Today is the 850th anniversary of the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas à Becket, on the steps of his altar at Canterbury. He dies defending the right of the Church to rule in the field of men's souls, through the Holy Church which Christ had founded, free of the pragmatic interference of men of power. In this land, as throughout Europe, many men have died in this cause.
In our own age, we see again the clouds of persecution and secularism. Maybe in our own age new Martyrs will rise up in succession of these illustrious forebears. Our newest English saint, Saint John Henry Newman, saw this possibility; in his praise of the English Martyrs in The Second Spring Sermon he foresaw the Martyrdom which might yet await English Catholics, as he addressed the priests of his own day – " ... calmy, gracefully, sweetly, joyously, you would mount up and ride forth to the battle, as on the rush of Angels' wings, as your fathers did before you, and gained the prize. You, who day by day offer up the Immaculate Lamb of God, you who hold in your hands the Incarnate Word under the visible tokens which He has ordained, you who again and again drain the chalice of the Great Victim; who is to make you fear?"
May our priests, those whom we know and love, rise to this challenge. May our prayers and charity sustain them, and wipe away all fear and timidity. And may we, as members of the Order of Malta, never hesitate in our readiness to follow them.
Posts
