Saint John Henry Newman followed truth at great cost.
He did not become Catholic because Rome seemed comfortable or convenient. He studied, prayed, argued, doubted, searched the Fathers, examined the claims of the Church, and slowly came to the conclusion that he could no longer remain where he was.
Once convinced, he obeyed.
That is harder than it sounds.
Most of us are quite happy with truth until it begins to interfere with our arrangements.
We like truth when it confirms us. We are less enthusiastic when it corrects us.
Saint Paul speaks of the things of God being understood through the Spirit.
The natural man cannot simply master divine truth as one more subject.
Faith is not the product of cleverness.
The Holy Spirit illumines the mind and moves the heart so that we can recognise what God has revealed.
Newman understood that reason and faith are not enemies.
But reason must be honest enough to follow the evidence, and faith must be obedient enough to act upon what God shows us.
That is why conscience was so important to him.
Conscience does not mean doing whatever feels right.
It means recognising that I stand under the judgement of God.
Sometimes conscience consoles us.
Sometimes it accuses us.
Sometimes it requires us to change.
And sometimes, as Newman discovered, obedience to conscience can cost friendships, reputation and security.
Christ’s parable of the net removes any possibility of treating religion as an interesting hobby.
The net is cast.
It gathers everything.
Then it is drawn ashore, and there is a separation.
Human life is moving towards judgement.
We will not finally be asked whether we found Christianity interesting, but whether we belonged to Christ and lived according to the truth He revealed.
The last image of the Gospel speaks of the scribe bringing out things new and old.
Newman understood this deeply.
The Catholic Church does not discard the faith of the Apostles in order to appear modern. Nor does she preserve it as though it were a museum piece.
The same revealed truth lives, deepens and unfolds without ceasing to be the truth once delivered.
Newman’s life leaves us with a severe but necessary question:
Do I want the truth badly enough to obey it?
Not merely to discuss it.
Not merely to think it fine.
To obey it.
Because truth is not given simply to enlarge the mind.
It is given to lead the soul to God.
