Newman on Tap Presents

This episode features English scholar Dr. Bernadette Waterman Ward - a Newman and Hopkins expert from the University of Dallas. The discussion centers on Newman's sermon "Obedience without Love, as Instanced in the Character of Balaam,” using the biblical figure of Balaam as a case study in a subtle but dangerous spiritual failure: obeying God outwardly while remaining self-centered at heart. Newman argues that religion practiced merely as self-management or social respectability — rather than as genuine love and surrender to God — leaves a person fundamentally misaligned with Him. The conversation draws on René Girard's concept of Memetic Desire and Newman's novel Loss and Gain to illustrate how we rationalize moral compromises and gradually deaden our conscience. It closes with Newman's striking warning that God's calls may not be repeated, and that first impulses of conscience are often more trustworthy than second-guessed "reasonable" ones.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

In this episode of Newman on Tap, host Ron Snyder discusses Newman's 1828 sermon "Religion, A Weariness to the Natural Man" with guest Callie McDonald, a nurse and member of the forming Benedictine Oblates of Mary at the University of Mary in Bismarck. Newman's central argument is that religion feels burdensome not because it is lacking, but because the human heart is not yet aligned with God — as he writes, "We cannot expect the system of the universe to come over to us… these are fixed, we must go over to them." Callie brings this truth to life through her own journey of discernment, explaining that true freedom is not doing whatever you want, but the capacity to choose the good — and that a half-hearted relationship with God bears little fruit. The conversation explores how grace, not willpower alone, transforms the soul from routine religious practice into a lived, intimate encounter with Christ. Newman's sermon ultimately closes as a call to surrender self-deception and align our desires with divine truth, so that we may become the kind of people capable of enjoying the eternal good.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

In this episode host Ron Snyder interviews Dr. Peter Daly — orthopedic surgeon, co-founder of One World Surgery, and lifelong devotee of St. John Henry Newman. Together they explore Newman's sermon "The Yoke of Christ" (1839), examining how suffering, the Beatitudes, and the narrow way of the cross lead to true freedom and righteousness. Dr. Daly shares a deeply personal account of his 2021 bone marrow transplant, describing it as a transformative "purgatory experience" that stripped away self-reliance and brought him into profound intimacy with God. The conversation weaves Newman's unflinching theology — that a yoke is still a yoke, even Christ's — with lived experience. The episode closes with reflections on Dr. Daly's humanitarian work in Honduras as a living expression of "washing the brethren's feet" by carrying the cross of Christ for each other.  To learn more of One World Surgery go to https://oneworldsurgery.org/To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Host Ron Snyder and Patrick Reilly discuss St. John Henry Newman's sermon "Intellect, the Instrument of Religious Training" (1857). Patrick, founder of the Cardinal Newman Society (https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/) discusses how Newman argued that Catholic education must unite faith and intellect — that forming only the "gentleman" through liberal arts is insufficient without also tending to the soul. They explore Newman's depiction of how the fall fragmented the human soul, permitting the intellect, will, and passions to war against each other, and how this mirrors the fragmentation of the modern university. Newman's solution is that the Catholic Church, like St. Monica praying for Augustine, must serve as a spiritual mother through its universities — reuniting knowledge with grace, forming not just the intellect but the whole person toward communion with God.Also, consider joining Patrick, Msgr. James Shea and others on a "Newman Experience Pilgrimage" to England September 6 - 12, 2026. Copy and paste in your browser below for more information. https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/the-newman-experience/To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

In this episode of Newman on Tap, host Ron Snyder discusses St. John Henry Newman's sermon "Faith and Private Judgment" with Dr. Glen Cowan, a retired orthodontist and lifelong Methodist who recently joined the Newman study group. Glenn shares how Newman's writings have transformed his faith by revealing the richness of Catholic tradition, the Church Fathers, and the importance of submitting to divine truth rather than relying solely on private interpretation of Scripture. The conversation explores Newman's distinction between faith in written words versus faith in living oracles (the Church and its teachers), emphasizing that true faith means trusting God's messengers, not just individual judgment. Glenn describes his journey from ignorance of Catholic teaching to discovering a "river" of spiritual depth beyond his Protestant upbringing, finding Newman to be not just a man who loves God, but one "in love with God." The episode concludes with reflections on grace, humility, and the call to surrender personal ego in order to fully receive Christ's transformative love.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Host Ron Snyder discusses St. John Henry Newman's sermon "The Crucifixion" with 16-year-old Charlotte Walter from St. Rose Philippine Duchesne parish in Anthem, Arizona. Together they explore how to develop authentic faith beyond superficial feelings by examining Newman's concept of "dwelling" in Christ's sufferings through contemplative prayer, using vivid analogies of cruelty to animals, children, and elderly persons to make the crucifixion emotionally real. Charlotte reflects on how teenage faith programs often focus on emotional experiences, but true love requires both feeling and action—dwelling in Christ's suffering leads to deeper relationship with God. The discussion emphasizes that belief in the unseen requires grace accessed through prayer and the sacraments - in particular the Eucharist - where the material meets the immaterial. Charlotte commits to an intentional Lent by contemplating Christ's sufferings through Newman's examples, recognizing that understanding His suffering reveals His love for us.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

In this episode, Ron Snyder welcomes Paul Lorie from Erie, Pennsylvania to discuss St. John Henry Newman's sermon "Self-Denial: The Test of Religious Earnestness" (March 25, 1842). They explore Newman's challenge to examine whether we're truly awake in our faith or merely going through the motions, caught up in cultural Christianity rather than genuine spiritual commitment. Paul and Ron discuss how Newman calls us to daily self-denial as proof of authentic faith—not grand gestures, but small acts of love that push us beyond comfort and worldly interests. The conversation emphasizes that true Christian obedience, rooted in love like Christ's example in Gethsemane, requires constant examination of conscience and willingness to sacrifice temporal advantages for eternal truth.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

In this episode host Dr. Ron Snyder discusses St. John Henry Newman's sermon "Christian Reverence" with Joe O'Sullivan, editor of the Bayou Catholic Magazine. Joe brings a unique perspective shaped by his formative experience in Dr. Don Briel's Newman course at the University of St. Thomas, which he credits as the most faith-solidifying class of his education. Throughout the discussion, Joe demonstrates Newman's gift for holding theological tensions—particularly the balance between Christ's mercy and kingship, and between fear and love in our relationship with God. He emphasizes Newman's remarkable ability to illuminate complex theological concepts through relatable human experiences, making his 19th-century sermons surprisingly timeless and relevant to contemporary Christians. Joe also shares how Newman's pastoral wisdom and personal struggles—being rejected by both Catholics and Protestants—make him a saint for those who feel marginalized, and how he works to bring Newman's insights into his magazine's content to reach more people with this profound spiritual guidance.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

