Podcasts about saint thomas more

5/19/25 - Turning Points examines how thirteen extraordinary men and women from apostolic times to the present—most of them canonized saints—came to see how God wanted them to organize their lives and, seeing that, set out to shape their lives accordingly. The book probes the stories of highly motivated individuals who in a variety of ways committed their lives to wholeheartedly following Christ, and it discusses a number of issues as timely for the Church now as they were then. It is engagingly written for all who are interested in serious religious ideas, as well as in the inspiring stories of thirteen outstanding people whose lives shed fresh light on living the faith in their times—and our own. Among those whose stories are told are Saint Paul the Apostle, Saint Augustine of Hippo, Saint Ignatius Loyola, Saint Thomas More, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint John Henry Newman, Saint Josemaría Escrivá, Caryll Houselander, and Dorothy Day. Get the book at https://ignatius.com/turning-points-tpsp/?searchid=1998543

"With profound gratitude to Almighty God, I join the universal Church in thanksgiving for Pope Leo XIV. As the Bishop of Rome and Successor of Saint Peter, our Holy Father is for the entire world the visible principle of Christian unity. I encourage everyone in our families, parishes and schools to offer prayers, sacrifices and works of charity for Pope Leo XIV and his intentions. As Bishop of Arlington, I invite all the faithful to join me for a Mass of Thanksgiving for Pope Leo XIV, which will take place at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More on Monday, May 12 at 12:05PM. This Mass of Thanksgiving will also be available via livestream, for those unable to attend in person. Through this celebration of the Holy Eucharist, we can support our Holy Father in a special way, asking Almighty God to grant that he may always bear witness to the truth, joy, and beauty of the Gospel with courage, steadfastness, and wisdom. United in prayer for Pope Leo XIV, may we ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen him daily with divine grace in order that he may bring the light of faith and the unchanging and life-giving word of God to the challenges of our times. Likewise, may our Holy Father be for the Church and the world a sign of hope and an instrument of the peace and merciful love of Jesus Christ. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede for our Holy Father and guide us all in fidelity to her Son, our Savior." - Bishop Michael Burbidge

On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge:   Asks us to entrust those who are suffering from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles to Jesus   Recaps the Solemn Opening for the Holy Year at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More and offers ways to make the Holy Year special    Learn more about making a pious visit to a holy year site   Share your message of hope with Bishop Burbidge by leaving a voicemail: 703-778-9100    Extends prayerful support to Cardinal McElroy after his ‘yes' to shepherd the Archdiocese of Washington   Shares what he is most excited for at two major pro-life events ahead: Life Fest January 23-24 in Fairfax and Virginia Pro-Life Day on January 29 in Richmond   Purchase tickets to Life Fest   Register for VA Pro-Life Day   Previews Catholic Schools Week, observed January 26 – February 1 this year   He also answers the following question from the faithful:   “Traveling the diocese to visit designated churches for indulgences is not possible for me. With no means of transportation and living in an assisted living facility how can I actively participate and receive indulgences. I have TV and internet. Please help me gain the holiness that a Holy Year provides…” 

On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge: Shares his plans to visit the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center to celebrate an annual Mass for the incarcerated, affirming God's call to minister to those who are alone and may feel forgotten   Previews two Christmas Eve Masses he will celebrate at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More at 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. — catch the 10 p.m. Mass on December 24 via livestream at this link   Highlights the good news tucked inside this year's Annual Report — now available! Invites all to join him at the Opening Mass for the Holy Year 2025 on January 5, at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More     Reminds us to register for Life Fest — a collaborative event of Life is VERY Good with the Sisters of Life and the Knights of Columbus preparing for the annual March of Life — beginning with the Night of Praise on January 23 and a Morning Rally on January 24   He also answers the following question from the faithful: “I heard at Mass that Pope Francis declared 2025 as a jubilee year for the whole church. I remember the Jubilee in 2000 fondly and traveled to Rome that year on pilgrimage. But I cannot travel overseas this time, and I imagine there are others in my situation. How can I mark the year to come?”

