Christ Hidden from the World - Hannah Rangel

As a mental health therapist and mother of three young boys Hannah Rangel (my daughter) reflects on Newman’s realism that appears in the sermon “Christ Hidden from the World.” Newman shows us that Christ dwells in the ordinary where we are called to carry Him to the world in our “earthly tabernacle.” Since true religion is a hidden life in the heart, our secret, deep desire for God is our call to be holy. Led by Newman’s insight that those physically closest to Christ on earth were the ones that brutally murdered Him, Hannah asks a piercing question; is our sin, while being informed by the facts of His passion, worse than those who ignorantly tortured Him? She discerns that when we sin, we blaspheme against the Holy Spirit because we understand the passion. However, when we approach Him “inwardly” we are closer to Him than those that walked with Him and knew Him not. Hannah adds that this inward sense invites us into His suffering when we experience our own in the ordinary events of life. The suffering of the poor is an instrument of His Divine Prescence. It is in this ordinary, hidden, humble state that we find Christ.  

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.