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Studied at London and Oxford.
Page for the Archbishop of Canterbury. Lawyer. Twice married, father of
one son and three daughters, and a devoted family man. Writer. Friend of
King Henry VIII. Lord Chancellor of England, a position of power second
only to the king. Opposed the king on the matter of royal divorce, and
refused to swear the Oath of Supremacy which declared the king the head of
the Church in England. Resigned the Chancellorship, and was imprisoned in
the Tower of London. Martyred for his refusal to bend his religious
beliefs to the king's political needs.
Born
1478 at London, England
Died
beheaded in 1535; head kept in the Roper Vault, Saint Dunstan's church,
Canterbury, England; body at Saint Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London,
England
Canonized
1935 by Pope Pius XI
Patronage
adopted children, diocese of Arlington Virginia, civil servants, court
clerks, difficult marriages, large families, lawyers, diocese of
Pensacola-Tallahassee Florida, politicians, politicos, statesmen,
step-parents, widowers
Readings
What does it avail to know that there is a God, which you not only believe
by Faith, but also know by reason: what does it avail that you know Him if
you think little of Him?
- Saint Thomas More
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What men call fame is, after all, but a very windy thing. A man things
that many are praising him, and talking of him alone, and yet they spend
but a very small part of the day thinking of him, being occupied with
things of their own.
- Saint Thomas More Although I know well, Margaret, that because of my
past wickedness I deserve to be abandoned by God, I cannot but trust in
his merciful goodness. His grace has strengthened me until now and made me
content to lose goods, land, and life as well, rather than to swear
against my conscience. God's grace has given the king a gracious frame of
mind toward me, so that as yet he has taken from me nothing but my
liberty. In doing this His Majesty has done me such great good with
respect to spiritual profit that I trust that among all the great benefits
he has heaped so abundantly upon me I count my imprisonment the very
greatest. I cannot, therefore, mistrust the grace of God.
By the merits of his bitter passion joined to mine and far surpassing in
merit for me all that I can suffer myself, his bounteous goodness shall
release me from the pains of purgatory and shall increase my reward in
heaven besides.
I will not mistrust him, Meg, though I shall feel myself weakening and on
the verge of being overcome with fear. I shall remember how Saint Peter at
a blast of wind began to sink because of his lack of faith, and I shall do
as he did: call upon Christ and pray to him for help. And then I trust he
shall place his holy hand on me and in the stormy seas hold me up from
drowning.
And finally, Margaret, I know this well: that without my fault he will not
let me be lost. I shall, therefore, with good hope commit myself wholly to
him. And if he permits me to perish for my faults, then I shall serve as
praise for his justice. But in good faith, Meg, I trust that his tender
pity shall keep my poor soul safe and make me commend his mercy.
And, therefore, my own good daughter, do not let you mind be troubled over
anything that shall happen to me in this world. Nothing can come but what
God wills. And I am very sure that whatever that be, however bad it may
seem, it shall indeed be the best.
- from a letter written by Saint Thomas More from prison to his daughter
Margaret
source:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintt04.htm
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