John Henry Newman probed mysteries of Christianity

Most people know of the Englishman, John Henry Newman, who lived during the 19th century (1801-1890), in two ways: either as the promoter of Newman Centers at colleges and universities around the globe or as the author of popular hymns such as “Lead Kindly Light.”

When I received a notice in the mail early this year announcing a call for papers for the annual conference of the Blessed John Henry Newman Association, which will take place July 28 to 30 at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, I was prompted to do some library research on him. No small task, as the listing of Newman’s books and articles are yards long and the material written about him by other authors is equally as long or longer.

What grabbed my attention from the material I covered was a sermon preached Oct. 23, 1836, called “The Greatness and Littleness of Human Life.”

It was from a series of sermons that resulted in Newman being described as having “pulpit eloquence.”

He did not focus on church dogma. Instead, his words were said to have, “simplicity and directness of appeal, subtle psychological analysis and unexpected and vivid imagery.”

These early sermons are an expression of his sacramental view of visible phenomena. For him, “the physical world is a curtain which veils, but does not hide, the glories of a vision too bright for mortal eyes to bear, too vast for mortal minds to comprehend.”

Newman had an exceptional intellect that he used to probe the mysteries of the Christian faith.

Whatever insight or achievement he obtained in this world was always contrasted against the glories that would be available after death. Thus the greatness of our earthly achievements would appear little or almost insignificant compared to what would be available in the spiritual realm.

Following his pathway to God was not as straightforward as he expected it to be as he moved from being a priest in the Church of England to being accepted as a Catholic priest. While his students at the university and his parishioners accepted his decision, he did have detractors, especially when he was elevated to the position of cardinal without having first served as a bishop.

On Sept. 25, 1843, Newman preached his last sermon as an Anglican. Hundreds of his Oxford friends and others crowded into the church to hear his goodbye. People sobbed audibly, and it is said that there was not a dry eye in the church.

Newman asked the audience, “Has anyone made you feel that there was a higher life than this daily one, and a brighter world than that you see; or encouraged you, or sobered you, or opened a way to the inquiring, or soothed the perplexed?” These were all goals that Newman had embedded in his sermons and he hoped that all were touched by them. When I read the goals that Newman had hoped to attain in his sermons, I thought it was a wonderful way to show love of neighbor in a practical way. We all know that the Golden Rule tells us ... “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

With all the connotations of the word “love,” it is sometimes hard to think of what you can do to help. But, a run through of Newman’s goals easily could suggest a way to help a friend in need or to make a stranger a friend.

Newman strove to follow the “kindly light” and constantly made his decisions according to which choice would bring him closer to God. That is why he was so insistent on having a religious presence on campus. He wanted students to choose their careers not only according to their aptitude and preference but to understand the obligation we all have to help our fellow men, women, and children. Neuman is entitled “blessed” because one miracle has been verified and entitled to him. If another miracle occurs, he would be considered for sainthood in the Catholic Church.

Conference registration can be obtained at www.newmanassociation.com. Registration deadline is Wednesday. For further questions, send email to cdiclaudio@ninsdu.org.

Dr. Agnes Martinko is a member of St. Edward Church in Youngstown.