A 21st Sunday after Pentecost Thought from Cardinal Newman

Cardinal John Henry Newman (now declared a saint) was once a "big shot" in the Anglican Church. He was raised to be such, coming from a prominent family. His clerical career found him amongst the leading lights in the state religion, the Church of England, an Anglican elite.

Born when England was the world's single great power his surroundings oozed power and privilege, not only on the the British, but on the world stage. After Wellington's defeat of Napoleon in 1815, England emerged #1, kind of like the U.S. did after World War II. Its ensconced elites "ruled the waves." Those born to the nobility were allied with those who lifted themselves up to the highest levels by amassing fortunes during the Industrial Revolution.

In any case, our guy was born to run with that privileged elite and enjoyed that exalted station for a good chunk of his life. But he was also one who took his religion seriously. And this eventually led him to become a convert to Catholicism. With that conversion, he lost that privilege. His entire world changed, that world in which he was bathed from natural birth until his re-birth into the Catholic Church. Conversion came at a hefty cost. It must have been a difficult, perhaps even a painful change for him.

Under normal circumstances, it's never easy to walk away from a good situation into something that's different, never mind a reduced circumstance. So we can see how Cardinal Newman's situation was fraught with a higher than average level of difficulty. As we know, however, he sucked it up and joined the Roman Catholic Church accepting the loss of everything he had worked for since he was a boy. This included the regard and esteem of many of the friends and colleagues he had cultivated over a lifetime. Imagine his deep sense of loss and loneliness. But he didn't complain. Nothing stopped him from seeking the truth. And when he found it, he knew, despite the difficulty of the choice, exactly what he had to do.

Our Lord taught us that the truth would see us free. But He never said it would be easy. Apparently Cardinal Newman understood this and accepted it. Would that we could all seek the truth, not matter the consequences.   

With that brief intro, on to today's Sunday lesson by Cardinal Newman. It's one you may find yourself coming back to many times. It explains so much:

“God has created me to do Him some definite service: He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good. I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep His Commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am. I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away a friend; He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me, still He knows what He is about.” 

We might also consider Cardinal Newman's wisdom in light of the upcoming Month of the Holy Souls that kicks off with All Saints Day and All Souls Day this week. Those of the Church Triumphant (now in Heaven) and the Church Suffering (now in Purgatory, awaiting the day they are finally called to Heaven) know what their mission once was. Like most of us, they may not have known it while they worked their way through life in this Vale of Tears. Let's keep them in our thoughts today. And, while we're at it, let's determine to keep the Holy Souls close to us for the whole month of November.

Postscript: When our oldest child died (almost now four years ago), this was - by request - printed on the holy cards the funeral home provided. While I think it could be appropriate for any of us, it was particularly applicable to a young man cut down in the flower of life. 

Dearest departed son, you now know what your mission was, if you did not know what it was while you were with us on this earth. Some day I will join you, God willing, and we can share and compare our missions during our brief lives. That might be fun, don't you think? Until then, please pray for me that I keep Cardinal Newman's words fresh as the first time I read them, even as they remain so poignant when I think of you.

Happy Sunday!