Advent with St. John Henry Newman
Reflections by Fr. Jason Smith, LC
I remember waiting for a friend on a cold night. As the air stung my face, time seemed to stretch on. No headlights appeared, yet I kept trusting—my friend had promised to come.
Advent is like that. It is like waiting for a good friend who is delayed. From the perspective of faith, Advent is the ache of every believer who wonders, where is he? St. John Henry Newman writes: “Let us go out to meet Him with contrite and expectant hearts; and though He delays His coming, let us watch for Him in the cold and dreariness which must one day have an end.”
Waiting is never easy. But it becomes even more challenging in the dark and cold of weariness and sorrow. Yet this is where Advent shines brightest. For in our dark nights, a small blessing appears: prayer, like the flicker of a candle’s flame, keeps the darkness at bay.
Newman points to two dispositions that help us find meaning while we wait on God. The first is contrition—for the delays of life are often God’s gentle call to conversion. The second is expectant faith—the quiet confidence that our Friend is faithful and his timing sure.
So as another year closes and the days grow short, we pray with renewed hope: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Reflect: When have you experienced the ache of waiting? How might that longing become a space for expectant faith and prayer this Advent?
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.