On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge:   Acclaims the new diocesan website and shares some of his favorite features   Gives thanks to God for all parents and educators of Arlington Catholic school students amid the back-to-school season and offers some highlights of the year ahead   Learn more: Diocese of Arlington Catholic Schools welcome back more than 18K students (Fox5)   Elaborates on what “cell phone-free schools” mean for students in the diocese   Read on in the Arlington Catholic Herald: “Phone-free learning: Diocesan high schools help students detach from devices”   Applauds a trend in the MLB: teams hosting Faith Nights   Previews the upcoming livestream event on September 5 featuring a documentary premiere, an exclusive first-look of the renovated Cathedral of Saint Thomas More, and Solemn Mass in Celebration of the Golden Jubilee   Watch now: Trailer for the Golden Jubilee Documentary

 On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge:   Returns to the podcast refreshed from his recent retreat at San Damiano Spiritual Life Center   Acclaims two new keepsakes commemorating the 50th anniversary of the diocese   Encourages all to attend the upcoming virtual event on September 5 featuring a documentary premiere, an exclusive first look at the renovated Cathedral of Saint Thomas More, and livestream of the Solemn Mass in Celebration of the Golden Jubilee and Dedication of the Altar   Expounds upon the theme of renewal in his latest column   Decries once more the blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper during the Olympic Opening Ceremony following the action he and fellow Church leaders took in its wake   He also answers the following question from the faithful:    “I was incredibly inspired by the Eucharistic Congress! My fear is that we will lose momentum. Rather than plan another Congress for a decade from now, why not have a similar event more often? What about a Eucharistic Congress taking place on alternating years, when World Youth Day is not being held?” 

Full Text of ReadingsSaturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 370The Saint of the day is Saint Thomas MoreSaint Thomas More's Story His belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ cost Thomas More his life. Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, on July 6, 1535, More steadfastly refused to approve King Henry VIII's divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England. Described as “a man for all seasons,” More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children, and chancellor of England. An intensely spiritual man, he would not support the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Nor would he acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the Church in England, breaking with Rome, and denying the pope as head. More was committed to the Tower of London to await trial for treason: not swearing to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. Upon conviction, More declared he had all the councils of Christendom and not just the council of one realm to support him in the decision of his conscience. Reflection Four hundred years later in 1935, Thomas More was canonized a saint of God. Few saints are more relevant to our time. In the year 2000, in fact, Pope John Paul II named him patron of political leaders. The supreme diplomat and counselor, he did not compromise his own moral values in order to please the king, knowing that true allegiance to authority is not blind acceptance of everything that authority wants. King Henry himself realized this and tried desperately to win his chancellor to his side because he knew More was a man whose approval counted, a man whose personal integrity no one questioned. But when Thomas More resigned as chancellor, unable to approve the two matters that meant most to Henry, the king had to get rid of him. Saint Thomas More is a Patron Saint of: AttorneysCivil ServantsCourt ClerksLawyersPoliticiansPublic Servants Click here for more on Saint Thomas More! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Friends of the Rosary, Today, on the optional memorial days of Saint John Fisher, bishop and martyr, and Saint Thomas More, martyr, we learn through the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 6:24-34) to seek the Kingdom of Heaven and its treasures first. Jesus is saying to his disciples: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,and all these things will be given you besides.Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.Sufficient for a day is its own evil." Through the gift of faith, we open ourselves to what God will reveal and invite. We entrust our lives completely to the all-powerful God,not worrying and depending on him. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You! Come, Holy Spirit, come! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • ⁠June 22, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

A movie about a Saint! Today, Jacob and Tate review 1966's A Man for All Seasons starring Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw, and Orson Welles, a movie about England and King Henry VIII's divorce from the Catholic Church and Saint Thomas More. This movie was directed by Fred Zinnemann. GD4AM: 85/100 IMDb: 7.7/10 Metacritic: 72/100 Letterboxd: 3.8/5 RT: 89% The story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry. This movie is available for rent on most VOD platforms. NEXT MOVIE REVIEW: Wild Tales (2014), which is currently streaming on Hulu.

