A Daily Dose of God

 

 

 

 

 

We do not live in “Ordinary Times”, but then no one ever does.  Today we a taking a break from our reflection on Fr. Gerhard Lohfink’s book, Prayer Takes Us Home to reflect on St. Thomas More and ask for his intercession.

Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, on July 6, 1535, More steadfastly refused to approve King Henry VIII’s divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England.

Described as “a man for all seasons,” More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children, and chancellor of England. An intensely spiritual man, he would not support the king’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Nor would he acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the Church in England, breaking with Rome, and denying the pope as head.

More was committed to the Tower of London to await trial for treason: not swearing to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. Upon conviction, More declared he had all the councils of Christendom and not just the council of one realm to support him in the decision of his conscience.  In Robert Bolt’s, A Man for All Seasons, More testifies before an inquiry committee and Norfolk attempts to persuade him to sign an oath of allegiance.

 

 

Norfolk: "Look, I'm not a scholar, and frankly I don't know whether the marriage was lawful or not—but Thomas, look at these names! You know these men! Can't you do as I did and come along with us for fellowship?"

More: "And when we stand before God, and you are sent to Heaven for doing according to your conscience, and I am sent to hell for not doing according to mine, will you come along with me—for fellowship?"

 

There are several lines by More that merit mention but there is not enough space to do so. Here is one of the best: "I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos."

 

“William Roper: So now you'd give the Devil benefit of law!

Thomas More: Yes. What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?

Roper: I'd cut down every law in England to do that!

More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you -where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast -man's laws, not God's -and if you cut them down- and you're just the man to do it -d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil the benefit of the law, for my own safety's sake.”

Should More have given in? Why or why not?

Would More still be remembered in the same way if he had given in?

 

 

Patron Saint of: Attorneys, Civil Servants, Court Clerks, Politicians and
Public Servants

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

 

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

 

Saint Thomas More, plead for us.

 

May God Be Praised!