Advent with St. John Henry Newman
Reflections by Fr. Jason Smith, LC
I love watching the Legionary brothers make their profession of religious vows. Kneeling before the altar, they speak words of dedication and self-giving: “I promise to live in poverty, chastity, and obedience.”
You can hear trembling in their voices—partly from awe at doing something greater than themselves, partly from the awareness of God’s love being so close. In their ‘yes,’ you can almost hear an echo of Mary’s fiat.
St. John Henry Newman writes: “Our professions… must henceforth be sincere, or real… ‘The Son of God, Jesus Christ… was not yea and nay, but in Him was yea. For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen.’”
We all long to say ‘yes’ and mean it—to have our words carry the same weight as our intentions, our promises matched by conviction. Yet every so often, our ‘yes’ can waver in the face of weakness or fear. Yet every sincere word of ours, however small or trembling, participates in that divine Yes that became flesh in Bethlehem.
Let us pray with hearts ready to give their ‘yes’ anew: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Reflect: Where in your life is God inviting you to a deeper ‘yes,’ and what fears or hesitations are holding you back? How might you offer even a trembling ‘yes,’ echoing Mary’s fiat, 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.
