Livet ditt har en mening, en misjon | Sitat av St. John Henry Newman | The Mission of My Life

Den hellige John Henry Newman (1801-1890).

En av de viktigste kristenlederne i England på 1800-tallet, var den hellige John Henry Newman – anglikaneren som ble katolsk kardinal. Hans kardinalmotto er et av de fineste jeg vet om: "Cor ad cor loquitur". "Hjerte taler til hjerte". Kan egentlig noe treffe et hjerte hvis det ikke kommer fra et hjerte?

I Norge er kardinal Newman (1801-1890) kanskje mest kjent for salmen sin "Lead, kindly light":

"Leid, milde ljos,
igjennom skodde-eim,
leid du meg fram!
Eg gjeng i myrke natt
langt frå min heim,
leid du meg fram!
Før du min fot;
eg treng ei sjå min veg
so langt og vidt,
eitt steg er nok åt meg."

Er det ikke sånn det ofte er? Kall det skodde, kall det kors, trengsler eller prøvelser, men det er ganske mye av det, og ofte vet jeg ikke mer enn akkurat neste steg. Da ber jeg om lys. Mildt lys. "Leid, milde ljos, igjennom skodde-eim."

Jesus selv sier det rett ut: "I verden har dere trengsler. Men vær frimodige, jeg har seiret over verden!" (Joh 16,33)

Grunnen til at jeg lager denne bloggposten, er at jeg vil dele med dere denne teksten av Newman som jeg ikke har oppdaget før i dag:

The Mission of My Life

God has created me to do Him some definite service.

He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.
I have my mission.
I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.
I am a link in a chain,
a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created me for naught.
I shall do good; I shall do His work.
I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.
Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away.
If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, 

in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him.
If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.
He does nothing in vain.
He knows what He is about.
He may take away my friends.
He may throw me among strangers.
He may make me feel desolate, 

make my spirits sink, hide my future from me.
Still, He knows what He is about.

Kilde: John Henry Newman Catholic College

(Bloggposten fortsetter under bildet.)

St. John Henry Newman malt av Sir John Everett Millais.

En Jesus-bønn av kardinal John Henry Newman

Dear Jesus

Help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly,
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.

Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in
contact with may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus!

Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others; The light, O Jesus will be
all from You; none of it will be mine;
It will be you shining on others through me.

En til bønn av kardinal Newman

May the Lord support us all the day long,
Till the shades lengthen and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then in his mercy may he give us a safe lodging,
and holy rest, and peace at the last.

Amen.

Les også:

Ettertanke | Leid, milde ljos