Icon-of-Philip-and-the-Eunuch

Common objections of Protestant Christians to various Catholic practices and teachings include appeals to the individual believer’s direct access to God. A prayerful relationship with Mary the Mother of God, the Saints, sacraments, priests, bishops, the pope, icons, sacramentals, even a high view of the Church itself are suspected by some for ‘getting in the way,’ for setting up spiritual blockage, maybe even idols, between God and the individual soul.

This appeal to an imagined pure, simplified, primitive Christianity involves a fear of legalism gone wild, as St. John Henry Newman points out in his sermon “The Principle of Continuity between the Jewish and Christian Churches.” It takes certain passages from St. Paul about the primacy of grace over law as to discount the fact of our embodied and social human nature in the Christian life, and, as Newman stresses, even more dangerously might miss the very nature of the New Law established by and in Christ. 

Colossians 2:20-22 is Newman’s touchstone passage, wherein St. Paul wonders, “If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why,  as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not, taste not, handle not, which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?” [Newman’s translation; see here for RSVCE]

The focal word, “ordinances,” might be taken as “law” in the sense of “decrees” or “rules and directions” from established authorities. Any Christian must admit that St. Paul does not speak about grace in order to deny the need to follow all rules or laws—the ten commandments are as much Christian as they are Jewish, and all humans are accountable to basic moral laws. Quite the contrary, grace is that new law by which we obey the law of Christ in faith, on trust. St. Paul implies a contrast between the “doctrines of men” and the commandments and doctrines of God. Certain aspects of the Jewish heritage contained shadows and types of the Christian dispensation that were fulfilled, even expanded, in Christ. Christ’s fulfillment of the Jewish law separated the human chaff from the godly grain—certain Jewish laws related to diet, circumcision, and animal sacrifice were transformed (not destroyed) into the new law of Christ. 

One can look to the first Church Council in Jerusalem to see how the authority granted by Christ to Peter and the Apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, handed down new teachings, new Christian laws. In this case, the first Council decreed that Gentiles need not be circumcised nor follow Jewish dietary custom, but should remain sexually pure and not eat meat used in pagan idolatrous rituals (Acts 15). In consultation with the other Apostles, Paul then resumes his missionary journeys and delivers this teaching to Antioch (Acts 15:30). Christ’s laws extend and expand through human and historical organs, through persons established in roles of authority. Newman clarifies that Colossians 2:20-22 “does not at all speak against ordinances generally, but against those particular ordinances which did not come from Christ.”

So Christianity is not a repudiation of Jewish legalism; it is a repudiation of worldly legalism in favor of the law of Christ. There are ordinances, there are laws, under Christ, laws which are in fact stronger than Jewish laws. Christ gives the substance of which the Old Covenant was a “shadow.” He characterizes his new laws with phrasing that intensifies the old laws: “You have heard it said… but I say unto you…,” for example, teaching that adultery includes even lusting after a woman in one’s heart (Matt. 5:27-28). 

All three types of law—moral, spiritual, and cultic (or “ritual”), are continuous from Judaism to Christianity. The Jewish sabbath was a shadow of the Christian day of Resurrection; the glory of the Resurrection makes the fourth commandment all the more forceful. Just so, the Jewish cults (i.e. worship practices) of circumcision and sacrifice were not annulled in Christ, but fulfilled, lifted up and transfigured into something new. Baptism with water and the trinitarian prayer is the new Christian circumcision, marking us as members of the family of God (rf. 1 Peter 3:20-21, Matt 28:19). The Eucharist—the Church’s on-going sacrifice of the true Body and true Blood of Christ to the Father for our salvation—is the final glorious fulfillment of all Jewish sacrifice, in which Christ himself is our Lamb and Lord, our High priest and our victim, now and for eternity (rf. John 6:53, Matt. 26:26-28). Notably, the Scriptures document in clear detail that both of these Christian rites are in fact instituted and commanded by Christ; they are binding ritual laws for all Christians.  

