 This blog, Heart Speaks to Heart, dedicated to St. John Henry Newman, is named from his motto, Cor ad Cor Loquitor. Therefore, I am delighted that Pope Leo XIV announced that he will declare St. John Henry Newman (1801-1890) as the 38th Doctor of the Church.* Newman is one of my heroes, not just because of what he wrote, but because of the life he led. Yes, he was a brilliant theologian, but he was also a great saint. Although his life was filled with the pain of rejection and misunderstanding as a result of his conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism, – (Anglicans reviled him as a betrayer, and early on, Catholics distrusted him) – it did not stop Newman from writing, praying, and living the faith. He was so influential that he was elevated from priest to cardinal by Pope Leo XIII, an honorary designation since Newman was already 78 years of age. As much as one could see this as a kind of vindication, he did not live as if it was, but rather, he lived with characteristic humility and wisdom, truly the mark of a saint.  Given his subjection to ridicule, attack, and therefore, interior suffering, the sanctity of John Henry Newman is yet evident in his writing. He once wrote, “…as persons have deep feelings, so they will find the necessity of self-control, lest they should say what they ought not.…” ** He recognized that while he was able to refute arguments theologically, something he did with brilliance and wisdom, he adhered to his Lord Jesus who taught that retaliation and retribution are simply not responses of love. What Jesus taught makes no sense to those who are ‘of the world;’ those without faith cannot fathom the mysterious justice of God and therefore they teach a justice that is based on ‘human-conceived fairness’ as opposed to what Jesus taught in loving our neighbor. Newman knew, and therefore taught, that people of faith know that love does not mean becoming a doormat, but rather, to respond as we ought; we beg for the grace of self-control, and after sufficient prayer, we then are able to do that which is ordinarily beyond us, offering a response guided by love.  A little later in the text Newman wrote: “The world… cannot believe that men will deliberately sacrifice this life to the next; …. all the reasons which religious men allege, seem to the world unreal….”** Thus, he recognized that the core issue is the distinction between the values of the world and those of Jesus Christ. Beginning with Jesus, then the writings of St. Paul, there has been an emphasis on the life of the Christian as being different from those without faith. Indeed, the way we live is different; consequently, the values and actions of those who are of Christian faith can never be understood by the worldly, the forces which oppose God, because they do not accept Jesus and His teachings. And most certainly the world cannot understand that we put more value in the next life than in this one; we work not to gather up treasure on earth, but that which is “treasure in Heaven.” (Matthew 6:19-21) *** St. Paul wrote, “We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:18)  We must always remember that this is not our home; our home is with God forever in eternal life. (Hebrews 13:14-16) Of course, we are to enjoy the good gifts of the earth, the beauty of creation, the love of family and friends, and all the wonderful gifts of God. And yes, we are meant to have pleasure enjoying experiences and the work of our hands. But we cannot cling to them, nor allow any of these things to become attachments such that the gifts are placed above the Giver of the Gifts. The world wants us to become attached so that we forget the Giver and place our attention on things that exclude God and His values. Further, the world will attack us whenever we do live the Christian life by placing our values not on that which is transient, but on the unseen and eternal. Therefore, we have people like the Doctors of the Church to turn to for theological insight, but let us not forget to look at the behaviors they exhibited throughout their lives which underscored their holiness. It is not by mistake that every Doctor of the Church was first declared a saint, then the extra title was added since they have so much to offer our understanding of the faith.  It is important to ground ourselves in the Gospels and the Letters of St. Paul to deepen our sense of how we are called to live as Christians. It would also be beneficial to read some of the lives (and writings) of the Doctors of the Church. There are not a lot of books on some of them, but those such as St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux and St. John Henry Newman, to name a few, are readily available. And finally, pray. It is the Lord Himself who is the source of all wisdom and of all grace. It is through consistent, daily dialogue with God that we grow in holiness and the wisdom which comes from Him. We are not at home here, and it is the Lord who shows us the way to get there through the wisdom needed to attain it.  May we be inspired by the life and writing of St. John Henry Newman! May we live with humility and love as taught by our Lord! And may we take the time to read, reflect, and pray so that the Holy Spirit can guide us to our everlasting home! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!
©Michele L. Catanese Note 1: Ironically, even with a blog dedicated to St. John Henry Newman, I have only written about him once before, in June, 2018. In that entry I gave a fair amount of information on his life, and I provided a few links, one to a short biography, and one to his most famous poem which was highlighted in the entry. (Lead Kindly Light) The entry was titled Hope: The Heart of the Good News. Here is the link: https://www.catanesesd.com/micheles-blog/hope-the-heart-of-the-good-news Note 2: Here are some Scripture references which highlight the teaching that this life is not our home: Colossians 3:1; Matthew 5:38-42; Romans 8:18-25; John 18:36; Matthew 26:52-53; Matthew 10:28-31; 1 Peter 2:13-17; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. * The title Doctor of the Church is an official designation that is “bestowed by the Pope in recognition of the outstanding contribution a person has made to the understanding and interpretation of the sacred Scriptures and the development of Christian doctrine.” ** The first quote is from page 325, section 1, in an essay found in The Heart of Newman, A Synthesis Arranged by Erich Przywara, SJ (Ignatius Press, reprinted 2010, originally printed in 1963). The second quote is from the same essay, same page, section 2. Newman wrote the essay in a compilation he called Sermons Bearing on the Subjects of the Day. *** I am referencing the focus of another essay found on page 331 of the book quoted above, writings which come from Newman’s Parochial and Plain Sermons. Images: 1. Print; St. John Henry Newman's Coat of Arms. This coat of arms with the motto, Cor ad Cor Loquitor was what he chose when he was elevated to Cardinal. 2. My photo; By the River in Cascade Canyon, Colorado. 3. Oil painting; The Angelus, 1857-59, by Jean-Francois Millet. These workers in the field stopped work to say the Angelus prayer. Christians do behave differently! 4. My photo; Crypt chapel in the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Colorado. This mosaic and chapel seemed to capture the reality that our home is in the next world, that is, Heaven. It is as if everything here draws one's eye upward, as if ascending. 5. Fresco painting; Doctors of the Church, by Luca Signorelli (1499-1502). Found at WikiArt.org, public domain. 6. Icon; Saint John Henry Newman by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this at fineartamerica.com/featured/blessed-cardinal-john-henry-newman-221-william-hart-mcnichols.html Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. Comments are closed.
|
Heart Speaks to Heart
|
RSS Feed
