Advent with St. John Henry Newman
Reflections by Fr. Jason Smith, LC
There was an old record player in my Grandma’s attic. The arm was stiff, the turntable reluctant to spin. But when I set the needle down, music crackled to life. The melody made everything feel new and old at the same time.
St. John Henry Newman writes: “Life is well enough in its way; but it does not satisfy. Thus the soul is cast forward upon the future. . . it rejoices solemnly that ‘the night is far spent, the day is at hand,’ that there are ‘new heavens and a new earth’ to come.”
Life is like that record player: wonderful and cherished, yet fragile. When beauty stirs us, something deep within says: Let it last.
That longing is Advent. It wakes us up to the truth that what passes now will one day be made new when Christ comes again.
And so, in a world that is constantly changing, we pray with hope: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Reflect: Is there a moment, season, or dream in your life that you feel has slipped away? How is Advent inviting you to entrust this to God and his promise of renewal?
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.