It's not easy to follow your dream, to start something from scratch, to hustle and practice and hone your craft in the hopes that you are talented enough, or lucky enough, to one day be discovered for the gifts that you have to share.  Listen as this local talks about her background in dance. This background would create a craving for the stage. She's a star. A funny star. A comedienne who has trained in Chicago,  Australia, the West Coast and now she is back in our community! This funny girl hustles and "slashes" as a bartender/doula assistant/juice barista/yoga instructor/shoe salesperson. She pursues her dreams with no fear or worries about what others may think. Her only fear is being  stuck in an ordinary world of complacency with no creative outlets. Hear her talk about coming up with material, how living with an elderly woman in the pandemic effected her plans and performing in front of family. **Rachel is performing Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Yellow & Co. Events in Mahomet.**Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/413-730pm-yellow-and-co-presents-comedian-rachel-lindemann-tickets-822607119037I'd like to thank this episode's sponsor, The High School of Saint Thomas More. STM has the convenience of offering rolling enrollment. Schedule a private tour on their website at hs-stm.org. You can also “Shadow a Saber” on Tuesday, April 9 or Thursday, April 25. Follow The High School of St. Thomas More on Facebook and hs_stm on Instagram for a real time look at campus life!Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don't forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops! Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

How did this once cubicle dwelling-ad salesman turn into the modern day ice cream man?  Listen as this local talks about his college days: the good, the bad and the ugly, how these days led to a need to prove himself, how my own good, bad and ugly days overlap with his, his full circle return to his fraternity house as a mentor to the younger guys, buying a literal fleet of Kona Ice Trucks and his dad's reaction when he told him about his idea, his most recent endeavor: Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck, employing family, the importance of his business being recognized as local and finally (most importantly) becoming a husband and dad. Not that any one would ever thought he needed it, but Wes certainly got his redemption story by adding a well-recognized fixture of fun and family to our community. I'd like to thank this episode's sponsor, The High School of Saint Thomas More. STM has the convenience of offering rolling enrollment. Schedule a private tour on their website at hs-stm.org. You can also “Shadow a Saber” on Tuesday, April 9 or Thursday, April 25. Follow The High School of St. Thomas More on Facebook and hs_stm on Instagram for a real time look at campus life!Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don't forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops! Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This professionally trained chef, with wife Stef, fell in love with cooking food when he saw his cousin's face light up while eating his first solo dish. This passion won out over his second love, basketball, and would lead him to the pursuit of higher education at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta. This militant environment would widdle a thousand students down to a few hundred by the end of the year.  Listen as this Tennessee transplant talks about having three girls under two, cooking and eating the fresh catch of the day which earned him the nickname "the meat man," crying in the kitchen, the popularization of pressure cooker kitchens in popular media and art imitating life, having a vision that is clear only in your head, Stef stepping fully into a stay-at-home mom role while practicing and perfecting the baking side of their Dining With Dee business and finally the surprise interview that landed him his current job bringing fresh, elevated food to a local retirement home. This pair is the perfect combination of sweet and spice!I'd like to thank this episode's sponsor, The High School of Saint Thomas More. The spring open house is happening NOW! All families with middle schoolers are invited to attend to STM on Wednesday, March 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at 3901 N. Mattis Ave. If you can't make it, visit hs-stm.org for enrollment information and any other questions and follow The High School of St. Thomas More on Facebook and hs_stm on Instagram for a real time look at campus life!Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don't forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops! Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This retiree of the US Navy, changed his course entirely at the height of his military career. Move up or move out. He didn't opt for travel and noon naps, rather he chose steering a ship full of high school students. Listen as this Brooklyn-born New Yorker talks about meeting the woman that will get him to Heaven, being the Chief Operating Officer of the high school your teenage son attends, moving your family over a dozen times, negative press, dispelling rumors and negative connotations about Saint Thomas More: too far, too small, too expensive. Finally, Anthony (never Tony) explains why he has an "ask me anything" approach to leadership.I'd like to thank this episode's sponsor, Health In Harmony. Health In Harmony is located at Lincoln Square in Urbana. Reflexology, infrared heat therapy, massage, fire and ice facials. If it's on trend in the wellness space, Health In Harmony is learning, researching the benefits and executing the services at their wellness center. Follow healthinharmonycu on Instagram and visit their website www.healthinharmony-cu.com/ to book online. Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don't forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops! Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

Cardinal Collins stops by on All Saints' Day to talk about Saint Thomas More. Plus: Cale explains the life and legacy of another English martyr, Saint Edmund Campion.

