what do i believe

In these post easter days I have been reading extensively on (soon to be Saint) John Henry Cardinal Newman. My love for Newman stems from his influence on the anglo-catholic spiritual heritage of the first part of my life, who along with his brothers Pusey and Keble, sought to bring the fullness of the Catholic faith to what was at the time, an all pervading evangelical Anglicanism.

Newman was a reluctant to be received into the church, as was I initially, but his continued reading and praying, like me, led him there. John Henry was on a constant search to find the sources of the faith, and was especially influenced by the early Greek and Latin Fathers.

Reading Newman seriously, in both historical and spiritual writings has impressed on me the importance of really understanding why I believe the Catholic faith to be true. Newmans genius was in being able to see very clearly the issues of his time and without being afraid, challenge heresies and misinterpretations with both compassion and deep knowledge. I suspect this needs to be my (and all of our) journey.