9 October 2025 - St John Henry Newman - homily for Thursday of the 27th week in Ordinary time - psalm 1 - homily given at St Joseph Catholic School in Madison Mississippi

The saint of the day is John Henry Newman. He was born in 1801 in London England and died in 1890 at the age of 89. As a young man, he became an Anglican priest in the Church of England. He converted to Catholicism when he was 44 years old after many years of studying Church history and having a spiritual conversion. He was ordained a Catholic priest a couple of years after than. It is interesting that the day we celebrate him as a saint, October 9, is the day that he converted to Catholicism. He was well-known during his lifetime as a theologian, professor, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. It is also interesting that while most cardinals come from the ranks of the Bishops, Neman was appointed Cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII, quite an honor. This summer, it was announced that on November 1, our Pope will install John Henry Newman as a Doctor of the Church, only the 38th person to receive that distinction. Someone in my parish ask me recently if the term Doctor of the Church is the same as being a regular saint. Actually, it is not the same.  Being designated as a doctor of the Church mean that the persons teachings and writings have profoundly advanced the Church’s understanding of God, Church doctrine, and faith. This title can be bestowed by the Pope or a Church council. 

The motto that John Henry Newman chose when he became Cardinal is “heart speaks to heart.” What a wonderful motto. It can be first understood as the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the heart of God, speaking to our human hearts, calling us to holiness, leading and guiding us to God the Father. But heart speaks to heart can also describe the charity in our own human hearts, where another person leads another person to God, through love and kindness. Think of a person who has led you to God, or has impacted your faith in a big way, such as a fellow student or friend or parent or teacher. That is what it means when heart speaks to heart. 

Our psalm today states: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade.” Think of how God is calling us to bear fruit in our lives of faith. To not just keep our faith to ourselves. But to share that faith with others. To be of service to others. To help others. That is what we are called to do as disciples of Christ.