Saint Thomas More died publicly, dramatically, in defense of the Truth. But he was just as faithful — and inspiring — in his ordinary, hidden, everyday life. Plus: should airlines bring back a dress code? And, an “Eye-full Tower” takes the stage.

Happy feast day of Saint Thomas More! May we celebrate this amazing saint's courage by remembering his incredible faith!“I die the King's faithful servant, but God's first” Journey back in time to hear the story of Saint Thomas More. He was a man that understood true love requires sacrifice and upheld the truth to the very end. His story is one that has stood the test of time, and is a saint known and loved by many. Support the showPlease rate, review and share with friends and family! Please consider helping us keep this podcast going by supporting Saints Alive on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?fan_landing=true&u=63731511 Find resources on the saints, discussion questions and more about our team by visiting our website: https://www.saintsalivepodcast.com/

Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 368The Saint of the day is Saint Thomas MoreSaint Thomas More's Story His belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ cost Thomas More his life. Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, on July 6, 1535, More steadfastly refused to approve King Henry VIII's divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England. Described as “a man for all seasons,” More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children, and chancellor of England. An intensely spiritual man, he would not support the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Nor would he acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the Church in England, breaking with Rome, and denying the pope as head. More was committed to the Tower of London to await trial for treason: not swearing to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. Upon conviction, More declared he had all the councils of Christendom and not just the council of one realm to support him in the decision of his conscience. Reflection Four hundred years later in 1935, Thomas More was canonized a saint of God. Few saints are more relevant to our time. In the year 2000, in fact, Pope John Paul II named him patron of political leaders. The supreme diplomat and counselor, he did not compromise his own moral values in order to please the king, knowing that true allegiance to authority is not blind acceptance of everything that authority wants. King Henry himself realized this and tried desperately to win his chancellor to his side because he knew More was a man whose approval counted, a man whose personal integrity no one questioned. But when Thomas More resigned as chancellor, unable to approve the two matters that meant most to Henry, the king had to get rid of him. Saint Thomas More is a Patron Saint of: AttorneysCivil ServantsCourt ClerksLawyersPoliticiansPublic Servants Click here for more on Saint Thomas More! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Saint Thomas More died publicly, dramatically, in defense of the Truth. But he was just as faithful — and inspiring — in his ordinary, hidden, everyday life. Plus: should airlines bring back a dress code? And, an “Eye-full Tower” takes the stage.

Join Father Kevin Drew as he preaches on this Memorial of Saint John Fisher, bishop and martyr and Saint Thomas More, martyr. Today's readings First Reading: 1 Pt 4:12-19 Psalm: Ps 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6 Gospel: Mt 10:34-39 Catholic Radio Network

Saints du jour 2023-06-22 Saint Thomas More, Saint Jean Fisher et Saint Paulin by Radio Maria France

