Advent Vespers, Cardinal Newman
One way to prepare our hearts is to contemplate Blessed John Henry Newman’s lovely poem written for Advent Vespers.
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Dream of Gerontius, and Prayer at the Moment of Death
In The Dream of Gerontius, Blessed Newman helps us to consider the Last Things preparing for our encounter with Christ and our personal judgement.
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Golden Prison
Blessed Cardinal Newman describes the purification of the soul in Purgatory as being in a golden prison in preparation for Heaven.
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Guardian Angel
Newman reminds us the importance of our guardian angel, the brother of our soul.
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Pilgrim Queen
Newman teaches us in charmingly simple verses that Mary, Our Queen, will lead us to Heaven.
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The Patient Church
Newman cautions us that unlike King Jeroboam we must obey God in all his precepts, and reminds us that the Church puts its hope in Christ.
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Pusillanimity
Being a follower of Christ sometimes means stepping outside our comfort zone
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The Isle of Sirens
Newman exhorts us to plug our ears to the Sirens’ call, so that we may sail safely to heaven.
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Substance and Shadow
The material world is only a shadow of the spiritual world and its Creator, and we must discern between shadow and substance.
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Hope of Heaven
The reality of Christ’s resurrection, like the bow set in the sky by God after the great flood, gives hope, even amidst sorrow or sadness.
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My Birthday: Part 2
In the second half of the poem, “My Birthday,” Blessed John Henry Newman continues to relate how worldly people celebrate birthdays in contrast to how he wishes to mark his day.
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My Birthday
In his Birthday poem, Blessed John Henry Newman considers how a life should be spent, reminding us to beware the vanities of the world.
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