St. Thomas More was a martyr for Christ. He was born in London in 1478. He studied and became a lawyer, and began had a career in Parliament. In 1505, he married Jane Colt and they had four children, and when she died at a young age, he married a widow, Alice Middleton. He had many Bishops and scholars whom he called friends, and by 1516 wrote his world-famous book "Utopia." King Henry VIII of England appointed him to several important posts and missions, and finally made him Lord Chancellor in 1529. But St. Thomas resigned in 1532, at the height of his career and reputation, when Henry persisted in holding his own opinions regarding marriage and the supremacy of the Pope. The rest of his life was spent in writing mostly in defense of the Church. In 1534, he refused to proclaim allegiance to the King as the Head of the Church of England and was confined to the Tower for 15 months and then tried and convicted of treason. As he was to be killed on the scaffold, he told the crowd of spectators that he was dying as "the King's good servant, but God's first." He was beheaded on July 6, 1535. His feast day is June 22nd. St. Thomas is the patron saint of lawyers and of adoptive families. He was elevated to sainthood in 1935, four hundred years after his death.
Read more about this holy man HERE.
Read this beautiful prayer composed by Saint Thomas More during his 15 months imprisonment. The prayer I used, below, was adapted from this beautiful one he wrote, HERE:
Dear God, give me a mind that is humble, quiet, peaceful, patient and charitable, and a taste of your Holy Spirit in all my thoughts, words, and deeds.
Dear God, give me faith, hope, charity, and a love for You. Take all the lukewarmness from my thoughts, and all the dullness from my prayer. Send me Your grace. Give me, Dear God, the grace to work for the things I pray for.
--St. Thomas More
St. Thomas More, pray for Us !
Coloring page HERE
Click on HERE to see a listing, in order, of all the Saints and Feast Day folders for the liturgical year, or click on the Archangels folder at the top right of my sidebar.
Also, Xhonane at Familia Catolica has a similar post HERE listing the liturgical folders she has made thus far, and she will add to it as well.
You know, I heard he was the patron saint of adoptive families...like years ago...and completely forgot. Thank you so much for this reminder. Since St. Andrew Kim Taegon (for Stan and Korea) is so difficult to find statues of, this would be a lovely replacement.
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