Posts by Fr Jay Scott Newman

Dear Friends in Christ, The popular Advent Hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” took shape in France in the 17th century and was translated into English and set to the hauntingly beautiful plainchant melody we know in the 19th century. But the text of the hymn dates from the 9th century and earlier and is…

Dear Friends in Christ, To worship God, to proclaim the Gospel, and to serve those in need. The Church’s entire mission can be summarized in these three categories of action, and it is a perennial challenge for Christians to keep all three of these parts in harmony and creative interaction. Some Catholics can become so…

Dear Friends in Christ, The Eighth Principle of Evangelical Catholicism states that “All the baptized are sent in the Great Commission to be witnesses of Christ to others and must be equipped by the Church to teach the Gospel in word and deed. An essential dimension of true discipleship is the willingness to invite others…

Dear Friends in Christ, The Seventh Principle of Evangelical Catholicism states that “Being a follower of Christ requires moving from being a Church member by convention to a Christian disciple by conviction. This transformation demands that we consciously accept the Gospel as the measure of our entire lives, rather than attempting to measure the Gospel…

Dear Friends in Christ, The Sixth Principle of Evangelical Catholicism states that “Receiving the Sacraments without receiving the Gospel leads to superstition rather than living faith, and the Church must therefore take great care to ensure that those who receive the Sacraments also receive the Gospel in its integrity and entirety. Consequently, before Baptism, Confirmation,…