Newman on Tap Presents

In this episode of Newman on Tap, host Ron Snyder discusses Newman's 1828 sermon "Religion, A Weariness to the Natural Man" with guest Callie McDonald, a nurse and member of the forming Benedictine Oblates of Mary at the University of Mary in Bismarck. Newman's central argument is that religion feels burdensome not because it is lacking, but because the human heart is not yet aligned with God — as he writes, "We cannot expect the system of the universe to come over to us… these are fixed, we must go over to them." Callie brings this truth to life through her own journey of discernment, explaining that true freedom is not doing whatever you want, but the capacity to choose the good — and that a half-hearted relationship with God bears little fruit. The conversation explores how grace, not willpower alone, transforms the soul from routine religious practice into a lived, intimate encounter with Christ. Newman's sermon ultimately closes as a call to surrender self-deception and align our desires with divine truth, so that we may become the kind of people capable of enjoying the eternal good. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

In this episode host Ron Snyder interviews Dr. Peter Daly — orthopedic surgeon, co-founder of One World Surgery, and lifelong devotee of St. John Henry Newman. Together they explore Newman's sermon "The Yoke of Christ" (1839), examining how suffering, the Beatitudes, and the narrow way of the cross lead to true freedom and righteousness. Dr. Daly shares a deeply personal account of his 2021 bone marrow transplant, describing it as a transformative "purgatory experience" that stripped away self-reliance and brought him into profound intimacy with God. The conversation weaves Newman's unflinching theology — that a yoke is still a yoke, even Christ's — with lived experience. The episode closes with reflections on Dr. Daly's humanitarian work in Honduras as a living expression of "washing the brethren's feet" by carrying the cross of Christ for each other.   To learn more of One World Surgery go to https://oneworldsurgery.org/ To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

Host Ron Snyder and Patrick Reilly discuss St. John Henry Newman's sermon "Intellect, the Instrument of Religious Training" (1857). Patrick, founder of the Cardinal Newman Society (https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/) discusses how Newman argued that Catholic education must unite faith and intellect — that forming only the "gentleman" through liberal arts is insufficient without also tending to the soul. They explore Newman's depiction of how the fall fragmented the human soul, permitting the intellect, will, and passions to war against each other, and how this mirrors the fragmentation of the modern university. Newman's solution is that the Catholic Church, like St. Monica praying for Augustine, must serve as a spiritual mother through its universities — reuniting knowledge with grace, forming not just the intellect but the whole person toward communion with God. Also, consider joining Patrick, Msgr. James Shea and others on a "Newman Experience Pilgrimage" to England September 6 - 12, 2026. Copy and paste in your browser below for more information.  https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/the-newman-experience/ To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site. 

In this episode of Newman on Tap, host Ron Snyder discusses St. John Henry Newman's sermon "Faith and Private Judgment" with Dr. Glen Cowan, a retired orthodontist and lifelong Methodist who recently joined the Newman study group. Glenn shares how Newman's writings have transformed his faith by revealing the richness of Catholic tradition, the Church Fathers, and the importance of submitting to divine truth rather than relying solely on private interpretation of Scripture. The conversation explores Newman's distinction between faith in written words versus faith in living oracles (the Church and its teachers), emphasizing that true faith means trusting God's messengers, not just individual judgment. Glenn describes his journey from ignorance of Catholic teaching to discovering a "river" of spiritual depth beyond his Protestant upbringing, finding Newman to be not just a man who loves God, but one "in love with God." The episode concludes with reflections on grace, humility, and the call to surrender personal ego in order to fully receive Christ's transformative love. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