June 22: Saints John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and Thomas More, Martyr John Fisher: 1469–1535; Thomas More: 1478–1535 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saint of the Diocese of Rochester (Fisher) and of lawyers and politicians (More)  They would not bend to the marriage  In 1526 a German painter named Hans Holbein could not find work in Basel, Switzerland. The Reformation had come to town. It shattered the stained glass, burned the wooden statues, and sliced up the oil paintings. Protestants don't “do” great art. There were no more commissions. So Holbein went north, to Catholic England, in search of wealthy patrons for his craft. On his way, he passed through the Netherlands to procure letters of introduction from the great humanist Desiderius Erasmus. Erasmus was a friend of Sir Thomas More, an English humanist of the highest caliber. And thus it came to pass that one fine day, in England in 1527, Thomas More sat patiently while Holbein's brush worked its magic. Holbein's extraordinary portrait of Thomas More captures the man for all seasons, as one contemporary called More, at the pinnacle of his powers. More's head and torso fill the frame. There is no need for context, landscape, or a complex backdrop. More's mind is what matters. He is what matters. Nothing else. The shimmering velvet of his robes, the weighty gold chain of office resting on his shoulders, the detailed rose badge of the House of Tudor lying on his chest, all tell the viewer something important—this is not a frivolous man. He serves the King. His work is consequential. He also wears a ring. He is married and has children. He dons a cap. It is England, and he is cold. His stubble is visible. He is tired from overwork and did not have time to shave. He holds a small slip of paper—perhaps a bribe he rejected. His gaze, slightly off center, is earnest, serious, and calm. It is almost as if he is searching the room, attentive to any threat lurking behind the painter. He is watchful. The entirety of the work conveys that elusive quality that denotes great art—interior movement. The gears of More's brain are rotating. His personality has force. The viewer feels it. Saint Thomas More was the greatest Englishman of his generation. In a land with a highly educated aristocratic class, his erudition was unequalled. He was a devoted family man who carried out an extensive correspondence with his children and ensured that his daughters were as well educated as his sons. He served the English crown faithfully both at home and abroad. He charmed his many friends with a rich and engaging personality. He published scholarly works and communicated with other humanists of his era. Yet despite all of these accomplishments, the fraught times he lived in eventually overwhelmed him. He could not save his own head. More was a thoughtful and serious Catholic. He refused to bend to the will of King Henry VIII regarding divorce and Henry's self-appointment as head of the Church in England. For his silence, or lack of explicit support for Henry, More was brought to court, where a perjurer's words knifed him in the heart. More was condemned to death by beheading. This was a favor from the King, who admired More but could not brook his dissent. More had originally been sentenced to a far crueler form of capital punishment, but Henry decreed that his life end with one blow of the axe. So the unconquered Thomas More climbed a shaky scaffold on July 6, 1535, and had his head lopped off. His head was stuck on a pole on London bridge for one month afterward, a trophy to barbarity. More died a martyr to the indissolubility of marriage. Saint John Fisher was an academic who held various high positions at the University of Cambridge, one of the two universities in all of England, eventually becoming its Chancellor for life. He was a Renaissance humanist, like Thomas More, who encouraged the study of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Fisher was the personal tutor of Henry VIII when Henry was a boy, and he preached the funeral homily of Henry's father, Henry VII. John Fisher lived a life of extreme personal austerity and even placed a human skull on the table during meals to remind himself of his eventual end. He had many of the same qualities as More—great learning, personal uprightness, and academic accomplishments. But easy times don't make martyrs. When King Henry wanted to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Fisher became her most ardent supporter. He openly stated in court that he would die for the indissolubility of marriage, thus incurring the lasting wrath of his former pupil Henry. All the bishops of England, save Fisher and two others, lost their courage and acquiesced, without a fight, to Henry VIII's takeover of the Catholic Church in England. Their weakness brought to a sudden, crashing end a thousand years of Catholicism in England. The faith endured in some form, of course, but would never be the culture-forming force it had been for so many centuries. It is an embarrassment of Catholic history that almost all the bishops of England fell like dominoes, one after another, at one slight puff of the breath of King Henry VIII on their cheeks. After various nefarious machinations, John Fisher was imprisoned in the harshest of conditions for over a year, even being deprived access to a priest. During this time, the Pope named him a cardinal, although Henry refused him the ceremonial placing of the red hat on his head. After a brief trial with the usual perjury, Cardinal John Fisher was beheaded on June 22, 1535. In order to avoid inevitable comparisons between Cardinal Fisher and John the Baptist, King Henry moved the cardinal's execution to avoid any connection to June 24th's Feast of Saint John the Baptist. Both Johns were martyrs to marriage. But there was no silver platter for John Fisher. His head was placed on a pole on London bridge for two weeks, only to be replaced by Thomas More's head. Saints John Fisher and Thomas More were beatified in 1886 along with fifty-four other English martyrs. The two were canonized together in 1935. Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, through your intercession, give all Catholics courage to resist the pressure to conform to falsehood, to the broad way, to popular opinion. You were both thoughtful and granite-like in your resistance. Help us to be likewise when times call for such.

