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Night Office 2nd Noct. 14
October 2012
Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 8.
John Henry Sermons
 |
Statue Cardinal Newman,
Brompton Oratory |
Sermon 2 Divine Calls ...
For in truth we are not called once
only, but many times; all through our
life Christ is calling us. He called us first in Baptism; but
afterwards also; whether we obey His voice or not, He graciously calls us
still. If we fall from our Baptism, He calls us to repent; if we are striving
to fulfil our calling, He calls us on from grace to grace, and from holiness to
holiness, while life is given us. Abraham was called from his home, Peter from
his nets, Matthew from his office, Elisha from his farm, Nathanael from his
retreat; we are all in course of calling, on and on, from one thing to another,
having no resting-place, but mounting towards our eternal rest, and obeying one
command only to have another put upon us. He calls us again and again, in order
to {24} justify us again and again,—and again and again, and more and more, to
sanctify and glorify us.
It were well if we understood this; but
we are slow to master the great truth, that Christ is, as it were, walking
among us, and by His hand, or eye, or voice, bidding us follow Him. We do not
understand that His call is a thing which takes place now. We think it took
place in the Apostles' days; but we do not believe in it, we do not look out
for it in our own case. We have not eyes to see the Lord; far different from
the beloved Apostle, who knew Christ even when the rest of the disciples knew
Him not. When He stood on the shore after His resurrection, and bade them cast
the net into the sea, "that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It
is the Lord." [John xxi. 7.
]
Now what I mean is this: that they who
are living religiously, have from time to time truths they did not know before,
or had no need to consider, brought before them forcibly; truths which involve
duties, which are in fact precepts, and claim obedience. In this and such-like
ways Christ calls us now. There is nothing miraculous or extraordinary in His
dealings with us. He works through our natural faculties and circumstances of
life. Still what happens to us in providence is in all essential respects what
His voice was to those whom He addressed when on earth: whether He commands by
a visible presence, or by a voice, or by our {25} consciences, it matters not,
so that we feel it to be a command. If it is a command, it may be obeyed or
disobeyed; it may be accepted as Samuel or St. Paul accepted it, or put aside
after the manner of the young man who had great possessions.
... We need not fear spiritual pride then, in
following Christ's call, if we follow it as men in earnest. Earnestness has no
time to compare itself with the state of other men; earnestness has too vivid a
feeling of its own infirmities to be elated at itself. Earnestness is simply
set on doing God's will. {32} It simply says, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth," "Lord, what wilt
Thou have me to do?" Oh that we had more of this spirit! Oh that we
could take that simple view of things, as to feel that the one thing which lies
before us is to please God! What gain is it to please the world, to please the
great, nay, even to please those whom we love, compared with this? What gain is
it to be applauded, admired, courted, followed, compared with this one aim, of not
being disobedient to a heavenly vision? What can this world offer comparable
with that insight into spiritual things, that keen faith, that heavenly peace,
that high sanctity, that everlasting righteousness, that hope of glory, which
they have who in sincerity love and follow our Lord Jesus Christ?
Let us beg and pray Him day by day to reveal
Himself to our souls more fully; to quicken our senses; to give us sight and
hearing, taste and touch of the world to come; so to work within us that we may
sincerely say, "Thou shalt guide me
with Thy counsel, and after that receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but
Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of Thee: my
flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion
for ever."
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B
Commentary of the day :
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890), priest, founder of a religious community, theologian
Sermon «A Particular Providence as Revealed in the Gospel » PPS vol. 3, no.9
"Jesus, looking at him, loved him"
God beholds thee individually, whoever thou art. He "calls thee by thy name" (Jn 10,3). He sees thee, and understands thee, as He made thee. He knows what is in thee, all thy own peculiar feelings and thoughts, thy dispositions and likings, thy strength and thy weakness... Thou art not only His creature (though for the very sparrows He has a care... ), thou art man redeemed and sanctified, His adopted son, favoured with a portion of that glory and blessedness which flows from Him everlastingly unto the Only-begotten.
Thou art chosen to be His... Thou wast one of those for whom Christ offered up His last prayer, and sealed it with His precious blood. What a thought is this, a thought almost too great for our faith! Scarce can we refrain from acting Sarah's part, when we bring it before us, so as to "laugh" from amazement and perplexity (Gen 18,12). “What is man”, what are we, what am I, that the Son of God “should be so mindful of me?” (Ps 8,5) What am I... that He should have... new-made me,... and should Himself dwell personally in this very heart of mine?
