On June 22, we commemorated St. Thomas More. Thomas More was imprisoned and later executed by King Henry VIII of England in 1535, because Thomas More opposed the King’s breaking away from the Catholic Church.
During his imprisonment, Thomas meditated on Christ’s suffering and passion. This gave Thomas More courage in the face of fear of his own death. Here is an inspiring excerpt from his meditation.
“For many people … filled with terror at any danger of being tortured, Christ chose to enhearten them by the example of His own sorrow, His own sadness, His own weariness and unequalled fear, lest they should be so disheartened as they compare their own fearful state of mind with the boldness of the bravest martyrs…To such a person as this, Christ wanted His own deed to speak out, as it were, with His own living voice:
‘ O faint of heart, take courage and do not despair. You are afraid, you are sad, you are stricken with weariness and dread of the torment with which you have been cruelly threatened. Trust me. I conquered the world, and yet suffered immeasurably more from fear, I was sadder, more afflicted with weariness, more horrified at the prospect of such cruel suffering drawing eagerly nearer and nearer. Let the brave man have his high-spirited martyrs, let him rejoice in imitating a thousand of them. But you, my timorous and feeble little sheep, be content to have me alone as your shepherd, folly my leadership; if you do not trust yourself, place your trust in me. See, I am walking ahead of you along this fearful road. Take hold of the border of my garment and you will feel going out from it a power which will stay your … fears and will make your mind more cheerful, especially when you remember that you are following closely in my footsteps… and likewise when you remember that this light and momentary burden of tribulation will prepare for you a weight of glory which beyond all measure. For the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come which will be revealed in you. As you reflect on such things, take heart and use the sign of my cross to drive away this dread, this sadness, this fear, and weariness like vain specters of the darkness. Advance successfully and press through all obstacles firmly confident that I will champion your cause until you are victorious and then in turn will reward you with the laurel crown of victory’
…Having made Himself weak for the sake of the weak, He might take care of the other weak men by means of his own weakness. He had their welfare so much at heart that this whole process of His agony seems deigned for nothing more clearly than to lay down a fighting technique and a battle code for the fainthearted solider who needs to be swept along, as it were, into martyrdom.”
Peace,
-Fr. Kevin
