St. Thomas of Canterbury, Bishop and Martyr

St. Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, is the martyr of the liberties of the Church, in the XIIth century. Henry II, king of England, wished him to sanction customs contrary to the liberties of the Church. St. Thomas knew that to make this divine society subservient to the secular power would be to violate her very constitution, and therefore as Bishop he would willingly suffer death in defense of the Church of Christ. He was slain in his cathedral by the king's soldiers on December 29, 1170.

We spent the day in Vienna, had a great time (although a little bit of a cold time), and are quite exhausted - so we'll tell you all about it tomorrow. For today, enjoy one of the rhymes from Maria's favorite book.

T is also a martyr, Saint Thomas I mean,

The bravest Archbishop that ever was seen.

Saint Thomas was Primate of England, and fought

For the rights of the Church which the King set at naught;

So they quarrelled, these two, for a very long time,

Until Henry the Second comitted this crime:-

He threatened Saint Thomas's death, or at least

He said, "Who will get rid of this pestilent priest?"

FitzUrse and De Morville and Richard Le Breton

And William De Tracey, who heard the King threaten,

Rode off to the Abbey of Christ Church in Kent

And slew the good priest the King called "pestilent,"

On the last day but two in the month of December-

A date which all Englishmen used to remember,

Till Harry the Eighth, who had made himself Pope,

Broke Saint Thomas's statues in Mitre and Cope;

Yet still, where at Lambeth his empty niche stands,

Thames bargemen salute him with reverent hands.

(An Alphabet of Saints by Robert Hugh Benson).