"Lead, kindly Light!
amid the encircling gloom,
St John Henry Cardinal Newman
"In the Holy Mass that One Sacrifice on the Cross
once offered is renewed, continued, applied to our benefit.
He seems to say, My Cross was raised up 1800 years ago,
and only for a few hours - and very few of my servants
were present there - but I intend to bring millions into
my Church. For their sakes then I will perpetuate
My Sacrifice, that each of them may be as
though they had severally been present at Calvary.
I will offer Myself up day by day to the Father,
that every one of my followers may have the opportunity
to offer up his petitions to Him, sanctified and
recommended by the all-meritorious virtue of my Passion.
Thus I will be a Priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek
- My Priests will stand at the Altar -
but not they, but I rather, will offer.
I will not let them offer mere bread and wine, but I myself
will be present on the Altar instead, and I will
offer myself invisibly, while they perform the outward rite.
And thus the Lamb that was slain once for all,
though He is ascended on high, ever remains a victim
from His miraculous presence in Holy Mass under the
figure and appearance of mere earthly and visible symbols."
St John Henry Cardinal Newman
England ~ 1801-1890
Convert from Anglicanism in 1845
Doctor of the Church
Teacher (Oxford), eminent theologian,
writer, poet, popular preacher
Established Oratory of St Philip in England
Founded the Catholic University of Ireland
Feast Day: Oct 9
Painting above: Francois-Marius Granet
"God knows what is my greatest happiness,
but I do not. Thus God leads us by strange ways;
we know He wills our happiness, but we neither
know what our happiness is, nor the way."
St John Henry Cardinal Newman
St John Henry Newman, pray for us!
