of Inos Biffi
he was the founder of the Oratory, in fact, an admirer and devoted boundless, as revealed in his thoughts and prayers Novena of St. Philip Blacks, or the Litany of St. Philip , which called as "Hidden Hero", "Holy sweet," "Father sweetest," "Heart of Fire", "Light of holy joy."
begged for his intercession: "Obtain for me the grace of perfect resignation to the will of God, indifference to the things of this world, and keep your eyes constantly turned to the sky, so I do not mind never to divine providence, I do not lose heart, never sad. "And in his meditation asked: "My Lord, my only God, Deus meus et omnia not allow me to run after what is vain. All is vanity and shadow here - it also will play its epigraph -. Keep my fragile heart and my soul faint under divine protection. Draw yourself in the morning, noon and night. "
You could say that the holiness of Newman has been marked by" elegance " that, in his opinion - as explained to the Oratory - "highlights the sanctity and makes it attractive interior, the same way in which the gift of eloquence enhances logical reasoning."
But nobility and refinement of holiness does not mean easy or no difficulty. Newman, as every disciple of the Lord has come, in fact, a path strewn with difficulties and marked by turning points of the fundamental and painful conversion.
There was, first, his temperament. He had to purify hypersensitivity easily vulnerable and pointed, a susceptibility to easy offense, a "firmness of steel" (Bouyer) penetrating inclined to respond with biting irony, in addition to the defect common to the intellectuals of an excessive taste for the subtle discussion.
And here we see that there are no tempers advantaged or disadvantaged in relation to the holiness, the same for all but a call to change the form with the help of grace, and is in the same mind as Newman said of Cyril 'Alexandria: "Cyril, I know, is a saint, but does not mean that he was a saint in 412. One of the greatest saints are also those who in early life have committed actions anything but holy . I do not think that Cyril that his actions may please be taken in historical measure of his holiness within. "
As for the steps on the path to holiness of Newman - in each case immediately are only open to the gaze of God infallible - we can discern how the first that of the "great revolution of thought" that touched him, fifteen in the fall of 1816. He was then filled by the evidence of light, which will not turn off more, "two and only two absolute beings," his "I" and his "Creator" who "he is imposed, in an intimate way, without intermediaries," not as an abstract idea, but in the consistency of a living being, as well as live events were to him the mysteries of faith or great dogmas such as the Trinity, the Incarnation, redemption. Also in the time of his first conversion, he had struck an expression of Walter Scott, who became a program: "Holiness rather than peace."
Another critical step in the spiritual, Newman was the overcoming of liberalism that began to prefer him as "the intellectual excellence to moral" and were providential journey in the Mediterranean, the disease in Sicily, the discovery its pride, the prayer of Light and the purpose of walking under his leadership. The holiness of Newman appears as the persistent growth of din and without precise correspondence this light.
Then came the "conversion" to the Catholic Church, where, with all the pain of separation from the ancient church, friends and family, stands out the heroic fidelity to conscience and with God's will that she saw reflected.
But after this conversion begins "its so long and often painful life," along which there are many situations would be difficult and deep causes of suffering in the face of clear signs of mistrust, in operation does not clear, for years of exclusion and isolation.
We can follow these tests particularly in Autobiographical writings . In 1860 he recorded and wrote in his diary: "I have no friend in Rome, I worked in England where I was and understood where I was attacked and despised. It seems to be committed in many failures," and adds: "I think I say this without bitterness." And yet he noted: "As has been sad and lonely my life since I became Catholic (...), since I made the great sacrifice which God was calling me. He has compensated me in a thousand ways, and so wide. But he marked the course of my mortifications almost uninterrupted. His will is not blessed with much success has given me in life. Since I am a Catholic I can not seem to have had personal failures. "
He added in January 1863 - Newman had 62 years -" I am not surprised the tests, which are our heritage here; what I'm bitter and that, as far as I can see, I done so little, in the midst of all these my tests. My life was sad, because if I look back, it was a great failure. "In 1867, recognizing the long time that the Lord had abandoned him to oblivion and slander, noted: "I'll put under the image of the patriarch Job, without claiming to compare me to him," but added, feeling detached from everything, "Now I'm in a state of rest. Nothing else I happened to prevent my inner joy, or rather these external vicissitudes we have contributed magnificently "and two years later acknowledged:" The providence of God has been wonderful to me throughout my life. "
Newman's holiness is gained in a particular faith, hope and charity with which he has known for a long time and patiently accept this form of cross, the more painful as it was the deepest feeling of his soul and his love for truth and justice.
