The Second Spring - Angela Cuba

Ms. Angela Cuba teaches “Humane Letters" at Bishop Reicher Catholic school in Waco, Texas. Angela graduated from the University of Dallas with a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in English. In reacting to Newman’s masterful sermon, “The Second Spring”, she will explain how Newman artfully shows how it was possible that something was so dead as Catholicism in 19th century England could experience a rebirth. During our discussion Angela refers to Gerard Manley Hopkin’s poem “The Wreck of the Deutschland,” Fr. Francis P. Donnelly’s text on Newman, and Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman’s pastoral letter of October 7, 1850 “Within the Flaminian Gates”. These works add context to this 1852 masterpiece of Newman’s. This sermon is packed with psychology and emotion as Newman confronts the incredibly intense sense of Catholicity in mid 19th century England.

Ms. Cuba explores the theme of rebirth as Newman offers a parallel of the miraculous resurgence of the beaten down English Catholic Church to the continual rebirth of Mystical Body of the Church through Mary’s delivery of that body. This English scholar offers insights into how Newman intentionally constructs this sermon thematically by paragraph as a point of emphasis to show that grace operates in offering rebirth to the English Catholic Church as analogous to grace operating through Our Lady. It is through trial where triumph is eventually found. 

To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.