Newman on Tap Presents

Fr. Robert Lisowski from the University of Notre Dame draws key insights from Newman's Advent sermon, "Watching". Newman tells us that we must be watchful everyday of our lives - watchful as to how God breathes His love into our lives and how we respond to that love. Watchfulness involves a consistent, expectant focus on God. Without this focus our eyes move inward and we tend to mi...

Brother Bobby McFadden , a religious brother in training with the Congregation of the Holy Cross (with a PhD in Augustine studies), reflects on Newman’s sermon “Faith and Love”. To have an authentic faith is to love. If we have the love of God then the faith that we have is genuine, real. Love then is the sign of our faith. Newman helps us see faith as the beginning of religion – the belief in God...

Dr. David Deavel,  an Associate Professor of Theology at the University of St. Thomas - Houston (after coming from The Center of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota) reflects on Newman's sermon "Promising without Doing". Like Newman, Dr. Deavel sees his own journey from Evangelical Protestantism to the Catholic Church as an addition of the truths he underst...

Dr. John Crosby, distinguished philosopher from Franciscan University and Newman scholar gives his insights into Newman's deeply personal sermon "Mysteriousness of our Present Being".  In this sermon Newman shows (and Dr. Crosby explains) that the profoundest truths of our existence are commonly mysterious. For instance, the reality of the union of the body and soul is a mystery tha...

Blair Saiz, wife and mother of three young girls, learns from Newman's sermon "The Invisible World" that focusing on the invisible world changes the way we live.  This is evident in how children easily come to know of their own angels and saints through their tremendous ability to wonder.  It is in this world where, despite our own worldly whims, we come to realize that angels and s...

Episode 24 Season 1 – “The Cross of Christ the Measure of the World” Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska shares with us his conversion story as a journey with friends and St. John Henry Newman. He sees Newman’s sacramental imagination (an efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us) as pointing to somethi...

In the midst of our Eucharistic Revival, Archbishop Bernard Hebda discusses Newman’s 1838 sermon “The Eucharistic Presence”. His Excellency finds Johannine depth in Newman‘s precise spiritual thought. Like John the Evangelist, Newman leads us to a deeper “awe, admiration and hope” of Christ’s Eucharistic Presence by recognizing that all other miracles of Christ pale in comparison to the love Jesus...

Laura Miller, co-founder of "Newman on Tap", offers her Marian insights as together we celebrate ten years of "Newman on Tap" started upon our 2013 co-graduation with masters degrees in Catholic Studies from The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.  As a young mother of three children, Laura finds Newman offering insights into how Mary's supreme sanctity could...

Dr. David Delio offers insight into Newman's call for all of us to an integration of our heart, mind and will as a path to holiness by loving God and our neighbor. "Intellect, the Instrument of Religious Training" cleverly positions St. Monica as an image of faith and St. Augustine as an image of the intellect.  Newman artfully looks at their lives to explain that without a harmony...

Dr Brandon Wanless, Assistant Professor of Dogmatic Theology at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota and Co-Founder of The Sacra Doctrina Project (www.sacradoctrinaproject.org) looks closely at Newman's intriguing sermon "Omnipotence in Bonds".  Dr. Wanless unpacks the radicality of The Incarnation where we come to know God...

Episode 19 Season 1 – “A Particular Providence as Revealed in the Gospel” Dr. David Foote , associate history professor in the department of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota unpacks Newman's 1835 sermon "A Particular Providence as Revealed in the Gospel". Dr. Foote highlights Newman's insights into Psalm 139 where we find our God concerned...

Fr. James Reidy, Professor Emeritus of English 1981 – 2011 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota with 67 years in the priesthood, reacts to Newman's prophetic sermon "The Religion of the Day" - the religion of niceness. In this episode Fr. Reidy highlights why he has been attracted to Newman's spiritual insights for close to 75 years. After sharing memories of...

Fr. Marc Paveglio, pastor of St. Rose of Lima in Roseville, Minnesota walks us through Newman's sermon "Men not Angels, the Priests of the Gospel". Inspired by Newman's massive Christian intellectual life grounded in heartfelt priesthood Fr. Marc offers that God's desired method of saving us is through the Incarnation - in the flesh and blood of those near us. The fact tha...