Host Ron Snyder discusses St. John Henry Newman's sermon "The Crucifixion" with 16-year-old Charlotte Walter from St. Rose Philippine Duchesne parish in Anthem, Arizona. Together they explore how to develop authentic faith beyond superficial feelings by examining Newman's concept of "dwelling" in Christ's sufferings through contemplative prayer, using vivid analogies of cruelty to animals, children, and elderly persons to make the crucifixion emotionally real. Charlotte reflects on how teenage faith programs often focus on emotional experiences, but true love requires both feeling and action—dwelling in Christ's suffering leads to deeper relationship with God. The discussion emphasizes that belief in the unseen requires grace accessed through prayer and the sacraments - in particular the Eucharist - where the material meets the immaterial. Charlotte commits to an intentional Lent by contemplating Christ's sufferings through Newman's examples, recognizing that understanding His suffering reveals His love for us. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

In this episode, Ron Snyder welcomes Paul Lorie from Erie, Pennsylvania to discuss St. John Henry Newman's sermon "Self-Denial: The Test of Religious Earnestness" (March 25, 1842). They explore Newman's challenge to examine whether we're truly awake in our faith or merely going through the motions, caught up in cultural Christianity rather than genuine spiritual commitment. Paul and Ron discuss how Newman calls us to daily self-denial as proof of authentic faith—not grand gestures, but small acts of love that push us beyond comfort and worldly interests. The conversation emphasizes that true Christian obedience, rooted in love like Christ's example in Gethsemane, requires constant examination of conscience and willingness to sacrifice temporal advantages for eternal truth. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

In this episode host Dr. Ron Snyder discusses St. John Henry Newman's sermon "Christian Reverence" with Joe O'Sullivan, editor of the Bayou Catholic Magazine. Joe brings a unique perspective shaped by his formative experience in Dr. Don Briel's Newman course at the University of St. Thomas, which he credits as the most faith-solidifying class of his education. Throughout the discussion, Joe demonstrates Newman's gift for holding theological tensions—particularly the balance between Christ's mercy and kingship, and between fear and love in our relationship with God. He emphasizes Newman's remarkable ability to illuminate complex theological concepts through relatable human experiences, making his 19th-century sermons surprisingly timeless and relevant to contemporary Christians. Joe also shares how Newman's pastoral wisdom and personal struggles—being rejected by both Catholics and Protestants—make him a saint for those who feel marginalized, and how he works to bring Newman's insights into his magazine's content to reach more people with this profound spiritual guidance. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

In this episode, host Dr. Ron Snyder welcomes Dr. Michael Adkins to discuss Newman's 1831 sermon "Scripture, A Record of Human Sorrow." Dr. Adkins, Director of Academics at St. Agnes School in St. Paul, Minnesota, explores how Newman challenges the Enlightenment's denial of the fall by revealing scripture's solemn character as a divine mercy—a remedy against the fleeting vanities of worldly pleasures. Through the Gospel story of the paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda, Newman illustrates how we can spend our lives lying helpless by the pool, waiting for healing that only Christ can provide. The discussion examines how scripture's "dark" tenor serves as a forewarning that saves us from greater disappointment, teaching us to maintain a balanced Christian outlook that rejoices in earthly blessings without clinging to them. Dr. Adkins also shares insights on embodying Newman's educational vision through the work of Christopher Dawson, John Senior - co-founder of the Integrated Humanities Program at the University of Kansas), and Don Briel, emphasizing the importance of prayer, virtue, and the witness of saints in forming young people. The episode concludes with Newman's powerful reminder that the true Christian lives with detachment, knowing that "the world is not yours" and that all blessings will be received again in the world to come. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

Our guest today is Fr. Anthony Andreassi is a native of White Plains, NY, who was ordained a priest of the Brooklyn Oratory in 2007. Holds a doctorate in history from Georgetown University with a specialization in American Catholic history. Fr. Anthony spent 25 years in Catholic secondary education as a teacher and administrator.  He is author of Teach Me to Be Generous: A History of Regis High School in New York City(Fordham Univ Press, 2014). Fr. Anthony looks at the second of two sermons preached on the first anniversary of the founding of the Oratory of St. Phillip Neri in Birmingham, England. In this second sermon, Newman contrasts the dramatic, short-lived reform of Savonarola with the quiet, hidden, slowly unfolding sanctity of St. Philip Neri, whose mission embodied the “still, small voice” of God rather than fire or earthquake. He shows how Philip was formed successively by the spiritual lineages of Dominic, Benedict, and Ignatius, and how his humble, unobtrusive charity—especially in the confessional—made him the true Apostle of Rome. The sermon concludes by urging Philip’s sons in the Oratory to imitate his humility, hiddenness, and patient, interior work for souls. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