In this episode, host Dr. Ron Snyder welcomes Dr. Michael Adkins to discuss Newman's 1831 sermon "Scripture, A Record of Human Sorrow." Dr. Adkins, Director of Academics at St. Agnes School in St. Paul, Minnesota, explores how Newman challenges the Enlightenment's denial of the fall by revealing scripture's solemn character as a divine mercy—a remedy against the fleeting vanities of worldly pleasures. Through the Gospel story of the paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda, Newman illustrates how we can spend our lives lying helpless by the pool, waiting for healing that only Christ can provide. The discussion examines how scripture's "dark" tenor serves as a forewarning that saves us from greater disappointment, teaching us to maintain a balanced Christian outlook that rejoices in earthly blessings without clinging to them. Dr. Adkins also shares insights on embodying Newman's educational vision through the work of Christopher Dawson, John Senior - co-founder of the Integrated Humanities Program at the University of Kansas), and Don Briel, emphasizing the importance of prayer, virtue, and the witness of saints in forming young people. The episode concludes with Newman's powerful reminder that the true Christian lives with detachment, knowing that "the world is not yours" and that all blessings will be received again in the world to come.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Our guest today is Fr. Anthony Andreassi is a native of White Plains, NY, who was ordained a priest of the Brooklyn Oratory in 2007. Holds a doctorate in history from Georgetown University with a specialization in American Catholic history. Fr. Anthony spent 25 years in Catholic secondary education as a teacher and administrator.  He is author of Teach Me to Be Generous: A History of Regis High School in New York City(Fordham Univ Press, 2014). Fr. Anthony looks at the second of two sermons preached on the first anniversary of the founding of the Oratory of St. Phillip Neri in Birmingham, England. In this second sermon, Newman contrasts the dramatic, short-lived reform of Savonarola with the quiet, hidden, slowly unfolding sanctity of St. Philip Neri, whose mission embodied the “still, small voice” of God rather than fire or earthquake. He shows how Philip was formed successively by the spiritual lineages of Dominic, Benedict, and Ignatius, and how his humble, unobtrusive charity—especially in the confessional—made him the true Apostle of Rome. The sermon concludes by urging Philip’s sons in the Oratory to imitate his humility, hiddenness, and patient, interior work for souls.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

James Libbey, a young adult, active parishioner at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina, Minnesota looks at Newman’s sermon “The Visible Church an Encouragement to Faith.” Here Newman reminds us that God never leaves His faithful ones to walk alone; the visible Church surrounds us with living signs of His presence and the steady witness of His saints. Even when we feel scattered or alone, we are upheld by a great company – past and present – who help us lift our hearts and eyes to Christ and run the race with renewed courage. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Greg Aitchison—a father of four, former middle school theology teacher, and now a Catholic health coach and Catholic religion curriculum planner—reflects on St. John Henry Newman’s sermon “The Power of the Will.” Greg highlights Newman’s central conviction: unless we labor for sanctity, our projects amount to nothing. Newman insists that we must firmly set our will on loving God; without this intentional desire, we will never reach union with Him. Our shortcomings, Newman says, do not primarily arise from our fallen nature but from lacking “one thing”—the genuine desire to be made new. We are privileged to have received grace, and it is our responsibility to nurture it so that we may become true sons and daughters of God. Spiritual exertion is required for us to grow in love of God. What we lack is not capacity but the willingness to use what God has already given us. For Newman, holiness is eminently practical. Though the evil one presses heavily upon us, we can freely cast off his influence. Once we choose to reject evil, grace becomes fully operative in our lives. The saints accomplished great things because they possessed hearts capable of contemplating, designing, and willing great things—and we, too, are called to this same sanctity. Echoing St. John Paul II, Newman urges us: “Be not afraid.” And again: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”Greg’s Catholic health coaching project can be found at HappyHealthyandHoly.org.His Catholic curriculum work is available at CatholicReligionTeacher.com.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Fiona Muir, a physician’s assistant graduate student, former Fellowship of Christian Athlete leader, and collegiate All-American swimmer finds “God the Way maker “ in Newman’s sermon “The Work of the Christian.” Here we discover that God’s plan is bigger than we can image allowing us to actively participate in His providence while letting go of our own control - a surrender to Divine Providence. Newman leads us to understand that as we reach towards God we must pause and receive His direction and will. Grace gives us the strength to do the work of our calling. When we have faith in Christ and the Gospel our work becomes glorious rather than overpowering. In this glorious work God makes Himself uniquely known as we carry His image to the world. Our callings are personal and deeply rooted in Christ. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

As a priest of the St. John Society—a community that honors St. John Henry Newman as its intellectual patron—Fr. John Poodts reflects on Newman’s sermon “A Particular Providence Revealed in the Gospel,” which profoundly influenced his vocation to the priesthood. The sermon exemplifies the power of Newman’s prose, moving hearts through his deep understanding of Scripture and his ability to reveal God’s personal love made manifest in the concrete reality of the Incarnation. Drawing on the insights of the early Church Fathers, Newman develops the idea that Divine condescension is more than God’s mere lowering of Himself to human nature; it is His full entrance into humanity, making Himself completely accessible to us. In this condescension, we begin to grasp the nature of God’s love and are invited toward a more perfect union with the Divine. When this union between God’s nature and our own is perfected within the soul, only two realities remain self-evident: myself and my Creator. As we experience God’s love more deeply, we begin to sense our definite purpose and mission. When God touches our hearts through personal influence, we cannot help but share the Good News through that same instrument. The true transformation of the world occurs person to person—heart to heart.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Raymond Mitchell, director of liturgy and Sunday experience at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina, Minnesota investigates Newman’s sermon, “The World’s Benefactors.” With Newman, Raymond sees that the beauty of the liturgy helps us rehearse for eternal life. It is in the liturgy where we find the living Christ; in the Eucharist, The Word, preaching, each other, music, and architecture. Newman uses St. Andrew to highlight that it is in the personal that we find and share Christ. Our purpose in the world is to share what we receive in the liturgy. Silence in liturgy appeals to Newman’s understanding that God speaks to us behind a veil. Part of what it means to be a human person is to rest in the silence of the invisible world. In the Psalms, with all its various forms, we identify ourselves as a people whose God desires to be in relationship with us. The Psalms and many of the books in the Bible are offered to us by unseen authors. Likewise, it is the unseen Author that shapes each of our lives. Raymond draws parallels with Romano Guardini in that the liturgy moves beyond performance and esthetics. Both Newman and Guardini call us back to a school of humility and hiddenness where we find God in the liturgy. We need to enter liturgy with a disposition of stillness in order to find our often-quiet God. Since our words come from within, they are an expression of heart and spirit. This expression needs to be intertwined into the fabric of our lives so that we orient our day to forms of worship. The world is sanctified and upheld by this hidden, life-giving worship.  