Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, the great 19th-century convert, will soon be listed among the official saints of the Catholic Church. He is known for his writings on Catholic education and theology, but he also offered some great wisdom that can be valuable for young Catholic women.
Here are three quotes from Newman that you may find relatable:
1. On perfectionism: Are you ever so unsure of yourself, that you don’t do anything at all? Newman advised his fellow priests:
“Nothing would be done at all if one waited until one could do it so well that no one could find fault with it.”
2. On vocation: What’s the plan for your life? Newman often confronted uncertainty, especially after becoming Catholic and losing his friends, career and social status in Protestant England. But he put his trust in God:
“God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission—I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.”
3. On love: Newman’s heart burned with love for his students, his fellow priests and all Catholic laity. However we care for other people—as a spouse, a parent, a leader, a coworker, a friend—Newman’s prayer for his students reminds us how to be a devoted Christian:
“May I engage in them in the strength of Christ … remembering the worth of souls, and that I shall have to answer for the opportunities given me of benefitting those under my care.”
Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, pray for us!