To buy the booklet: https://bit.ly/3UGfxWO To sponsor the booklet: https://www.eddietrask.com/sponsorship To "watch" the booklet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCDIG7amahA The YouTube video: https://youtu.be/fsTWciJUc9s More Reasonable compares the logic of Saint Thomas More and Martin Luther during the Reformation. Although both were led by conscience, their motivations were quite different. #ThomasMore #MartinLuther #Reformation #Essay #Catholic #CatholicChurch #Denominations #Reason #Emotion Wherever you are on the journey, God bless you. For more information, visit eddietrask.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eddie-trask/support

John Walters visits with TJ Otzelberger's high school basketball coach, Pat Ross, who led the Saint Thomas More program in Milwaukee for 17 years.

  On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge shares his:  Heartfelt reflection on the life and legacy of Pope Benedict XVI   Reaction to the recent tragedies out of Buffalo, NY, including a blizzard that took the lives of an estimated 40 people and the collapse from cardiac arrest of 24-year-old NFL player Damar Hamlin during a Monday football game  Preview of the many pro-life events taking place later this month:   Opening Mass for the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, January 19  Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington on Friday, January 20  National March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Friday, January 20  Thoughts on the recent FDA policy change to allow abortion pills to be sold at pharmacies  Bishop Burbidge also answers the following question from the faithful:  In addition to diocesan priests, there are priests in religious orders. But it seems that religious sisters only serve in religious orders. Why do we have diocesan priests, but not diocesan sisters?

This week Bishop Earl Boyea begins a new theme as Disciples Together on the Way: The Saints. That is, those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission the Father entrusted to them. This is a call for all of us!Hence, this week, Bishop Boyea is holding up one particular example of saintliness in the world: Saint Thomas More, the great 16th century English statesman who served King Henry VIII as Lord High Chancellor of England. Bishop Boyea's challenge is to watch the 1966 film, A Man for All Seasons, which recounts the dramatic story of Thomas More's holy life and holy death. The film is widely available on most streaming services.

Henry the Eighth is getting a historical make-over. For centuries, the English king was most often a figure of ridicule. The only thing that most people knew about him pertained to his deplorable marital history. However, some historians are reconsidering his role in English history, looking at him in a far more favorable light. They paint him as a figure who made England stronger abroad and more unified at home. Even his horrible record as a husband is explained away as necessary to maintain the Tudor dynasty and stabilize England by providing a male heir. There is another interesting – and ironic – facet of Henry's rehabilitation. Some try to present him as a pioneer of the modern idea of separating the Church from the State. For the “woke” historians, the Catholic Church is high on the list of oppressors. Therefore, they are quite willing to praise a tyrant, as long as he fought against the Church. This episode of the Return to Order Moment looks at Henry VIII from a different vantage point – that of his victims. Specifically, we look at two of those victims – both better men than Henry. They are, in fact, both saints – Saint Thomas More and Saint John Fisher.

On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge offers: Unity with the Holy Father on the Vatican warning to Germany's "Synodal Way" Congratulations to Ann Augherton, managing editor of the Arlington Catholic Herald, for winning the 2022 St. Francis de Sales Award from the Catholic Media Association Perspective on why we should celebrate the annual World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly with the universal Church this weekend Context the two vocations summer camps for teens — Quo Vadisand FIAT— held at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary this month Commentary on the new apostolic letter from Pope Francis: “On the Liturgical Formation of the People of God” Preview of the upcoming Eucharistic Symposium with Archbishop Charles Chaput held at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More this fall Thoughts on pro-life efforts since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, along with pregnancy resources despite the current status of abortion access in Virginia  A recap of his A Catechesis on the Human Personamong transgender ideology in the news Bishop Burbidge also answers the following question from the faithful: What is your guidance to the Catholics in the diocese regarding whether or not we should be giving our patronage to companies publicly declaring their support for abortion rights? Do you have any suggestions for my first year of teaching CCD and religious education? In the aftermath of the Roe v. Wade overturning, what is the strategy of the bishops' conference and of our diocese as the pro-life effort continues in the States? What can be done to harden the target of every school and homeschool co-op throughout the diocese to keep children and teachers safe from harm?

