extremists. Religion causes an enormous amount of conflict and strife in this world. What are we going to do about it? To embrace Jesus Ch ... Show More
41m 19s
May 16
The Lord of the Sabbath
In Mark 2, Jesus makes a claim that is so over the top, so out of all categories, so outrageous that the religious leaders don’t even have a word for it. They’ve called him blasphemous before, but this claim goes beyond their words. In this passage, two incidents are linked toget ... Show More
41m 41s
Jun 9
ENTRY & END TIMES | Signs of the End | Matthew 24:1-14 | Philip Anthony Mitchell
In Week 14 of “ENTRY & END TIMES,” Phillip Anthony Mitchell proclaimed the end time teachings of Matthew 24:1–14 with SIGNS OF THE END.Jesus warned of deception, persecution, and lawlessness and gave a charge to endure. As the birth pains intensify, may we be found faithful, proc ... Show More
1h 11m
Aug 5
The Death of Jesus
In this episode, we reflect on the death of Jesus Christ—not just as a historical event, but as the central act of God's redemptive plan. Why did Jesus have to die? What did the crucifixion accomplish? And how should His suffering shape the way we understand God, ourselves, and s ... Show More
27m 29s
Mar 2025
The Brutal Truth About Holiness
When you think of holiness, what comes to mind? Is it a saint who has never stumbled? Does the idea of holiness feel out of reach when you're grappling with your own brokenness or the weight of your sins? Today, Fr. Mike reminds us that the journey to holiness isn’t always a stra ... Show More
6m 50s