Since the liturgy is where heaven and earth meet it is our goal to unveil the hidden realities of this meeting place. So, like St. Andrew, we are called to propagate the Kingdom of God by the hidden life of worship with in us.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Dr. Paul Shrimpton from Oxford, England discusses a sermon offering a central claim of the Oxford Movement. Newman opens by moving from a wide seep of Christian history to the particulars of personalism showing us that ultimately truth is propagated over time by the sharing of lives. The directives of scripture must be lived to have influence on others. Errors in defining truth readily take the upper hand since the delicate matters about God often rest in broad non-specifics where words can’t fully transmit divine truth. Since truth is found through the assemblage of scattered evidence over time it is best upheld by the personal witness of others. With that understanding Newman antcipates Vatican II’s call to universal evangelization through a sacramental personal interaction. Search “Paul Shrimpton Word on Fire” to purchase a copy of the October 9, 2025 release of The Most Dangerous Man in England,” where Dr. Shrimpton examines Newman’s revolutionary perspective on the laity’s role in the Church and in the world.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Fr. Ignacio Llorente, a priest of the Saint John’s Society (a society of apostolic life with St. John Henry Newman as their intellectual father) discusses Newman’s Oxford University sermon “Wisdom, Contrasted with Faith and with Bigotry.”  This sermon is one of the last three sermons (of the 15-sermon series) which together are a preparation for Newman’s classic, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. Newman establishes that faith has an implicit and spontaneous aspect where wisdom is a more mature development of thought. Faith like reason is an active, spontaneous energy within us where wisdom is a maturity and ultimately the perfection of the intellect. Gaining wisdom, according to Newman, is a perfection involving an enlargement of mind dependent on the capacity to expand your mind through the connection of new knowledge with existing knowledge forming comprehensive knowledge. Ultimate Truth is gained only through the operation of this mature reasoning under the influence of grace. While we expand our minds when we study natural sciences, history, philosophy, travel or even discourse with un-believers our main source of expansion mind is religion. Religion gives us a sense of the totality of reality; both the visible and the invisible worlds. Fr Ignacio points out that without this complete vision of reality we are left with a reductionist view. Believing in things that once were “unreal,” like the existence of God or the Eucharist, is very expansive, adventurous and exciting. Application of new circumstances to timeless principles is the process for this enlargement. This enlarged exercise of wisdom is how we unfold eternal truths. On the other hand, gaining knowledge without this integration leads to skepticism and bigotry.  A sceptic is unable to integrate thought due to a failure to engage essentials. On the other hand, as we enlarge our mind and view of the world, we approach true wisdom and begin to see the world as God does. Next, Newman distinguishes faith, wisdom and bigotry. Faith and wisdom give us a calm, humble view of reality. Bigotry, on the other hand with its limited set of principles in judging reality, leads to intolerance. The intolerant bigot regularly cancels ideas that don’t match their own limited way of thinking. Those striving for true expansion of mind possess a faith that seeks wisdom. They realize that they don’t know everything (unlike the bigot) and search for more breadth and depth to their faith and knowledge. This unification of faith and reason moves towards the wisdom of Christ. Similarly, all of scripture is a unified whole pointing to the Incarnation. It is wrong to read any Bible passage in an isolated manner. Rather we need to connect each passage to the whole of scripture. The goal of enlargement of mind is receiving the mind of Christ and growing into the fullness of the maturity of Christ. Enlargement is much more than an intellectual endeavor. We learn through life, circumstances, and people. We enlarge our vision of reality as we go through life striving for the fullness found in the wisdom of Christ. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

As a mental health therapist and mother of three young boys Hannah Rangel (my daughter) reflects on Newman’s realism that appears in the sermon “Christ Hidden from the World.” Newman shows us that Christ dwells in the ordinary where we are called to carry Him to the world in our “earthly tabernacle.” Since true religion is a hidden life in the heart, our secret, deep desire for God is our call to be holy. Led by Newman’s insight that those physically closest to Christ on earth were the ones that brutally murdered Him, Hannah asks a piercing question; is our sin, while being informed by the facts of His passion, worse than those who ignorantly tortured Him? She discerns that when we sin, we blaspheme against the Holy Spirit because we understand the passion. However, when we approach Him “inwardly” we are closer to Him than those that walked with Him and knew Him not. Hannah adds that this inward sense invites us into His suffering when we experience our own in the ordinary events of life. The suffering of the poor is an instrument of His Divine Prescence. It is in this ordinary, hidden, humble state that we find Christ.  To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Patrick Freese, sacristan and administrator at Our Lady of Grace parish in Edina, Minnesota begins this Eucharistic episode with a reflection on the parish wide support for the families of neighboring Annunciation Parish following the horrific all school mass shooting. Patrick opens his reflection of Newman’s sermon “Gospel Feast” by appropriately noticing the tension found in God’s created world that is simultaneously fruitful and broken. This tension is answered by the Gospel feast in the innocent sacrifice of Christ. Both the Old and New Testaments prefigure this sacred meal as not only the sustenance of our present pilgrimage but a foretaste of the eternal banquet in heaven. Because the Eucharist is hidden in the supernatural it surpasses even the visible blessings of Isreal. Newman urges us to approach this sacrament of privilege not coldly or formally but with faith, awe and love since it is the merciful foretaste of everlasting joy. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Fr. Scott Karl, vice rector of St. Paul Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota describes their innovative priestly formation program considering Newman’s seminary opening sermon, “The Infidelity of the Future.” Like Newman the seminary is focused on human and spiritual formation. For instance, most of the seminarian’s time is without cell phones so that they can focus on their encounter with The Lord, themselves and each other to grow in new ways in the freedom found in the life of The Holy Spirit. The seminary aims to form missionary disciples dealing with “the perils of the time.” Newman shows that infidelity to Truth is the primary peril of the time. The seminarian then must offer a clear, consistent idea of revealed truth which Newman states: cannot be found outside of the Church – “consistency and completeness are the persuasive argument for a system being true.” Healthy human development comes into being through relationship - where we discover our individual identity. Then as we grow, we come to determine our unique purpose in life. Newman helps us understand that our spiritual lives flourish when our identity flows from our relationship with God. There is great freedom in knowing that we are not alone. