Newman et al.: the necessity of faith

Sunday, August 11, 2019
    Feast of Clare of Assisi, Founder of the Order of Minoresses (Poor Clares), 1253
    Commemoration of John Henry Newman, Priest, Teacher, Tractarian, 1890
Meditation:
    Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).
    —John 1:40,41 (NIV)
Quotation:
    We were made for action, and for right action—for thought, and for true thought. Let us live while we live; let us be alive and doing; let us act on what we have, since we have not what we wish. Let us believe what we do not see and know. Let us forestall knowledge by faith. Let us maintain before we have proved. This seeming paradox is the secret of happiness. Why should we be unwilling to go by faith? We do all things in this world by faith in the word of others. By faith only we know our position in the world, our circumstances, our rights and privileges, our fortunes, our parents, our brothers and sisters, our age, our mortality. Why should religion be an exception? Why should we be unwilling to use for heavenly objects what we daily use for earthly?
    ... John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890), John Keble (1792-1866) & Edward B. Pusey (1800-1882), Tracts for the Times, v. V, William Palmer, Richard Hurrell Froude & Isaac Williams, London: Rivington, 1840, p. 84-85 (see the book)
    See also John 1:40-41; Hab. 2:4; Matt. 14:28-31; Mark 11:22-23; John 1:45; Rom. 1:16-17; Gal. 2:16-17; 3:11-12; Heb. 10:37-38
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, may I not be held back by doubt. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    Jonah    Ruth