Lead Kindly Light

My mind is troubled by a matter that is not in my control.  A sense of helplessness pervades me, at the thought of being seemingly duped in a business deal by someone close to me.  A large sum of money is outstanding.  I am unable to focus on my golf game, and the dusk starts to touch the verdant course swiftly.

Suddenly, one of my fellow golfers, maybe sensing my mood says out aloud the words “ Lead Thy Kindly Light.”  I have heard these words long ago.

It takes some time for the import of these freshly uttered words to sink in, to take root in my heart and then gradually come to the awareness that the author of these words is right. I do not need to carry my burden all by myself and there is the Divine Assurance, “Come to me all who are troubled, take my yoke upon you” (Matthew 11:28 & 29). The light sparked my source of light and life coming from the Divine Light. Those words take hold of me and dispel my stormy mood.  I recall now the many times I have heard these words in the past:

Lead, kindly Light, amid th’ encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on;
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path, but now
Lead Thou me on;
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will; remember not past years.

So long Thy pow’r has blest me, sure it still
Wilt lead me on,
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

This poem has given hope to many over the centuries, including Mahatma Gandhi.  Penned by Cardinal John Newman  and set to music by John Dykes in the 19^th century, this remains an evergreen classic.

A few days later, I read the news that Cardinal John Newman is to be made Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo, for exemplary contributions to the Catholic world, through his writings.  An Anglican Priest turned Catholic later on in life, he had penned these words during a time period before his Catholic conversion.

Doctor of the Church is not a title that the Church bestows lightly.  In the 2000 plus year history of the Church there have been only thirty-seven saints before Cardinal Newman holding this title. Doctors of the Church, including St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, St Bonaventure, St Teresa of Avila, St Therese of Lisieux amongst others.

As  a writer, the life of Cardinal Newman inspires me .  He brought hope to many through his divinely inspired words. His motto Cor ad cor loquitur, spoke heart to heart as Pope Francis mentioned in one of his last encyclicals “ Dilexit Nos.”

Many of the Doctors of the Church turn out to be writers too.

Words are timeless and echo through the centuries.

Our digital always on 24*7 world sometimes seems overwhelming today .  Everything demands an immediate response from us.  Sometimes we just choose to keep silent and not utter a word.

Is this what the man who could not hear and speak in Mark 7: 31-37 did?

Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Our Holy Father Pope Leo delivered a stellar talk on the topic on July 30^th, 2025, on the importance of reaching out to those who are silent and on using the right words:

Perhaps this man had stopped speaking because he felt he was saying things the wrong way, perhaps he felt inadequate. All of us experience what it means to be misunderstood, to feel that we are not truly heard. All of us need to ask the Lord to heal our way of communicating, not only so that we may be more effective, but also so that we may avoid wounding others with our words.

Lord, help me to be effective in using the right words always, words that inspire and bring hope to us as the words of Cardinal Newman did.

As he reminds us, all we need is for the Light to guide us to move forward, one step at a time.

This principle is the guiding force between so many transformational programs like the Alcoholics Anonymous, who encourage alcoholics to avoid alcohol, one step at a time, one day at a time.

These words from the great Cardinal St John Newman seem apt for life situations such as what I encountered recently:

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 (John Henry Newman).