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Dr. Zach Meckley, PhD, brings G. M. Hopkins’ insights into his discussion of Newman’s sermon, “Sincerity and Hypocrisy.” Dr. Meckley sets the tone by affirming that faith is not a suspension of reason, but rather its fulfillment. Hopkins, for instance, seeks to give nature its proper praise as a means of fully praising God—a recognition of God’s presence and an invitation to welcome Him into one’s heart.Practicing the presence of God fosters single-mindedness: a purity of heart directed toward seeking God’s will. The Fall, as Dr. Meckley notes, reveals man’s unwillingness—Adam’s disordered desire leads him to hide from God, an act that itself becomes a rejection of God’s presence. By contrast, single-mindedness demonstrates a trust in and longing for God.Newman distinguishes between mere sentiment and true desire. An orientation of the heart turns the will toward God, placing us in a state proper to loving Him with a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Dr. Meckley draws thoughtful parallels with Hopkins’ poetry, especially the poem “The Lantern out of Doors.” Much of human life is marked by solitude; yet, as Dr. Meckley observes, Christ remains present when no one else can be: the “first fast, last friend.” God’s presence answers the deep existential loneliness of the human heart. Ultimately, we are never truly alone.This divine presence dwells in our inmost hearts—in our consciences—which are illuminated by God. The heart longs for friendship, and in its openness to God, it finds a home. The psalmist speaks as though God stands before him, bringing all things honestly before God and passing the test of opening one’s heart fully.When we allow God’s light into our hearts, much is resolved. While celebrating natural goods has value, it has limits; the heart is ultimately made for the love of God, which alone can fully satisfy it. Our natural knowledge hints that there is something beyond the goods we pursue—they are never quite enough, and we always yearn for more.Newman guides us to deeper self-knowledge through the test of doing God’s will: desiring to remain in His presence, even in our imperfection.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Dave Berg, longtime active Catholic friend, reacts to Newman’s 1834 sermon “Christian Zeal.”  Dave brings to light Newman’s understanding of zeal as a particular Christian grace that is perfected by faith and love. Without these virtues an incomplete zeal leads to a lukewarm state of mind with a temper of religious indifference. True zeal is guided by Christ’s example, an earnest desire for God’s honor. Newman offers saints Simon and Jude as prototypes of Christ’s loyalty in that they did not merely obey but they obeyed with promptitude, energy, dutifulness, disinterested devotion, disregard of consequences.”To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Dr. Scott Goins, classics professor from McNeese St. University, finds Newman’s theory of education as a model for today’s educators. Newman’s pedagogical elevation of communal learning finds a home in today’s technological teaching. The sermon “Invisible Presence of Christ” insists that by allowing God’s presence we permit ourselves to be what we are meant to be. The unlikely survival and spread of Christianity throughout the ages is evidence of the existence of that Spirit. This same Spirit enters each of us through our shared search for happiness. Excessive individuality is an attempt to replace this thirsting space of for true happiness with strange and simple natural desires which can only be found in God. We best find Him (or rather He finds us) in the tradition and teachings of His Church. It is in our heart, formed in God and for God that we find true happiness. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Fr Sean Magnuson, former military chaplain, analyzes Newman's sermon "Purity and Love” by explaining that fervent love must come from the substance of purity, like a candle's flame coming from the substance of its wax. The life of St. John the Evangelist shows us that his burning love for Christ and His mother fed on his purity. Newman explains that when we are drawn to God's goodness and beauty with our own powers we freely and genuinely love Him and in turn, others. Grace received in purity works within our individual will by properly ordering our desire to Divine union. Divine intimacy requires deep trust in Him, posing the ultimate question: do I love this sin or thing more than God? Nothing but love can enable you to live well or die well.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Olivia Spanton, a Catholic Studies graduate of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota and now young financial planner, parish volunteer, and youth volleyball coach discusses Newman’s 1870 sermon, “Stewards and also Sons of God.” Olivia finds Newman relatable in that his style calls us out as he contrasts religion with the world. She presents the sermon theme as our need to realize that all of our God given gifts are to be returned to Him. Our duty lies in this – we are only borrowing God’s gifts therefore we have a duty to return them to Him. Newman leads us to understand that when we use our God given gifts well, we co-create with Christ. Since everything is gift, we must learn to hear the voice of God in order to affect the return. Olivia discloses that the only way to know someone’s voice is to spend time with them. Newman tells us that His voice directs us to a necessary surrender to Christ. Olivia suggests that one form of surrender is to offer Him our brokenness – surrendering our worldly filter in exchange for the filter of purity in Christ. It is in this purity that God uses our individual faculties to reveal Himself. For us to advance from servants to sons and daughters of God Newman tells us that we must “dig” into our sin to reclaim our union with Christ and we then must love in the form of “begging” for forgiveness enabling us to enter fully into the Paschal Mystery. All of us have an innate sense that sin is not our true identity. When we come to know ourselves in Christ, on the other hand, we find real freedom and joy in our “true self”. We must receive the graces freely offered by the Church to be made new in our identity in Christ. An under-examined conscience “dims” this innate sense. Without the right disposition formed by conscience our service of The Lord can become a performance rather than identity based as a son or daughter of God who receives everything as pure gift. Finally, purification of the soul avoids natural decay and since the soul is eternal, we should obviously strive for purity which is our protection against decay. Newman ends by telling us that becoming good stewards of the manifold gifts of God only happens when we allow grace to untangle our minds. With His grace we become not merely servants, but sons and daughters of God. We now have a mission to live in and move with this privileged inheritance. Its only through grace that we can merit heaven. It is like God telling us “do not run away, you cannot do this by yourself.” To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Caitlan Rangel looks at Newman’s sermon “The Duty of Self-Denial”. Newman helps us realize that we discover ourselves when we find true peace in the self-denying love of Christ. When this selfless love takes the form of co-suffering there is a profound closeness to the Lord. Like Christ, by giving up ourselves, we find joy. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

William Yanek, FOCUS missionary at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota looks closely Newman’s sermon “Christian Manhood”. Here William finds Newman explaining that true manhood is found when we break from our desire for worldly things and grow to desire only unity with God. This desire, provided by the Holy Spirit, is not a zero-sum game. We don’t earn His infinite mercy. Entering into His mercy is the only important thing. If our desires end only in worldly things, we become stuck and slaves to things of this world rather than pursue the ultimate beatitude for which we are made. The child can be blocked from realizing that there are infinitely higher views to engross his mind. If we contemplate our desires, we easily realize that nothing but the Infinite can satisfy our infinite longing. To begin the journey to the Infinite we must hand over all of your worldly wants and desires to Christ. If you want to realize what God promises you need to be willing to take a risk. It is in that space of risk and uncertainty where we learn to trust God. We then are able to rest all our hopes on Divine permanence and support.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Sister Cinthya Carmona of the Pro Ecclesia Sancta order shares with us her thoughts on Newman’s mediations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus which can be found at newmanontap.com. All of Newman’s devotionals can be found at newmanreader.org.  Sister Cinthya discovered that Newman wanted to give the best of himself to Christ. He realized that he had received so much that he responded with all that he had in order to give God glory and love. Newman makes an act of reparation to have the Lord help him purify his love for His heart. Newman speaks in the present tense because he is encountering the living God. His love is constantly given to the one that He loves.  