Full Text of ReadingsWednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 373All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Thomas MoreHis belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ cost Thomas More his life. Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, on July 6, 1535, More steadfastly refused to approve King Henry VIII's divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England. Described as “a man for all seasons,” More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children, and chancellor of England. An intensely spiritual man, he would not support the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Nor would he acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the Church in England, breaking with Rome, and denying the pope as head. More was committed to the Tower of London to await trial for treason: not swearing to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. Upon conviction, More declared he had all the councils of Christendom and not just the council of one realm to support him in the decision of his conscience. Reflection Four hundred years later in 1935, Thomas More was canonized a saint of God. Few saints are more relevant to our time. In the year 2000, in fact, Pope John Paul II named him patron of political leaders. The supreme diplomat and counselor, he did not compromise his own moral values in order to please the king, knowing that true allegiance to authority is not blind acceptance of everything that authority wants. King Henry himself realized this and tried desperately to win his chancellor to his side because he knew More was a man whose approval counted, a man whose personal integrity no one questioned. But when Thomas More resigned as chancellor, unable to approve the two matters that meant most to Henry, the king had to get rid of him. Saint Thomas More is a Patron Saint of: Attorneys Civil Servants Court Clerks Lawyers Politicians Public Servants Click here for more on Saint Thomas More! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Join Father Kevin Drew as he preaches on this Memorial of Saint John Fisher, bishop and martyr and Saint Thomas More, martyr. Today's readings First Reading: 1 Pt 4:12-19 Psalm: Ps 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6 Gospel: Mt 10:34-39 Catholic Radio Network

Father talks about the two saints of today's feast day, Saint Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher. These saints, martyred at the hands of the English King, Henry VIII, show us excellent examples of having well-formed conscience. Let us follow their example and stay true to our morals.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Jesuits of Mexico announced Tuesday that two of their priests were killed Monday inside a church in a mountainous region of Chihuahua state. Fathers Javier Campos Morales and Joaquín César Mora Salazar had served as Jesuit priests for nearly a century combined. The gunmen who carried out the June 20 attack on the church in Cerocahui, Chihuahua also took their bodies. “We condemn these violent acts, we demand justice and the recovery of the bodies of our brothers who were taken from the church by armed persons,” a June 21 statement released in Spanish from the Mexican Jesuits reads. “We trust that the testimonies of Christian life of our dear Javier and Joaquín continue to inspire men and women to give themselves in the service of the most vulnerable. Rest in peace.” Pope Francis said Wednesday he is mourning their deaths. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251598/two-jesuit-priests-killed-in-a-church-in-mexico https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251605/pope-francis-mourns-catholic-priests-killed-in-mexico The Lennon Pregnancy Center in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was vandalized sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning. Gary Hillebrand, the center's president, told CNA Tuesday that 12 of the clinic's front windows were smashed. Four glass doors were smashed as well, he said. He said graffiti was left that said “If abortion isn't safe, neither are you!” Hillebrand estimates that the repairs will cost between $10,000 and $15,000. The staff at the clinic is not intimidated, he said, but they are cautious. The clinic has ordered more security cameras. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251597/pro-abortion-vandalism-michigan-minnesota Pope Francis condemned the use of nuclear weapons in favor of a “culture of life and peace” in a message released Tuesday. “I wish to reaffirm that the use of nuclear weapons, as well as their mere possession, is immoral,” the pontiff wrote. He urged that disarmament treaties are not only legal obligations but also “moral commitments.” Peace, Pope Francis said, is “indivisible,” and to be just and lasting, it must also be “universal.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251596/pope-francis-nuclear-weapons-are-immoral Today, the Church celebrates Saint Thomas More, a lawyer, author and statesman who was martyred for opposing King Henry VIII's plan to subordinate the Church to the English monarchy. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-thomas-more-499

