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Sermon Reflection 11

Discover the mystery of your unique soul

"The Individuality of the Soul"

“He has a depth within him unfathomable, an infinite abyss of existence; and the scene in which he bears part for the moment is but like a gleam of sunshine upon its surface.” —St. JHN

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 Heart Speaks to Heart – Cor ad Cor Loquitur

Sermon Reflection 11 for August 2026

by Sister Mary Catherine Blanding, IHM

https://www.newmanreader.org/works/parochial/volume4/sermon6.html

Sermon Synopsis

St. John Henry Newman preached "The Individuality of the Soul" in 1836 during his time as an Anglican priest at University Church, Oxford. The text centers on Ecclesiastes 12:7: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."

Helpful Vocabulary

Individualism: A philosophy that places individual interests and liberty above the common good, often sacrificing social values to the personal desires of those most aggressive in demanding recognition of their individual rights. (Paraphrase from Fr. John A. Hardon, The Catholic Dictionary)

Christian personalism: The teaching that every person, created in God’s image, has inviolable dignity and must never be treated merely as a means. True fulfillment comes through self-giving love and communion with God and others.

Reading Helps

(The numbers correspond to the sermon’s paragraph or note numbers in the text.)

  1. John Henry says that every person has a unique and immortal soul. What does he want us to realize about the dignity and individuality of each person? (80–82)
  2. Our Saint describes the human person as having “a depth within him unfathomable, an infinite abyss of existence.” What do you think he means? How does this change the way we look at other people? (83–84)
  3. The Founder of the Oxford Movement (the movement to restore orthodoxy to the Anglican Church) asks us to remember that the people we encounter—even strangers we pass in an airport, on a plane, or in a crowd—are immortal beings who continue to exist. Why do you think he wants us to think about this? (85–86)
  4. John Henry speaks of two ways of living and two eternal destinies. What is he warning us about? What does this teach us about the seriousness of our choices? (87)
  5. John Henry Newman speaks strongly about judgment, hell, and being separated from God. Why do you think people today find these subjects difficult to think about? How should we understand his warning together with God’s mercy? (87–92)
  6. Near the end, after his serious warnings, our Saint brings us back to Our Lord’s words: “Be not afraid.” Why do you think he ends this way? What hope does this give us? (93–94)

Points to Ponder

  1. John Paul II developed Christian Personalism, emphasizing the dignity and uniqueness of each person. St. John Henry Newman seems to anticipate this teaching, especially in this sermon. Do we need this teaching even more today than in the 19th century? Why?
  2. Augustine spoke of the City of God and the City of Man. Newman seems to parallel this with the elect and the reprobate. What is true and helpful about this distinction? What dangers arise if we take it too far or begin judging others?
  3. John Henry Newman preached this sermon on March 27, 1836. At this time, he was moving from Evangelicalism toward High-Church Anglicanism and had begun teaching about an intermediate state after death as an alternative to the Catholic teaching on Purgatory. (McGlaughlin, Newman’s Theology of Purgatory.) What does St. John Henry teach in this sermon about the afterlife and the soul’s preparation for eternity?

Personal Reflection

  1. How can knowing that I am unique and unlike any other person help me grow in genuine confidence?
  2. How might this teaching change the way I see and treat the people I encounter each day?
  3. Reflect on this line from St. JHN’s famous meditation: “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…”

 https://www.newmanfriendsinternational.org/en/newman-newsletter-2023