When we look to the Sacred Heart, we see a heart that is wounded enabling us to love within our own weaknesses. Wherever we are in life it is best to give our weaknesses to Him. Being open to receiving His love empowers us to bring Jesus to others. True charity in our hearts transforms other hearts. Since the Sacred Heart is shown to us as open, fragile, and vulnerable when we enter His heart we can not only heal our own wounded hearts, but we can bring that divine love to others. His heart is shown on fire because He has a burning zeal to transmit His love to us. The saints live in His zeal in such a deep way that humility is enkindled in them. Every time that we are disposed to the love of His heart we are created anew in His love.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Dr Jennifer Bryson, (English translator of Ida Friederike Görres’ (1901–1971) long lost mid-20th century work, John Henry Newman – A Life Sacrificed (Ignatius Press)) looks at sermon 2 of Newman’s Sermon Preached on Various Occasions, “Religion of the Pharisee, the Religion of Mankind,” preached on July 20, 1856. Dr. Bryson finds that Newman, by defining the characteristic marks of a Christian, distances his audience from the vague notion of truth found in relativism and the mushy ecumenicism where all religious paths are understood to lead to the same place. Newman asks us to consider that the true Christian is headed towards holiness by recognizing that we need God and that sin distances us from God. We need to look to the saints to find ways to seek God. The saints reorient their entire life because of their inward self aims for God in Jesus Christ through lives led by never ending thankfulness and perpetual humiliation. Newman uses Peter, Job, Isaiah, and Daniel as examples of saints that are aware of the fall but are not conquered it. The saints give us insight into their apprehension of God and His claim on us. They are careful to not embrace an insufficient sense of obedience and duty. Newman describes the Pharisee as an example of this insufficient sense of obedience and duty by standing merely approved in their own sight. They are careless to know what God says of them. Rather the true Christian asks how God judges me beyond what the people of this world expect. The Pharisee considers themselves the measure of their own excellence. Worldly duties have a narrow horizon when contrasted with heavenly duties. When God is perceived as perfection there is always a gap between man and the Divine. The saints accept the gap yet are not disheartened - they try to lessen the gap. The worldly role models have no fear of future scrutiny whereas the saints love the standard that God’s mercy offers. The saints love that they are in relationship with God. They don’t need to be self-actuated, self-fulfilling, self-guides. They are connected to and reliant on God. They find their connection in their conscience. When conscience is disconnected from the Divine, we are left with natural conscience of man which is content that it tells him very little since it has access to only part of the moral law. Natural conscience is not sufficient. True conscience understands its limit because the holder of that conscience understands that I am a sinner and I need God’s grace. The separation of moral reason from obedience to God is the real root of every degeneration of conscience. Only both, inseparably united, form a healthy conscience.  Dr. Bryson suggests the text The Church and the Flesh (Cluny Media) as a starting point to discover Görres brilliant insights into the spiritual life.  To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

In this episode seminarian, Jake Robbins looks at Newman’s 1839 Easter sermon, “Difficulty of Realizing Sacred Privileges” where we find insights into how we move from questioning to heartfelt acceptance of our faith. We come to realize the unknown by realizing truths in our heart. Our deepest desire is to know God at the heart level which God blesses. If we have a deep desire for God more will be given. God takes our small seeds of faith and multiplies it. By little and little the truth breaks upon us. Jake compares Newman’s “by little and little” to the river of God smashing against the rocks of our hearts, slowly eroding the hardness of our heart. Slow growth is real growth. We see more of the next world by looking back over time seeing God’s operations in our lives. We are so used to God’s help and presence that we don’t see it. Newman explains that over time, we gain truths without knowing it. It’s one thing to say that God has a plan for your life. However, it’s a totally different thing to look back and see how the plan really worked out. As we reflect on our lives, we realize that we are giving up the shadows and we are finding the substance. Season after season we learn duty, obedience, self-denial, and sacrifice which makes us more devoted. God is the reason we came into being (our efficient cause) but He is also our final cause – God created us for Himself. Everything in the Christian life is this going forth from God and returning to Him. The reason God has certain laws for us is that they lead us back to Him. We must “unclothe ourselves” from earthly wants and desires to enable us to say yes to a higher reality. The only way to reach God is through shedding of our worldly attachments. All temptations come from the world, the flesh, and the devil – the devil steps in only when he needs to blind us from seeing the reality of God. This attachment to the world prevents our realizing of what God has shown us; "This is the Day which the Lord hath made; (where) we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm cxviii. 24. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

In this episode Fr. Nick Vance, associate pastor at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina, Minnesota looks at Newman’s 1838 sermon “Spiritual Presence of Christ in the Church.” Fr. Nick unpacks Newman’s words: “The Holy Spirit causes, faith welcomes the indwelling of Christ in the heart.” In other words, The Holy Spirit makes the presence of Christ within you a reality. Newman tells us that the indwelling of Christ is made possible by the paradox that it is better for us that Christ ascended to The Father. Newman tells us that we enjoy a more real possession of Him than when He walked the earth because it is spiritual, because it is invisible. The invisible spiritual reality enables Christ to be with each of us today. Fr Nick shares an ancient metaphor that speaks of The Holy Spirit as an engagement ring – a present participation in a future fulfillment. The ring is a tangible reminder of that veiled reality that the bride will one day find fulfilled. The Holy Spirit functions, among other things, as a reminder of what we one day shall become. A reminder that Christ’s words ring true, “I will not leave you as orphans.” This is a present participation in a future reality – to be with the Lord in heaven. Our participation in the Lord here and now is an anticipation of complete participation in heaven. We are in this privileged place of knowledge of Christ without sight. Christ is more powerfully present to us in His sacramental presence. Our hearts burn with love for God when we realize the spiritual presence of Christ in His Church and in us.  To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Dr. Donald Graham, Associate Professor of Systematic and Pastoral Theology at St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto, Ontario looks closely at Newman’s 1837 sermon, “The Church a Home for the Lonely.”  