Monsignor James Shea, president of The University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota shares with us his vision of a Catholic university education modeled after Newman's Idea of a University.  He then offers insight into Newman's sermon "The Resurrection of the Body" by pondering Christ's real presence in the Most Holy Eucharist.  Monsignor Shea sees that Newman peers into o...

Mary Depuglio, after 5 years as an active duty officer in Air Force intelligence received a theology master's degree from the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado. Mary brings that background to her reaction to a Pentecost sermon of St John Henry Newman, "The Christian Ministry".  Mary sees that Newman helps us understand that our own three-fold identity of priest, prophet and ki...

This episode brings you my 24-year-old daughter, Grace Snyder, reacting to St. John Henry Newman's 1843 sermon "Mysteries in Religions". Grace notes how Newman speaks to her generation who is seeking a joy that can only be found in knowing who one is - in God's eyes. By entering into a wonder that transcends the material world are we able to engage the totality of life. Wonder...

Diana Newman, retired nurse and nursing professor was introduced to John Newman as a child and entered more deeply into his thought and works through our weekly Zoom format which she inspired by asking for interpersonal contact centered on the influence of our patron. Reflecting on the sermon, "The Shepherd of our Souls," Diana describes that by regularly turning to Christ we come to kno...

Dr. Ryan (Bud) Marr , Catholic convert and gifted Newman scholar with a PhD in historical theology from St. Louis University (with research interests in the theology of St. John Henry Newman, the reception of Vatican II and the liturgy) reacts to Newman’s sermon “Faith without Sight”.  Here Dr. Marr helps us with Newman’s view of faith as a blessed temper of mind that hears Christ in Scripture by...

Father Joseph Pearce, C.O., an Oratorian of the Rock Hill, South Carolina Oratory and a teacher at St. Anne's School (K-12) shares his admiration for St. John Henry Newman as he reacts to Newman's Holy Week sermon, "The Mental Sufferings of Our Lord in His Passion".  Christ's mental suffering is first revealed in the garden where He embraces suffering even before He experi...

Peter Dawes, demonstrates how Newman helps us to personally engage Christ, the Gospels and His Church. Peter reflects on how Newman appeals to the heart by painting word pictures with his marvelous prose.  Newman offers fresh insights into a familiar Gospel story by describing Christ as a real, living being who sojourned on earth so that we, in turn, can personally engage the Divine with our own s...

Justin Shay , Catholic school principal at Ava Maria Academy, is working to incorporate Newman's idea of forming a habit of mind pointing to the mind of God. Justin reflects on the Lenten themes found in Newman's sermon, "The Church the Home for the Lonely". Here Newman leads us to the understanding that Christ is our refuge from an unsettled, lonely word. It is in Him alone th...

On this the birthday of St. John Henry Newman (2/21/1801) we discuss Newman's sermon "Surrender to God". Nick Zagotta, Chicago attorney and college friend, came to know St. John Henry Newman through his regular participation in  "Newman on Tap" (go to newmanontap.com to learn more). Nick's interest in history, the early Church formation and the Church's organic d...

Fr. Juan Velez shares his respect for St. John Henry Newman as one "who brings Christ to others" as a teacher of the faith.  In our discussion of Newman's sermon "The Strictness of the Law of Christ" Fr. Juan highlights Newman's view of morality as not necessarily a duty or an obligation rather morality is a privilege because we are meant to delight in God. Our perfec...

Ron Snyder is joined by his friend Anna Knier for a conversation inspired by St. John Henry Newman's sermon, "The Weapons of the Saints." Originally preached on October 29, 1837, Newman proves timeless as he sheds light on our natural longing for "what is noble and heroic," and offers this surprising encouragement: "Do you desire to be great? Make yourselves little.&q...

Dr. Mark Pattridge, retired medical physician, reacts to St. John Henry Newman's sermon "The Season of Epiphany" preached on January 17, 1841.  Dr. Pattridge shares how Newman is true to his style of taking his readers on a surprising, heartfelt journey that opens you up for change.  Here the journey is with the infant Jesus as true King - one to be adored and obeyed.  Mark highligh...