Advent with St. John Henry Newman
Reflections by Fr. Jason Smith, LC
The Eucharist is truly poor. As bread goes, it’s simple, fragile, and plain. As food, it doesn’t offer much either—neither filling nor flavorful. From a human perspective, there’s nothing here to see—nothing that would make you wake the kids or call the neighbors.
And yet, it is everything.
Its spiritual strength utterly transcends its physical form. Just as a small loaf can fill a house with aroma, the Eucharist fills the world with grace. What seems ordinary hides a mystery too radiant to behold.
St. John Henry Newman wrote that the unseen presence of God can be more overwhelming than sight itself: “There is a sense in which the invisible presence of God is more awful and overpowering than if we saw it.”
It’s true. In the Eucharist, we meet this paradox of presence: it looks like poverty, yet it contains infinity. The wafer’s fragility is not weakness but overpowering mercy.
And so, as we prepare ourselves to receive Christ’s True Presence, let us pray: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Reflection: When have you encountered Christ in a moment that seemed simple, ordinary, or overlooked? How might the poverty of the Eucharist be calling you to greater simplicity 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.