In the opening lines of the sermon Newman explains home as the attainment of that which satisfies the human heart. The only thing, in Newman’s mind, that ultimately satisfies the heart is love and being loved by that which we are made – heaven itself. Dr. Graham develops that heaven “claims” our highest love and “persevering exertions.” Heaven then actually is our home, and we are lonely without it. The Church, being our home on earth, is our means to come home. Because there is a gap between what we experience now and what we will someday experience in heaven, this life is fluid, transient, and passing. The world has a in-built instability in time and space. Even in our happiest moments we know that life moves on and that we can’t rest in place. Dr. Graham references the eighth chapter of the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, Lumen Gentium, in elaborating on Newman’s point that this restlessness is a sign of God reminding us that we are all pilgrims and that with the Church we are on a pilgrimage towards heaven. During this pilgrimage there is a tension created when we pursue happiness in the wrong way – by things that we think will satisfy us. However, when we wrongly pursue only the things of this world, God uses this upset to remind us that there is infinitely more beyond this realm. When we bump into the many limits of this world, we discover that the world “cannot inspire confidence in love.” This restlessness manifests the drive that God put within us – to be one with Him. Newman reminds us that restlessness is only satisfied in God, in the true religion. If we don’t have the true thing, we will often manufacture something to take its place. Finally, through scripture, Newman points to the temple as being a foreshadowing of home. We need something which the world cannot give which the Gospel has supplied. Jesus left us with a secret home for faith and love and joy. Christ comes to redeem us and to draw us into Himself through the sacraments of the Church. The Church then becomes a home, a community that extends throughout time. This is where we find the only one who satisfies the soul. Christ created a church to endure for the ages. Newman asks us what home are we seeking, this limited earthly home or the substance of God through the power of the Spirit? Dr. Graham’s book chapter, “Newman’s View of the Church as a Home – Ecclesiology and Theological Anthropology in a Pastoral Context,” is available for download at newmanontap.com under the menu item, “files of podcast sermons.”To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Our guest today is Katie Burke, a fellow parishioner at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina, MN. Katie has an extraordinary gift of parish participation, prayer and music ministry. Here Katie reflects on St. John Henry Newman’s 1831 sermon, “Love of Relations and Friends.” Newman helps us understand that St. John, as the intimate friend of Jesus, protector of His mother, and the visionary for everlasting life shows us that all relationships must start with our relationship with Christ. Newman writes, “we cannot love those about whom we know nothing; except indeed we view them in Christ, as the objects of His Atonement, that is, rather in faith than in love.” Katie shares that Divine love rests in this instinct of love for others. It is not easy to love those that aren’t like us. We need to ask God - how do You love them? Christ is there. Love them in faith in Jesus Christ – then we can love everyone in Christ. Faith in Christ anchors our love for others. It is the participation in something unchangeable and good that take us into this beautiful mystery of love. If we attempt to love outside of the love directed by Christ and His Church, we are grounded in worldly love filled with instability. Rather, loving in Christ, grounds our love in something unchangeable. The ever-changing world has a broad definition of truth where Christ and His Church gives us a definite, unchangeable truth. This is a major relief. We can reach our end from firm ground while avoiding the world’s aims which are limited, shifting, and passing. Finally, Christian love stems from humility and self-denial. When the two are united we find true love. Katie, as a single person, sees the need to ground her life in God to naturally carrying His love to others. This order of love defines who she is. The Conciliar Document, St. John Paul II states that “man finds himself in the sincere gift of himself.” In The Blessed Sacrament, the memorial of pure self-gift, we are bonded with the selfless love of Christ. We are made holy and consecrated in the here and now to love others in Christ. We are not our own. We are here for self-gift. Him in Us by VENERABLE MADELEINE DELBRÊL can be found at newmanontap.comTantum ergo Sacramentum (Latin and English) can be found at newmanontap.comTo approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Fr. Peter Gruber, C.O., a priest of the Pittsburgh Oratory and Director of Campus Ministry at the Newman Center for the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Chatham University, reflects on Newman’s sermon, “Secrecy and Suddenness of Divine Visitations” a sermon for the feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the temple. Fr. Gruber draws from Newman in that God works apart from the obvious. When God comes it’s not what you’d expect because God is always working to maximize trust. He wants us to go out and take a venture for Him - to offer the complete gift of ourselves to the mission of God. When we trust Him - He comes. As we become more habitual in our prayer and in living holy lives it becomes more normal to trust. When holiness becomes the ordinary, we then can sanctify the world. He is perfect who does the ordinary work of the day perfectly. Newman shows us that it is out of reverence that we trust and obey. Fr. Peter offers Dietrich von Hildebrand's understanding of reverence: "reverence is giving a being space to unfold." As is his custom, Newman takes us further by expounding that the higher the call for trust, the further we feel that we are from God, the closer Christ is to us. There is a suddenness to Divine Visitation. Humility is essential for us to receive God’s loving presence. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

This episode’s sermon, “In the World, but not of the World,”  is found in Sermons Preached on Various Occasions, a wonderful collection showcasing Newman’s literary power. Dr. Mark Jubulis reflects on this funeral homily preached on May 5, 1873, at the Funeral of James R. Hope Scott, a Catholic convert and leading English attorney. In this eulogy of James Hope Scott (who was married to Sir Walter Scott’s granddaughter) and Tractarian (part of the Oxford Movement) we learn more about Newman through his friendships and his deep reverence for Hope Scott. Here once again Newman contrasts the secular gentleman (who perfects generosity in worldly projects in solely world pursuits) with the Christian gentleman whose sole desire is to please God. Newman offers that the reason Hope Scott passed by so many worldly opportunities was to avoid placing limitations on his offering goodness to others. His largeness of mind opened his heart. A heart open to the thought of God overcomes the world. Newman ends this sermon spurring us on - when we suffer the loss of holy friend we can exclaim “Oh happy soul” because they gave up this world for the next. What is important is the fate of their soul not our loss. Newman's sympathy letter to the daughter of Hope Scott can be found at the end of the podcast sermon section of the website, www.newmanontap.com. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Elizabeth (Liz) Kelly, is a Twin Cities based spiritual director, retreat leader, national speaker, a parish presenter, a prolific writer (with over a dozen award winning Catholic published books) and now a community leader for women’s formation at Bishop Barron’s “Word on Fire.” For 15 years, Liz served as managing editor of Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN while she taught in the Catholic Studies program. Learn more of Liz’s work at https://www.lizk.org.  In this episode Liz reacts to Newman’s sermon, “The Good Part of Mary.” Here Newman helps us see that most of us are not either Martha (active) or Mary (prayerful) but rather both women wrapped up into one. Liz points out that being busy like Martha is not the problem, rather being "busy in the wrong way.” This “busyness” comes in seasons of our lives when we can literally suffocate the Mary in us. Newman wonders that if we're honest with ourselves and with God, are we really putting God first or have our lives become ordered toward money, achievement, notoriety, etc?  Our aim must be to live out our vocation in Christ who makes us more of what we are created to be – Martha and Mary wrapped into one.   