But just by reading her diary , we can feel his passion for holiness, all his writings, even the most theoretical, show transparency with this yearning. We think his calm and cloudless Sermons Parish - where you find all its uninterrupted listening to the Word of God - to the lyrical compositions, which combine holiness and poetry, to Prayers and Meditations , compelling profiles and those of the Fathers, whose company fascinated him.
Bremond notes that Newman chose the Fathers, first as friends: friends saints, so that the hours spent with them were "a kind of prayer." And you immediately feel the intimacy with Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, Chrysostom, Augustine, and others, were a practical and intensive school of holiness, and actually competed to create it in those who are reconstructing the adventures and shares his inner life. Bremond always said, "Who does not love holiness, does not like the saints."
Newman shows is to love the saints and holiness.
(© L'Osservatore Romano - 13-14 September 2010)
few years before John Henry Newman's death, the bishop of Birmingham, Ullathorne name after meeting, commented: "I felt dwarfed in front of his presence. Inside this man is a saint. " It was a widespread conviction, recognized even by Cardinal Manning, who previously had not fed the feelings of excessive sympathy for Newman, not to say that, father name Faber, had strongly opposed and was - in the words of Newman - an injustice to the him.
He declared Cardinal funeral eulogy: "In our minds, no Englishman has been the subject of a reverence so deep and sincere. It was the center of many souls, who had gone from him, as teacher, mentor and adviser for many years. A life beautiful and noble. " It could be said for his holiness: "beautiful and noble" and shrouded by a veil of silence and discretion. We do not find in Newman
forms "impressive" or manifestly excessive in its conception and in his experience of Christian life, but a lively sense of calm and "measure", a balance away from any exasperation, a natural detachment from the things of this world and a clear stretch of humor, sometimes more sweet, more bitter, which are probably among the reasons for his sympathy for Philip Blacks and the choice of being his disciple. He declared Cardinal funeral eulogy: "In our minds, no Englishman has been the subject of a reverence so deep and sincere. It was the center of many souls, who had gone from him, as teacher, mentor and adviser for many years. A life beautiful and noble. " It could be said for his holiness: "beautiful and noble" and shrouded by a veil of silence and discretion. We do not find in Newman
he was the founder of the Oratory, in fact, an admirer and devoted boundless, as revealed in his thoughts and prayers Novena of St. Philip Blacks, or the Litany of St. Philip , which called as "Hidden Hero", "Holy sweet," "Father sweetest," "Heart of Fire", "Light of holy joy."
begged for his intercession: "Obtain for me the grace of perfect resignation to the will of God, indifference to the things of this world, and keep your eyes constantly turned to the sky, so I do not mind never to divine providence, I do not lose heart, never sad. "And in his meditation asked: "My Lord, my only God, Deus meus et omnia not allow me to run after what is vain. All is vanity and shadow here - it also will play its epigraph -. Keep my fragile heart and my soul faint under divine protection. Draw yourself in the morning, noon and night. "
You could say that the holiness of Newman has been marked by" elegance " that, in his opinion - as explained to the Oratory - "highlights the sanctity and makes it attractive interior, the same way in which the gift of eloquence enhances logical reasoning."
But nobility and refinement of holiness does not mean easy or no difficulty. Newman, as every disciple of the Lord has come, in fact, a path strewn with difficulties and marked by turning points of the fundamental and painful conversion.
There was, first, his temperament. He had to purify hypersensitivity easily vulnerable and pointed, a susceptibility to easy offense, a "firmness of steel" (Bouyer) penetrating inclined to respond with biting irony, in addition to the defect common to the intellectuals of an excessive taste for the subtle discussion.
