Day 25: Heaven’s Smallness
Advent with St. John Henry Newman
Reflections by Fr. Jason Smith, LC
Christmas Eve invites us to come to the crib. If we could stand there with Mary and Joseph, we’d see simplicity—straw, swaddling clothes, a child. True God, true baby. God closer to me than I am to myself.
St. John Henry Newman writes: “There is but one right way; it is the way in which God looks at the world. Aim at seeing things as God sees them… Aim at ‘seeing the King in His beauty.’ … It is not an easy thing to learn that new language which Christ has brought us… He has brought us a religion which sheds a new light on all that happens. Try to learn this language.”
The Almighty becomes small so we can hold and understand him. Tonight, we find: reverence for the ordinary, tenderness for the weak, joy that is peace.
Let us pray: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Reflect: Where in your life is God calling you to greater intimacy? How can you approach him this Christmas like Mary and Joseph, with simplicity, tenderness, and trust?
In this Advent series, Fr. Jason Smith draws from his personal experiences and St. John Henry Newman’s own Advent sermons, connecting themes like reverence, awe, and intimately encountering Christ in the simplicity and stillness of ordinary life. Pray with us on The Regnum Christi App, sign up to have each day’s reflection delivered to your inbox every morning, or follow the RC Spirituality Center on Instagram and Facebook.
Ordained in 2006, Fr. Jason has served as a Legionary priest throughout the US, primarily in New York and Michigan. His newest role has called him south, as the superior of the Houston community of the Legionaries of Christ.
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About 'Advent with St. John Henry Newman'
Reflections by Fr. Jason Smith, LC
In this season of expectant, joy-filled waiting, join Fr. Jason Smith, LC, for daily heart-to-heart reflections with insights from the newest Doctor of the Church—St. John Henry Newman.
Born in 1801, St. John Henry Newman was an English theologian, writer, and Anglican priest who converted to the Catholic faith, and two years later became a Catholic priest. He was created a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII, canonized by Pope Francis in 2019, and was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV on November 1st of this year.
St. John Henry Newman is the 38th Doctor of the Church, a title given to men and women whose lives and work have made a significant contribution to Catholic theology and spirituality. Although a distinguished academic and philosopher, St. John Henry Newman understood that the Lord saves not through thoughts and ideas, but by speaking directly to the heart. “His deepest encounter with himself and with the Lord came not from his reading or reflection, but from his prayerful dialogue, heart to heart, with Christ, alive and present.” (Pope Francis, Dilexit Nos, 2024)
In this Advent series, Fr. Jason Smith draws from his personal experiences and St. John Henry Newman’s own Advent sermons, connecting themes like reverence, awe, and intimately encountering Christ in the simplicity and stillness of ordinary life. Pray with us on The Regnum Christi App, sign up to have each day’s reflection delivered to your inbox every morning, or follow the RC Spirituality Center on Instagram and Facebook.
