On the day we commemorate St Thomas More and St John Fisher, two men who were killed by King Henry VIII in Tudor England in the 16th century after those two men chose loyalty to Church and to God over loyalty to their King when their King broke God’s law, we reflect upon what it truly means to be God’s servants first before anything else. We often put other things before Church and before God. May we truly be servants of Christ in our lives.
From the US Bishops website:
Pray: St Thomas More and St John Fisher, we pray that we would be servants of our country, but God’s first.
Reflect: It is good to love one’s country, but ultimate loyalty is due only to Christ and his kingdom. Nationalism becomes idolatrous when loyalty to the nation is more important than loyalty to Christ. St Thomas More and St John Fisher show us what faithful citizenship looks like. They loved and served their country. But when they were forced to choose between God’s Church and the king, they were faithful to the Church. May their example continue to illuminate the path for us, as we seek to faithfully serve our Church and country.
Act: Get together and celebrate religious freedom with a parish picnic. Hand out religious freedom conversation starters as a way to spur discussion about our first, most precious liberty. Or, host a movie night, and watch A Man for All Seasons, about the martyrdom of St. Thomas More.
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