James Libbey, a young adult, active parishioner at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina, Minnesota looks at Newman’s sermon “The Visible Church an Encouragement to Faith.” Here Newman reminds us that God never leaves His faithful ones to walk alone; the visible Church surrounds us with living signs of His presence and the steady witness of His saints. Even when we feel scattered or alone, we are upheld by a great company – past and present – who help us lift our hearts and eyes to Christ and run the race with renewed courage.  To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

Greg Aitchison—a father of four, former middle school theology teacher, and now a Catholic health coach and Catholic religion curriculum planner—reflects on St. John Henry Newman’s sermon “The Power of the Will.” Greg highlights Newman’s central conviction: unless we labor for sanctity, our projects amount to nothing. Newman insists that we must firmly set our will on loving God; without this intentional desire, we will never reach union with Him. Our shortcomings, Newman says, do not primarily arise from our fallen nature but from lacking “one thing”—the genuine desire to be made new. We are privileged to have received grace, and it is our responsibility to nurture it so that we may become true sons and daughters of God. Spiritual exertion is required for us to grow in love of God. What we lack is not capacity but the willingness to use what God has already given us. For Newman, holiness is eminently practical. Though the evil one presses heavily upon us, we can freely cast off his influence. Once we choose to reject evil, grace becomes fully operative in our lives. The saints accomplished great things because they possessed hearts capable of contemplating, designing, and willing great things—and we, too, are called to this same sanctity. Echoing St. John Paul II, Newman urges us: “Be not afraid.” And again: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Greg’s Catholic health coaching project can be found at HappyHealthyandHoly.org. His Catholic curriculum work is available at CatholicReligionTeacher.com. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

Fiona Muir, a physician’s assistant graduate student, former Fellowship of Christian Athlete leader, and collegiate All-American swimmer finds “God the Way maker “ in Newman’s sermon “The Work of the Christian.” Here we discover that God’s plan is bigger than we can image allowing us to actively participate in His providence while letting go of our own control - a surrender to Divine Providence. Newman leads us to understand that as we reach towards God we must pause and receive His direction and will. Grace gives us the strength to do the work of our calling. When we have faith in Christ and the Gospel our work becomes glorious rather than overpowering. In this glorious work God makes Himself uniquely known as we carry His image to the world. Our callings are personal and deeply rooted in Christ.  To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

As a priest of the St. John Society—a community that honors St. John Henry Newman as its intellectual patron—Fr. John Poodts reflects on Newman’s sermon “A Particular Providence Revealed in the Gospel,” which profoundly influenced his vocation to the priesthood. The sermon exemplifies the power of Newman’s prose, moving hearts through his deep understanding of Scripture and his ability to reveal God’s personal love made manifest in the concrete reality of the Incarnation. Drawing on the insights of the early Church Fathers, Newman develops the idea that Divine condescension is more than God’s mere lowering of Himself to human nature; it is His full entrance into humanity, making Himself completely accessible to us. In this condescension, we begin to grasp the nature of God’s love and are invited toward a more perfect union with the Divine. When this union between God’s nature and our own is perfected within the soul, only two realities remain self-evident: myself and my Creator. As we experience God’s love more deeply, we begin to sense our definite purpose and mission. When God touches our hearts through personal influence, we cannot help but share the Good News through that same instrument. The true transformation of the world occurs person to person—heart to heart. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

