Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene;
one step enough for me…
— From “Lead Kindly Light” by St. John Henry Newman (1834)
Pope Leo XIV has been very busy in recent weeks. If you would like to see what some of his schedule looks like, just look at the schedule for the recently completed “Jubilee of the World of Education,” from Oct. 27–Nov. 1.
I have previously mentioned that I enjoy listening to two “sister podcasts” from America Media: “Jesuitical” is hosted by Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis, and “Inside the Vatican” is described on the America magazine website. Each week, Colleen Dulle goes behind the headlines of the biggest Vatican news stories with America’s Rome correspondent, Gerard O’Connell. They’ll break down complicated news stories that have a whole lot of history behind them in an understandable, engaging way. See Inside the Vatican.
In the most recent episode of Inside the Vatican, the hosts do an excellent job in covering numerous topics and, as the website says, they “break down complicated news stories that have a whole lot of history behind them in an understandable, engaging way.” Here are some of the topics that they cover, discuss, and attempt to explain in the most recent episode:
- A new “Doctrinal Statement” from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: Mater Populi Fidelis: Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation.
- John Henry Cardinal Newman being declared a Doctor of the Church.
- Pope Leo XIV signing a new Apostolic Letter to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis.
- The Jubilee of the World of Education — see above.
I encourage readers to take the time to click on the links above and read as many of the news articles as possible. If you click on the link to the “Doctrinal Statement,” you will see that it is quite lengthy. If you don’t have time to read all or much of the statement and articles above, you can listen to the very engaging and informative (41-minute) conversation between Colleen and Gerry on the podcast.
While I enjoyed listening to the full conversation, I was especially grateful to be reminded that, during his time as an Anglican priest, before converting to Catholicism and becoming a Catholic priest, Cardinal Newman wrote a beautiful, poetic hymn (prayer) called “Lead Kindly Light.” Gerry recounts the conditions during which Cardinal Newman wrote the hymn and shares that he recently learned that Mahatma Gandhi was influenced by Cardinal Newman and the hymn.
As I write these words, I am preparing to leave for Baltimore, for the semi-annual meeting of the United States’ Bishops’ Conference (USCCB), which will begin with a Morning of Prayer on Monday, Nov. 10, and conclude on Thursday, Nov. 13, the Feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. I ask that you please keep the bishops in your prayers, especially during the days of our meetings.
Cardinal Newman’s hymn, Lead Kindly Light, which I began this article with, was written in 1833 when he was an Anglican priest, before he was received into the Catholic Church. Newman was marooned far from home in Sicily, at the time, ill, and feeling despair. His hymn is a reflection of his own striving to understand and carry out God’s will and his prayer for courage to see beyond the difficulties of the moment. As a “Doctor” of the Church, John Henry Newman has important things to teach us about our faith. Newman reminds us that we are ever led by the Light of Christ. We pray to keep our eyes open to Christ’s unfailing light so that we are led by his gospel. As this Jubilee Year begins to draw to a close, Cardinal Newman teaches us to remain steadfast in hope, confident that each step that we take can lead us closer to our Heavenly Father’s purposes, bringing us the joy that comes from remaining open to friendship with the Lord Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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The Jubilee of Education, St. John Henry Cardinal Newman, Doctor of the Church, 2 new documents, and much more — all in one podcast episode! #Catholic –
Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene;
one step enough for me…
— From “Lead Kindly Light” by St. John Henry Newman (1834)
Pope Leo XIV has been very busy in recent weeks. If you would like to see what some of his schedule looks like, just look at the schedule for the recently completed “Jubilee of the World of Education,” from Oct. 27–Nov. 1.
I have previously mentioned that I enjoy listening to two “sister podcasts” from America Media: “Jesuitical” is hosted by Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis, and “Inside the Vatican” is described on the America magazine website. Each week, Colleen Dulle goes behind the headlines of the biggest Vatican news stories with America’s Rome correspondent, Gerard O’Connell. They’ll break down complicated news stories that have a whole lot of history behind them in an understandable, engaging way. See Inside the Vatican.
In the most recent episode of Inside the Vatican, the hosts do an excellent job in covering numerous topics and, as the website says, they “break down complicated news stories that have a whole lot of history behind them in an understandable, engaging way.” Here are some of the topics that they cover, discuss, and attempt to explain in the most recent episode:
- A new “Doctrinal Statement” from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: Mater Populi Fidelis: Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation.
- John Henry Cardinal Newman being declared a Doctor of the Church.
- Pope Leo XIV signing a new Apostolic Letter to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis.
- The Jubilee of the World of Education — see above.
I encourage readers to take the time to click on the links above and read as many of the news articles as possible. If you click on the link to the “Doctrinal Statement,” you will see that it is quite lengthy. If you don’t have time to read all or much of the statement and articles above, you can listen to the very engaging and informative (41-minute) conversation between Colleen and Gerry on the podcast.
While I enjoyed listening to the full conversation, I was especially grateful to be reminded that, during his time as an Anglican priest, before converting to Catholicism and becoming a Catholic priest, Cardinal Newman wrote a beautiful, poetic hymn (prayer) called “Lead Kindly Light.” Gerry recounts the conditions during which Cardinal Newman wrote the hymn and shares that he recently learned that Mahatma Gandhi was influenced by Cardinal Newman and the hymn.
As I write these words, I am preparing to leave for Baltimore, for the semi-annual meeting of the United States’ Bishops’ Conference (USCCB), which will begin with a Morning of Prayer on Monday, Nov. 10, and conclude on Thursday, Nov. 13, the Feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. I ask that you please keep the bishops in your prayers, especially during the days of our meetings.
Cardinal Newman’s hymn, Lead Kindly Light, which I began this article with, was written in 1833 when he was an Anglican priest, before he was received into the Catholic Church. Newman was marooned far from home in Sicily, at the time, ill, and feeling despair. His hymn is a reflection of his own striving to understand and carry out God’s will and his prayer for courage to see beyond the difficulties of the moment. As a “Doctor” of the Church, John Henry Newman has important things to teach us about our faith. Newman reminds us that we are ever led by the Light of Christ. We pray to keep our eyes open to Christ’s unfailing light so that we are led by his gospel. As this Jubilee Year begins to draw to a close, Cardinal Newman teaches us to remain steadfast in hope, confident that each step that we take can lead us closer to our Heavenly Father’s purposes, bringing us the joy that comes from remaining open to friendship with the Lord Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.