If television had been invented in the 19th century, St John Henry Newman might have appeared, as a special guest, to present the weather! He did, after all, in his Rambler article use the example of a barometer to explain the importance of Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine.

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Amidst the season of what he calls “the Advent Christ”, he forecasts: “Frost and cold, rain and gloom befall us…spring, summer and autumn have brought their gifts.” Then, he lifts our spirits with the long range outlook: “Thus the soul is cast forward upon the future, and in proportion as its conscience is clear and its perception keen and true, does it rejoice solemnly that it would soon see the King in His beauty.” (Parochial and Plain Sermons V, 1.) Poetically, Newman advises us to “watch” for the Lord’s arrival as he “moves upon the deep harmonies of truth and love and draws us to become holier the closer he comes.” (Parochial and Plain Sermons IV, 22)

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Newman’s Advent letters and diaries, in the years he was an Anglican clergyman, reveal the attraction of Jesus appealing to him through the faces of his parishioners, especially the poor. Many people in Victorian cities lived in squalid conditions, with overcrowded housing and impure water supplies which led to cholera outbreaks.

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Newman responded immediately to any cases in his area and set up a special parish committee to oversee ongoing support - anticipating the impact of the National pandemic spreading. The disease was thought to be contagious and also associated with bad smells, and not specifically connected with hydration and washing provision, until 1854. Newman’s practical and pastoral approach saw him distribute coal, food vouchers and arrange deliveries of bread, wine and brandy - together with medicine - in response to the whooping cough epidemic. He found a place in an Asylum for a woman with mental health difficulties, paid for her care and visited her and the other patients regularly.

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From personal experience, having lost his youngest sister Mary on the eve of Epiphany, who he grieved for all his life, Newman recognised that the runup to Christmas was really painful for the bereaved. He refers, in his correspondence and appointment books, to a number of tragic deaths. These include two house fires, a quarry accident and another he witnessed while out riding, involving an out-of-control horsedrawn cart whose driver jumped off and was crushed between a milestone direction marker and the vehicle’s wheel.

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Newman was seriously ill with shock for a couple of months afterwards, according to friends. He regularly called upon those in grief, especially if they were coming to terms with the passing of a spouse or a child. His diaries also note his support of the parents of a young disabled person, who was deaf and dumb. He had celebrated her funeral service. He also provided the finances to enable a family to bury their next of kin.

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St John Henry’s great gift as a pastor was that he had the ability to connect with people, of all backgrounds and ages, by being himself. In sharing his humanity, he gave those he met the confidence that he understood and could help them to appreciate their own.

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May Saint John Henry Newman’s daily weather chart focus our gaze on the clearsky brightness of Christ, the morning star this Advent.

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