Raymond Mitchell, director of liturgy and Sunday experience at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina, Minnesota investigates Newman’s sermon, “The World’s Benefactors.” With Newman, Raymond sees that the beauty of the liturgy helps us rehearse for eternal life. It is in the liturgy where we find the living Christ; in the Eucharist, The Word, preaching, each other, music, and architecture. Newman uses St. Andrew to highlight that it is in the personal that we find and share Christ. Our purpose in the world is to share what we receive in the liturgy. Silence in liturgy appeals to Newman’s understanding that God speaks to us behind a veil. Part of what it means to be a human person is to rest in the silence of the invisible world. In the Psalms, with all its various forms, we identify ourselves as a people whose God desires to be in relationship with us. The Psalms and many of the books in the Bible are offered to us by unseen authors. Likewise, it is the unseen Author that shapes each of our lives. Raymond draws parallels with Romano Guardini in that the liturgy moves beyond performance and esthetics. Both Newman and Guardini call us back to a school of humility and hiddenness where we find God in the liturgy. We need to enter liturgy with a disposition of stillness in order to find our often-quiet God. Since our words come from within, they are an expression of heart and spirit. This expression needs to be intertwined into the fabric of our lives so that we orient our day to forms of worship. The world is sanctified and upheld by this hidden, life-giving worship.  Since the liturgy is where heaven and earth meet it is our goal to unveil the hidden realities of this meeting place. So, like St. Andrew, we are called to propagate the Kingdom of God by the hidden life of worship with in us. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

Dr. Paul Shrimpton from Oxford, England discusses a sermon offering a central claim of the Oxford Movement. Newman opens by moving from a wide seep of Christian history to the particulars of personalism showing us that ultimately truth is propagated over time by the sharing of lives. The directives of scripture must be lived to have influence on others. Errors in defining truth readily take the upper hand since the delicate matters about God often rest in broad non-specifics where words can’t fully transmit divine truth. Since truth is found through the assemblage of scattered evidence over time it is best upheld by the personal witness of others. With that understanding Newman antcipates Vatican II’s call to universal evangelization through a sacramental personal interaction.  Search “Paul Shrimpton Word on Fire” to purchase a copy of the October 9, 2025 release of The Most Dangerous Man in England,” where Dr. Shrimpton examines Newman’s revolutionary perspective on the laity’s role in the Church and in the world. To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

Fr. Ignacio Llorente, a priest of the Saint John’s Society (a society of apostolic life with St. John Henry Newman as their intellectual father) discusses Newman’s Oxford University sermon “Wisdom, Contrasted with Faith and with Bigotry.”  This sermon is one of the last three sermons (of the 15-sermon series) which together are a preparation for Newman’s classic, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. Newman establishes that faith has an implicit and spontaneous aspect where wisdom is a more mature development of thought. Faith like reason is an active, spontaneous energy within us where wisdom is a maturity and ultimately the perfection of the intellect. Gaining wisdom, according to Newman, is a perfection involving an enlargement of mind dependent on the capacity to expand your mind through the connection of new knowledge with existing knowledge forming comprehensive knowledge. Ultimate Truth is gained only through the operation of this mature reasoning under the influence of grace. While we expand our minds when we study natural sciences, history, philosophy, travel or even discourse with un-believers our main source of expansion mind is religion. Religion gives us a sense of the totality of reality; both the visible and the invisible worlds. Fr Ignacio points out that without this complete vision of reality we are left with a reductionist view. Believing in things that once were “unreal,” like the existence of God or the Eucharist, is very expansive, adventurous and exciting. Application of new circumstances to timeless principles is the process for this enlargement. This enlarged exercise of wisdom is how we unfold eternal truths. On the other hand, gaining knowledge without this integration leads to skepticism and bigotry.  A sceptic is unable to integrate thought due to a failure to engage essentials. On the other hand, as we enlarge our mind and view of the world, we approach true wisdom and begin to see the world as God does. Next, Newman distinguishes faith, wisdom and bigotry. Faith and wisdom give us a calm, humble view of reality. Bigotry, on the other hand with its limited set of principles in judging reality, leads to intolerance. The intolerant bigot regularly cancels ideas that don’t match their own limited way of thinking. Those striving for true expansion of mind possess a faith that seeks wisdom. They realize that they don’t know everything (unlike the bigot) and search for more breadth and depth to their faith and knowledge. This unification of faith and reason moves towards the wisdom of Christ. Similarly, all of scripture is a unified whole pointing to the Incarnation. It is wrong to read any Bible passage in an isolated manner. Rather we need to connect each passage to the whole of scripture. The goal of enlargement of mind is receiving the mind of Christ and growing into the fullness of the maturity of Christ. Enlargement is much more than an intellectual endeavor. We learn through life, circumstances, and people. We enlarge our vision of reality as we go through life striving for the fullness found in the wisdom of Christ.  To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

