Advent with St. John Henry Newman
Reflections by Fr. Jason Smith, LC
I love my morning routine. I make a cup of coffee—strong and as dark as my cassock—and step into the small chapel down the hall. I’m an early riser, so most everyone is still asleep. I light a single candle before the icon of the Risen Lord, a gift from a friend, and let that small flame be the first light of the day.
Sometimes my prayer is just the flicker itself—the way the candlelight dances across Jesus’ white garments and risen face.
St. John Henry Newman writes: “Baptism…is an illumination; and Christ…is a Light to worship by.”
We all long for that light—for the quiet flame that reminds us we are not alone in the dark.
Candlelight doesn’t banish all darkness; it reveals just enough to pray, to read, to see one step ahead. The longer I live, the more I realize: that’s what faith looks like. Like a candle, it gives just enough light for today.
Advent invites us to begin each day with that small act of faith—to light the candle again, to believe again, to let his light steady our hearts before the day rushes in.
And so, in the quiet glow of morning, we pray: “Come Lord Jesus.”
Reflection: When have you felt true hope, truly knowing that you are not alone? How are being called to share that hope 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.
