Advent with St. John Henry Newman
Reflections by Fr. Jason Smith, LC
I remember when I first fell in love with the Eucharist.
I was nineteen and had just crashed my car—which is a whole other story for another time—so my dad had to drive me everywhere. That’s when I discovered his quiet little routine: he always stopped by an adoration chapel.
It was in the basement of an old convent. We’d walk down a creaky hallway, the wooden steps groaning under our feet, into a small room glowing with candlelight. The monstrance gleamed on the altar. Maybe one person was there—sometimes two—whispering the rosary in the corner.
It’s hard to describe, but I felt the Lord’s presence in that room—thick, alive, like air I had to swim through. I’d watch my dad bow his head and pray. I tried to do the same, but mostly I just sat there, wordless and aware.
Then, after five minutes, we’d step back into the frigid Minnesota air. But something in me had changed. I felt light, unburdened, warmed from within. Faith had begun to take root—not as a rule, but as a response.
St. John Henry Newman writes: “They are the class of feelings we should have if we literally had the sight of Almighty God; therefore they are the feelings we shall have, if we realize His presence.”
So let us draw near the Lord who waits for us in stillness, and pray: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Reflection: When have you felt faith shift from an obligation to a response to God, truly present? How might you cultivate stillness before God’s presence 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.