And here we see that there are no tempers advantaged or disadvantaged in relation to the holiness, the same for all but a call to change the form with the help of grace, and is in the same mind as Newman said of Cyril 'Alexandria: "Cyril, I know, is a saint, but does not mean that he was a saint in 412. One of the greatest saints are also those who in early life have committed actions anything but holy . I do not think that Cyril that his actions may please be taken in historical measure of his holiness within. "
As for the steps on the path to holiness of Newman - in each case immediately are only open to the gaze of God infallible - we can discern how the first that of the "great revolution of thought" that touched him, fifteen in the fall of 1816. He was then filled by the evidence of light, which will not turn off more, "two and only two absolute beings," his "I" and his "Creator" who "he is imposed, in an intimate way, without intermediaries," not as an abstract idea, but in the consistency of a living being, as well as live events were to him the mysteries of faith or great dogmas such as the Trinity, the Incarnation, redemption. Also in the time of his first conversion, he had struck an expression of Walter Scott, who became a program: "Holiness rather than peace."
Another critical step in the spiritual, Newman was the overcoming of liberalism that began to prefer him as "the intellectual excellence to moral" and were providential journey in the Mediterranean, the disease in Sicily, the discovery its pride, the prayer of Light and the purpose of walking under his leadership. The holiness of Newman appears as the persistent growth of din and without precise correspondence this light.
Then came the "conversion" to the Catholic Church, where, with all the pain of separation from the ancient church, friends and family, stands out the heroic fidelity to conscience and with God's will that she saw reflected.
But after this conversion begins "its so long and often painful life," along which there are many situations would be difficult and deep causes of suffering in the face of clear signs of mistrust, in operation does not clear, for years of exclusion and isolation.
We can follow these tests particularly in Autobiographical writings . In 1860 he recorded and wrote in his diary: "I have no friend in Rome, I worked in England where I was and understood where I was attacked and despised. It seems to be committed in many failures," and adds: "I think I say this without bitterness." And yet he noted: "As has been sad and lonely my life since I became Catholic (...), since I made the great sacrifice which God was calling me. He has compensated me in a thousand ways, and so wide. But he marked the course of my mortifications almost uninterrupted. His will is not blessed with much success has given me in life. Since I am a Catholic I can not seem to have had personal failures. "
He added in January 1863 - Newman had 62 years -" I am not surprised the tests, which are our heritage here; what I'm bitter and that, as far as I can see, I done so little, in the midst of all these my tests. My life was sad, because if I look back, it was a great failure. "In 1867, recognizing the long time that the Lord had abandoned him to oblivion and slander, noted: "I'll put under the image of the patriarch Job, without claiming to compare me to him," but added, feeling detached from everything, "Now I'm in a state of rest. Nothing else I happened to prevent my inner joy, or rather these external vicissitudes we have contributed magnificently "and two years later acknowledged:" The providence of God has been wonderful to me throughout my life. "
Newman's holiness is gained in a particular faith, hope and charity with which he has known for a long time and patiently accept this form of cross, the more painful as it was the deepest feeling of his soul and his love for truth and justice.
But just by reading her diary , we can feel his passion for holiness, all his writings, even the most theoretical, show transparency with this yearning. We think his calm and cloudless Sermons Parish - where you find all its uninterrupted listening to the Word of God - to the lyrical compositions, which combine holiness and poetry, to Prayers and Meditations , compelling profiles and those of the Fathers, whose company fascinated him.
Bremond notes that Newman chose the Fathers, first as friends: friends saints, so that the hours spent with them were "a kind of prayer." And you immediately feel the intimacy with Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, Chrysostom, Augustine, and others, were a practical and intensive school of holiness, and actually competed to create it in those who are reconstructing the adventures and shares his inner life. Bremond always said, "Who does not love holiness, does not like the saints."
Newman shows is to love the saints and holiness.
(© L'Osservatore Romano - 13-14 September 2010)
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