As a mental health therapist and mother of three young boys Hannah Rangel (my daughter) reflects on Newman’s realism that appears in the sermon “Christ Hidden from the World.” Newman shows us that Christ dwells in the ordinary where we are called to carry Him to the world in our “earthly tabernacle.” Since true religion is a hidden life in the heart, our secret, deep desire for God is our call to be holy. Led by Newman’s insight that those physically closest to Christ on earth were the ones that brutally murdered Him, Hannah asks a piercing question; is our sin, while being informed by the facts of His passion, worse than those who ignorantly tortured Him? She discerns that when we sin, we blaspheme against the Holy Spirit because we understand the passion. However, when we approach Him “inwardly” we are closer to Him than those that walked with Him and knew Him not. Hannah adds that this inward sense invites us into His suffering when we experience our own in the ordinary events of life. The suffering of the poor is an instrument of His Divine Prescence. It is in this ordinary, hidden, humble state that we find Christ.   To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

Patrick Freese, sacristan and administrator at Our Lady of Grace parish in Edina, Minnesota begins this Eucharistic episode with a reflection on the parish wide support for the families of neighboring Annunciation Parish following the horrific all school mass shooting. Patrick opens his reflection of Newman’s sermon “Gospel Feast” by appropriately noticing the tension found in God’s created world that is simultaneously fruitful and broken. This tension is answered by the Gospel feast in the innocent sacrifice of Christ. Both the Old and New Testaments prefigure this sacred meal as not only the sustenance of our present pilgrimage but a foretaste of the eternal banquet in heaven. Because the Eucharist is hidden in the supernatural it surpasses even the visible blessings of Isreal. Newman urges us to approach this sacrament of privilege not coldly or formally but with faith, awe and love since it is the merciful foretaste of everlasting joy.  To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

Fr. Scott Karl, vice rector of St. Paul Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota describes their innovative priestly formation program considering Newman’s seminary opening sermon, “The Infidelity of the Future.” Like Newman the seminary is focused on human and spiritual formation. For instance, most of the seminarian’s time is without cell phones so that they can focus on their encounter with The Lord, themselves and each other to grow in new ways in the freedom found in the life of The Holy Spirit. The seminary aims to form missionary disciples dealing with “the perils of the time.” Newman shows that infidelity to Truth is the primary peril of the time. The seminarian then must offer a clear, consistent idea of revealed truth which Newman states: cannot be found outside of the Church – “consistency and completeness are the persuasive argument for a system being true.” Healthy human development comes into being through relationship - where we discover our individual identity. Then as we grow, we come to determine our unique purpose in life. Newman helps us understand that our spiritual lives flourish when our identity flows from our relationship with God. There is great freedom in knowing that we are not alone.  To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.

Dave Berg, longtime active Catholic friend, reacts to Newman’s 1834 sermon “Christian Zeal.”  Dave brings to light Newman’s understanding of zeal as a particular Christian grace that is perfected by faith and love. Without these virtues an incomplete zeal leads to a lukewarm state of mind with a temper of religious indifference. True zeal is guided by Christ’s example, an earnest desire for God’s honor. Newman offers saints Simon and Jude as prototypes of Christ’s loyalty in that they did not merely obey but they obeyed with promptitude, energy, dutifulness, disinterested devotion, disregard of consequences.” To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.