Newman’s description of Holy Communion as a new ritual law under Christ sums up well the continuity between Judaism and Christianity: “the Paschal feast was a type of our Lord’s atoning death, and therefore has come to an end, as being a type fulfilled; but it has not come to an end without leaving behind it a rite in its place, without reviving, as it were, in a new form; why? because the Jewish Church and the Christian Church are one; and the rules given to the Jewish are in some sort the ritual and the canons of the Christian, though not as Jewish rules; the form, the manner, the virtue being different, the substance the same.” 

As St. Philip the Apostle opened the Ethiopian eunuch’s understanding of Isaiah’s prophecy in the light of Christ, so we look to the Old Testament to see the shape of the New Law of the Church through the substance, which is Christ (Acts 8:26-40). Judaism is the trunk on which has grown the glorious branches, foliage and fruit of Christ and His Church.  

In today’s democratic age, which does not lack its strengths and virtues, a prevalent weakness is discomfort with and even ire against any kind of mediation or intermediaries; that is, everything in heaven and earth is expected immediately, not just instantly, but in a manner that places the individual on top, at the fore-front, beyond any hint of hierarchy or higher authority or distinctions. But we must of first importance ask what Christ Himself has willed, instituted, and commanded, lest we assume to our own perdition that whatever is self-pleasing, convenient, or easy for ourselves must be what a kind and benign Christ wants. This would be to follow a “doctrine of man,” and to miss those of God. Whether the questions are about Mary or the Church, Sacraments or the Saints, perhaps, with Newman’s prayerful aid, we might simply ask cheerful questions about discerning what Christ Himself wishes, what he has decreed and commanded, and look to Scripture with renewed Christian eyes. 

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Aim at ‘seeing the King in His beauty’.  All things that we see are but shadows to us and delusions, unless we enter into what they really mean.

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

The Psalms, the "voice of the Church," invite us to enter into the sufferings of Christ and His people, and cling to God above all.

Applying Newman's theory, it seems clear that the notion that women's ordination to to the priesthood, would not maintain the type of the early Church.

In 1990, the International Theological Commission, issued a document titled "The Interpretation of Dogma" in which Newman's seven notes are endorsed.

The path forward for us personally and for the Church at large, requires returning to the core truths that Christ Himself has revealed to us.

We are made to be gifts to God and gifts to each other, body and soul; to go against God’s law, which is for our good, is to refuse the gift.

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A Guide to John Henry Newman will interest educated readers and professors alike, and serve as a text for college seminars for the purpose of studying Newman.

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(Catholic Herald, April 1, 2023)

Review by Serenheed James
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Endorsement by Neyra Blanco (Amazon)
I bought this book for my son and he loved it, he wrote this review and urged my to submitted: “I think this book has a very beautiful message, because it shows how the young Newman was so determined to achieve his dream of becoming a priest, but even after his dream he continued to work in the church with passion until the day he died, it’s so admirable that even Newman so old and so weak still had that urge to continued his work of being a priest. And the book is well written with words not too complicated with very enjoyable texts and well illustrated pictures. I highly recommend this book for a 5th grader.  

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What is a Classical Liberal Arts Education? Why is it so important for the development of a person?

Fr. Juan R. Vélez answers these and more questions you might have about University Education in the 21st century. This book is aimed for parents, prospective University students, and educators. It will help you discern why adding Liberal Arts electives to your education will help it form it better, and help the student learn to reason, and not just learn.

He also explains how many Universities have changed the true meaning of Liberal Arts, and the subjects, and gives advise on how to choose College Campus, Subjects, and Teachers.

A wonderful book that every parent should also read way before your children are College bound. A Liberal Arts education can start earlier in life, even from home.