To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Fr Bryce Evans, a diocesan priest aspiring to establish an Oratory of St. Philip Neri in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis investigates Newman’s sermon, “Religious Joy.” In this 1825 Christmas day sermon, Newman turns our categories upside down. Fr. Evans calls this now familiar Newman technique, “The Divine Reversal.” When we tend to think that we are going to achieve our happiness as the result of our own efforts, Newman turns the tables by emphasizing that the mystery of Christmas is not about us reaching up to God rather it is Christ coming down to us. The humility of The Son of God is our pattern of the condition to receive Him who is near us. As an example, Newman points out that the angelic message of the Incarnation is brought to poor, rough, simple-minded shepherds. If we are to receive the gift of God’s joy, we need to humbly recognize not our greatness but our littleness. The lowliness of the shepherds prepares them to be drawn up into God’s intimacy.To help us understand joy Newman begins with fear. In the initial stage of religion, we might fear God. But as we progress in our faith fear turns to joy. The closer we are to God, the less we fear and the more joy we experience. Here lies the heart of the “Divine Reversal.” In the mystery of the Incarnation – as we embrace our God who condescends to be near, we are lifted up. The condition of receiving the joy of the Incarnation is embracing that same lowliness. Newman is calling us to renounce worldliness and serve the poor as a condition to receiving the mercy and grace of Christ. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Ms. Angela Cuba teaches “Humane Letters" at Bishop Reicher Catholic school in Waco, Texas. Angela graduated from the University of Dallas with a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in English. In reacting to Newman’s masterful sermon, “The Second Spring”, she will explain how Newman artfully shows how it was possible that something was so dead as Catholicism in 19th century England could experience a rebirth. During our discussion Angela refers to Gerard Manley Hopkin’s poem “The Wreck of the Deutschland,” Fr. Francis P. Donnelly’s text on Newman, and Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman’s pastoral letter of October 7, 1850 “Within the Flaminian Gates”. These works add context to this 1852 masterpiece of Newman’s. This sermon is packed with psychology and emotion as Newman confronts the incredibly intense sense of Catholicity in mid 19th century England. Ms. Cuba explores the theme of rebirth as Newman offers a parallel of the miraculous resurgence of the beaten down English Catholic Church to the continual rebirth of Mystical Body of the Church through Mary’s delivery of that body. This English scholar offers insights into how Newman intentionally constructs this sermon thematically by paragraph as a point of emphasis to show that grace operates in offering rebirth to the English Catholic Church as analogous to grace operating through Our Lady. It is through trial where triumph is eventually found. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Fr. Evan Koop, instructor of dogmatic theology at St. Paul Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul Minnesota reflects on Newman’s classic sermon, “The Ventures of Faith”. Fr. Koop points out that Newman’s primary point in the sermon is “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. We must take a risk in our relationship with Christ. Faith is a venture. That venture changes the way we live. We invest in something now to gain something in the future. We take a risk for an uncertain benefit. Our faith in Christ is meant to be a venture – it costs us something. We commit our lives to Christ out of love for him without knowing where it will lead us. We trust in God who cannot deceive or be deceived. We can only enter into God’s way of knowing through our trust in Him. Faith is not a leap. It is a venture. We act now even though we don’t see the end. Jesus accepts the desire of James and John in a way they don’t understand at all. He is wooing them, and He elicits the desire that can lead them to things that they never imagined. He invites them to say yes to Him and then He will slowly reveal His plan to them. Faith is a yes to Jesus wherever it will lead us. It is not a yes to a particular outcome. God is asking for an unqualified yes from each of us because it is not based on some understanding of God’s plan for me, but it is based on my love for and trust in God Himself. Faith is not a logical inference it rests in trust. Still without knowing, we trust.The constant concern for Newman is Christianity becoming a “respectable” religion – a “beige, suburban” Catholicism – a Christianity that is simply helps to living a good ethical life and contributing to society. It is a Christianity that makes no demands on me. However, Newman tells us that Christianity does make demands. It does cost me something. What have we given Christ on the love of His promise? Like the wedding or ordination day the couple or religious have no idea what they just got themselves into. They are full of enthusiasm because they have fallen deeply in love with their spouse and/or Christ and His Church. “For better or for worse” is a venture. James and John had a sense that if they follow Jesus, He would sustain them. There is a trust that Christ will give us the grace as needed - our daily bread will be given when needed. The venture is when we send everything ahead of us to a new place out of joyful hope. Joy and freedom are present when we release ourselves from the tangled things of this world and all of our hopes and desires are stored in the invisible world. Faith is a storing up of everything that we love, all of our desires and goods, in the invisible world.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Kory LaCroix, Pastoral Associate for Marriage and Young Professionals at Our Lady of Grace parish in Edina, Minnesota sees in the sermon “The Apostolical Christian” the necessity of seeking the Truth, finding Christ and conforming our lives to His. In the sermon Newman gives us important questions to contemplate. Am I running the race? And which path am I running on? Is it one that I have created or one that Christ has given to me? Do we observe the rules of the contest? Do we appeal to Scripture to form our conscience to find the truth? Do our thoughts and affections have relations to the unseen? Do I live for Christ wholly? What does my heart love? What do I love more than Christ? Prayer is our tool to watch for Christ, to become like Christ. We must first desire an inward earnestness and then we can speak from the heart. Newman tells us that from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The heart that prays with Christ is filled with Christ. As your heart becomes more like Christ’s heart, your heart is more concerned with what His heart desires. When we are with our Beloved, Christ, we find joy. Like Christ, we are called to surrender our hearts and goods to others, joyfully. This Christ-like joy is the fruit of tribulation.  Kory shares real life stories on his podcast - The Storydram Podcast which can be found at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-storydram/id1688617049To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Nicholas Hughes, a 26-year-old MBA student at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota reacts to Newman’s sermon “The Secret Power of Divine Grace” highlighting how we all have a deep desire for happiness. However, the objects that we worship must be worthy of the immortal, the Divine life. We easily dismiss those things beyond our physical comprehension accepting only what we can see and touch leading to the need for proof of everything in our lives. Yet at our disposal are various faculties enabling us to encounter “the glance of Christ”. Nicholas describes how “the secret power of God, without observation, acts on the hearts of men”. God’s secret grace is operative within us and within His Church to fulfill His mission of love for us. Unless we are partakers of the supernatural life we labor in vain. The only things that are purposeful are those of God. Unless our enterprises are more than human it is but foolishness and vanity. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Dr. Melinda Nielsen, Associate Professor of Classical Literature at Baylor University (https://honors.baylor.edu/person/melinda-nielsen-phd), found Newman through her love of great literature. The Apologia captivated her through its masterful prose, noticing Newman’s firm grasp of reality. Dr. Nielsen sees Newman as drawing from ancient literature, in particular the Church Fathers, to offer us rich insights into our understanding of Scripture. Through his understanding of Scripture Newman helps us understand our relationship with God. This understanding is readily seen in The Parochial and Plain Sermon “Rising with Christ”. In this episode Dr. Nielsen highlights that Newman points us in striking directions that cut to the heart. For instance, Newman helps us realize we are welcomed to be lifted up with Christ on the Cross as he points to the penitent thief at the time of His crucifixion. At our most vulnerable moments we need our eyes fixed upward. Especially then we need a daystar, a focus. Here we find Newman creating for us what is most real from what is most invisible. In this sermon we discover Newman’s ability to communicate the invisible. Dr Nielsen points out how Newman uses grammatical style to anchor his thought. For instance, through hypothetical clauses Newman offers delays, deferring in his clauses to set us up to make his final punch all the more powerful. Newman will even use the number of one or two syllable words to help us see the simplicity in the truths that he is articulating. Newman ultimately calls us to redeem the time. We must consider what we are trading for our most valuable gift – the treasure of a friendship with Christ.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Dr. John Boyle, theology professor at Catholic Studies at The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota reacts to Newman’s 1849 sermon “Mystery of Divine Condescension”.  As co-founder of the Center for Catholic Studies, Dr. Boyle describes that the vision of Catholic Studies at a university is to articulate the vision of the Church as an organic body that sees reality with a broad perspective in all its interconnectedness. Reality then is the combination of faith and reason as a means of lifting our eyes to infinity, to the mystery of God. Here Newman helps us see the meaning of The Incarnation through this unified perspective. Dr. Boyle points out that Newman’s understands the psychology of the interior life but never lets us wallow in it. It’s never simply about the interior life, it’s about conforming our interior life to the reality of God avoiding the danger of becoming that peevish man that wants God his way rather than desiring a realignment of the interior life to the mystery of God. By stepping outside of ourselves we can discover God in reality. We leave behind the “the prison of our own reasonings” and humbly enter His mysteries. Our shared deep desire and love are answered by The Incarnation. Christ has come down into our messiness to be lifted up. God comes to us, not as we want Him to, but into our messy reality so that we can be incarnated with Him.To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Martha Olsen, brilliant fellow graduate of The University of St. Thomas Catholic Studies master’s program and now a busy mother of 4, shares her thoughts on the 1848 sermon “The Calls of Grace”. In this episode we learn from Newman that the sharpness of The Divine Word can readily penetrate a softened heart. Only a closed heart can stop The Word from entering it. Do I have a soft heart to receive Grace? What do we value that pierces our hearts?  Martha helps us see that Newman shapes his language for his listeners to realize that his message is directed at me! And how does Newman teach us to soften our hearts? Make the last four things (heaven, hell, death, and judgment) a priority in our life’s considerations. To cultivate good, rich soil we must consider, what is it we really care about. We need to develop a habitual state of mind that focuses on the things of God, seeking that path to holiness daily. Further, on a practical level, the very name of Jesus is the name we want to feed upon. If our minds are sharp about the name of Jesus, we are open to what he has to say to us. Through practical practices we can be beautified by the name of Jesus. If we are seeking holiness, we must allow Christ’s words to beautify us. They can bring us to life. And to avoid any hardening of heart I must continually strive to maintain the change that has come over me. I must continually receive Grace. If we trample on the Word of God with a hardened heart it is extremely difficult to pull out of that state. And there are those that trample on the Word because of ignorance. These are openings for us to evangelize either by acting in holiness or sharing our love for God’s Word. God wants us to hear so that we can reach out to others. Our hope rests in that “all things are possible through God’s Grace”. God gives Grace little by little, so we need to ask and receive every single day. By desiring Grace everything is possible.  To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Fr. Kyle Etzel, parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Joseph in West Saint Paul, Minnesota and aspiring Oratorian, joins us to discuss Newman's 1839 sermon "Peace in Believing". Newman informs us that it is fitting that our all-loving God would desire to redeem His creation. Therefore, we have every reason for hope. Fr. Kyle sees that once we discover that God is love we find that it is written on our hearts to respond to that love. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Episode 21 Season 2 – “The Thought of God, the Stay of the Soul”Fr. Michael Daly, priest of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota gathers from several sources to unpack one of Newman’s favorite sermons, “The Thought of God, the Stay of the Soul”. Newman points out that we are made from God and for God. In our bones we know that we are made for more. Therefore, our dignity and destiny are found in our infinite God. Fr. Daly shares that the quest for God is an “ache” for God. Sanctity lies in how we respond to that “ache”. Only with a pure heart can we find our tender and loving God enabling us to “lift up our hearts to God”. Fr. Daly explains that when we lift our hearts to God, we offer the only two things that we can give God – our sin and our will to seek His will and not our own. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Megan Scott, graduate student pursuing the Masters of Arts in the field of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN reacts to Newman's 1839 sermon, Unreal Words. As editorial assistant of Logos - A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture Megan is well read in how "real" language moves us to action. "Unreal words", on the other hand, are separated from meaning by words being separated from reality. The consequences of this separation is a break from the fullness of reality which is The Word Himself. In Newman's understanding of speech as it relates to literature we find that literature, at its best, needs to move the person to action. Words should ultimately aim at approaching the true reality of our being - the fullness in Jesus Christ.   To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Dr. Ono Ekeh, associate professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut utilizes his theological interest of St. John Henry Newman to assist him in his reflection on Newman's 1829 sermon "Abraham and Lot". Dr. Ekeh points out that Newman helps us see Abraham's refusal to be entangled by things of this world as a sign that we belong somewhere else. As Abraham acts with a clear apprehension of things unseen he gives witness to the presence of God in our everyday events. Lot, on the other hand, falls short by making his own will his idol. He is an example of how we can become double minded when we become engulfed in the luxuries, comforts and politics of this world while trying to surrender ourselves to God. Dr. Ekeh's hobbies include sports, cooking and writing science fiction. His blog offers insights into his diverse interests – visit onoekeh.com                 To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Tyler McCollum, Associate for Mission, at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina, Minnesota reflects on Newman's early Catholic era sermon, "Our Lady in the Gospel". Tyler's thoughts on Newman's understanding of sanctity are supplied by his time with NET ministries (https://netusa.org) and his present full-time work with a uniquely large group of young adults (21-35 year olds). Tyler finds Newman's insight that Mary's blessedness is grounded in her faith and obedience to The Word of God as a motivation to live a life of holiness. It is though the practice of imaginative prayer that we can place ourselves with Mary in her holy relation her Son. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Rebecca Case, active parishioner at St. Rose Philippine Duchesne parish in Anthem, Arizona reacts to St. John Henry Newman's June 24, 1831 sermon "Rebuking Sin" preached on the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist. Rebecca's personal experiences unveil Newman's scripturally based guide to rebuking others through proper spiritual channels. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.