Advent with St. John Henry Newman
Reflections by Fr. Jason Smith, LC
Mariana, a Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi, was living in the mountains of Switzerland. One Sunday, she went to Mass but couldn’t understand the priest’s homily. Later that evening, she and a friend climbed a hill to watch the sun set over the lake. The sky turned gold, then crimson, then violet, and the mountains shimmered in the fading light.
She asked her friend what the priest had said that morning. Her friend smiled and replied, “He said that each person is more beautiful in God’s eyes than the Swiss Alps.”
St. John Henry Newman writes: “O blessed they who obey these warning voices, and look out for Him whom they have not seen, because they love His appearing.”
Advent is that kind of looking out. It’s standing on the hilltop of faith and watching the horizon—not only for the beauty of creation, but for the face of the Creator who loves us more than all he has made. Every sunset, every glimmer on the lake, is a whisper of that love calling us closer to God.
So let us lift our eyes to the horizon and pray, with hope and longing: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Reflection: Is there anything that makes it hard for you to believe in your own worth in God’s eyes? How is Advent inviting you to better grasp—and accept—God’s personal and intimate love for you?
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.