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Endorsement by Christopher Moellering (Goodreads, September 14, 2019)
In Passion for Truth Fr. Vélez gave us an outstanding biography of Cardinal Newman. In this work, he provides a concise overview of his thought and his devotion. This is a great work for someone who, perhaps hearing of Newman for the first time because of his beatification 13 October, 2019, wants to know more about this English saint.Vélez is a wonderful writer in his own right, and the frequent quotations from Newman round out the work nicely. I especially appreciated the frequent citing of Newman’s Meditations and Devotions, which show a different side of his spirituality than his more well-known works, Development of Christian Doctrine and the Grammar of Assent.

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Take Five: Meditations with John Henry Newman, endorsement by Illow M. Roque (Amazon, September 3, 2010)
“There is a time to put direct inquiry on hold and give ourselves to prayer and practical duties.” Sound advice from one of the earlier, thought-provoking reminders in this sparkling gem of a book: Take Five | Meditations with John Henry Newman, written by Mike Aquilina and Fr. Juan R. Vélez and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This particular paragraph, referenced above, which begins with a direct quote from soon-to-be canonized priest, cardinal and poet, John Henry Newman: “Study is good, but it gets us only so far . . .” is actually the 15th in a series of 76 concise, logically organized meditations moving from the elementary to the sublime. Each meditation–one per page–is built upon the great man’s writings and remarkably rich spirituality. Whether taken whole in one reading or in part page-by-page over a course of weeks and months, these wonderfully insightful meditations will open up, even to the busiest reader in the midst of the world, a unique pathway into prayer and contemplation. My advice to spiritual inquirers at all levels, from the novice to the spiritually adept, is to follow the authors’ recommendation to use this book as a guide for daily prayer and meditation. The structure of the book itself is ideal: first, the authors introduce us to Cardinal Newman, the man, where we are given the opportunity to get to know him through a brief sketch of his life and spirituality at the beginning of the book. This is something readers will likely find themselves referring to again and again, prompting many, I suspect, to even wider explorations of this most gifted Christian leader. Then comes the meditations, consisting of a short summary of Newman’s thoughts on subjects taken, as the authors explain, from various salient points for which Newman is justly remembered: The pursuit of objective religious truth; Teaching on the Virtues; Defense of the Catholic Church; A devout spiritual and moral life; and Generosity and loyalty in his friendships, which sets the topic and tone for each meditation to follow. Each meditation consists of an excerpt taken from Newman’s thirty-plus volumes of writings and diaries. Next comes three brief and extremely useful sections entitled: “Think About It,” which establishes a prayerfully resonant tone throughout the book; “Just Imagine,” which provides a vivid, prayerful experience of the Scriptures that tie in, and finally, “Remember,” a pithy summation which the authors suggest may be used as a daily aspiration. Each meditation is given its own page, which makes it ideal for daily reflection for readers on the go. This book is a must have for every serious Catholic who wants to take their faith to the next level, which is to respond appropriately to the universal call to holiness and seek interior union with God.
Fr. Peter Conley

Aim at ‘seeing the King in His beauty’.  All things that we see are but shadows to us and delusions, unless we enter into what they really mean.

David Warren

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Robert Kirkendall

The Psalms, the "voice of the Church," invite us to enter into the sufferings of Christ and His people, and cling to God above all.

Fr. Juan Velez

Applying Newman's theory, it seems clear that the notion that women's ordination to to the priesthood, would not maintain the type of the early Church.

Fr. Juan Velez

In 1990, the International Theological Commission, issued a document titled "The Interpretation of Dogma" in which Newman's seven notes are endorsed.

David Warren

The path forward for us personally and for the Church at large, requires returning to the core truths that Christ Himself has revealed to us.

Robert Kirkendall

We are made to be gifts to God and gifts to each other, body and soul; to go against God’s law, which is for our good, is to refuse the gift.

Fr. Juan Velez

What does John Henry Newman mean by the words: "to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often?"

Fr. Juan Velez

Listening to God is done keeping in mind the normative value of the whole of Tradition and of the Church’s Teaching.