Overview:

The Optional Memorial of St. John Henry Newman, Priest and Doctor of the Church

A Reflection for Optional Memorial of St. John Henry Newman, Priest and Doctor of the Church

If it pleases the LORD Almighty,
he who studies the law of the Most High
will be filled with the spirit of understanding;
He will pour forth his words of wisdom
and in prayer give thanks to the LORD,
Who will direct his knowledge and his counsel,
as he meditates upon his mysteries. (Sir. 39:6-7)

Find today’s readings here.

Today is the first day we celebrate the English theologian St. John Henry Newman on the official liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. But today I am thinking of Blessed Fulton Sheen, and not for chauvinistic reasons.

Both men were filled—in the words of the Book of Sirach—with “the spirit of understanding” and poured forth “words of wisdom.” They were great teachers and thinkers who spent their lives using their minds in God’s service. 

But their lives were by no means simple. They too suffered. Perhaps we can say now, of both men: “Many will praise his understanding; his fame can never be effaced” (Sir. 39:9). But this was not always the case.

John Henry Newman was a celebrated convert to Roman Catholicism. In his early years he was a famed Anglican preacher; as an old man he was named a cardinal. But in the years between he suffered for his choices. He left many friends behind when he became Catholic. 

Fulton Sheen reached millions of listeners on the Catholic Radio Hour, and achieved even greater success with his television show “Life is Worth Living.” But as an auxiliary bishop in New York he found himself at loggerheads with his powerful archbishop. His television show was cancelled and he was sent away to another diocese. 

But both men knew that it was not these mortal days that matter. It is the final one: 

The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth (Mt 13:47-50).

At the end of the age we will not be asked how many words we wrote or how famous we were. We will not be quizzed to determine our “spirit of understanding.” We will be judged on whether, like St. John Henry Newman and Blessed Fulton Sheen, we had the courage to profess the words of the psalmist: 

“Here I am Lord. I have come to do your will.”

Tim Reidy joined America’s staff in October 2006 and served as online editor for several years before moving into his current role as the deputy editor in chief. Tim oversees America’s newsroom, directing its daily news coverage as well as working with the editorial leadership team to plan each print issue. Tim also edits the magazine’s Ideas section, where he contributes book reviews and essays. Before joining America, he worked at the Hartford Courant, a newspaper in Connecticut, and Commonweal magazine. In addition to writing for America, he has contributed to The New York Times, the Columbia Journalism Review and the Princeton Alumni Weekly. He has been interviewed about the Catholic Church on WNYC in New York, ABC, Bloomberg TV and other media outlets. Tim also serves on the board of directors of Jesuit Refugee Service USA. He lives in Bronxville, N.Y., with his wife and two children.