Saints du jour 2022-06-22 Saint Thomas More et Saint Jean Fisher by Radio Maria France

June 22: Saints John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, & Thomas More, MartyrJohn Fisher: 1469–1535; Thomas More: 1478–1535Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: RedPatron Saint of the Diocese of Rochester (Fisher) and of lawyers and politicians (More) They would not bend to the marriage In 1526 a German painter named Hans Holbein could not find work in Basel, Switzerland. The Reformation had come to town. It shattered the stained glass, burned the wooden statues, and sliced up the oil paintings. Protestants don't “do” great art. There were no more commissions. So Holbein went north, to Catholic England, in search of wealthy patrons for his craft. On his way, he passed through the Netherlands to procure letters of introduction from the great humanist Desiderius Erasmus. Erasmus was a friend of Sir Thomas More, an English humanist of the highest caliber. And thus it came to pass that one fine day, in England in 1527, Thomas More sat patiently while Holbein's brush worked its magic.Holbein's extraordinary portrait of Thomas More captures the man for all seasons, as one contemporary called More, at the pinnacle of his powers. More's head and torso fill the frame. There is no need for context, landscape, or a complex backdrop. More's mind is what matters. He is what matters. Nothing else. The shimmering velvet of his robes, the weighty gold chain of office resting on his shoulders, the detailed rose badge of the House of Tudor lying on his chest, all tell the viewer something important—this is not a frivolous man. He serves the King. His work is consequential. He also wears a ring. He is married and has children. He dons a cap. It is England, and he is cold. His stubble is visible. He is tired from overwork and did not have time to shave. He holds a small slip of paper—perhaps a bribe he rejected. His gaze, slightly off center, is earnest, serious, and calm. It is almost as if he is searching the room, attentive to any threat lurking behind the painter. He is watchful. The entirety of the work conveys that elusive quality that denotes great art—interior movement. The gears of More's brain are rotating. His personality has force. The viewer feels it.Saint Thomas More was the greatest Englishman of his generation. In a land with a highly educated aristocratic class, his erudition was unequalled. He was a devoted family man who carried out an extensive correspondence with his children and ensured that his daughters were as well educated as his sons. He served the English crown faithfully both at home and abroad. He charmed his many friends with a rich and engaging personality. He published scholarly works and communicated with other humanists of his era. Yet despite all of these accomplishments, the fraught times he lived in eventually overwhelmed him. He could not save his own head.More was a thoughtful and serious Catholic. He refused to bend to the will of King Henry VIII regarding divorce and Henry's self-appointment as head of the Church in England. For his silence, or lack of explicit support for Henry, More was brought to court, where a perjurer's words knifed him in the heart. More was condemned to death by beheading. This was a favor from the King, who admired More but could not brook his dissent. More had originally been sentenced to a far crueler form of capital punishment, but Henry decreed that his life end with one blow of the axe. So the unconquered Thomas More climbed a shaky scaffold on July 6, 1535, and had his head lopped off. His head was stuck on a pole on London bridge for one month afterward, a trophy to barbarity. More died a martyr to the indissolubility of marriage.Saint John Fisher was an academic who held various high positions at the University of Cambridge, one of the two universities in all of England, eventually becoming its Chancellor for life. He was a Renaissance humanist, like Thomas More, who encouraged the study of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Fisher was the personal tutor of Henry VIII when Henry was a boy, and he preached the funeral homily of Henry's father, Henry VII. John Fisher lived a life of extreme personal austerity and even placed a human skull on the table during meals to remind himself of his eventual end. He had many of the same qualities as More—great learning, personal uprightness, and academic accomplishments.But easy times don't make martyrs. When King Henry wanted to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Fisher became her most ardent supporter. He openly stated in court that he would die for the indissolubility of marriage, thus incurring the lasting wrath of his former pupil Henry. All the bishops of England, save Fisher and two others, lost their courage and acquiesced, without a fight, to Henry VIII's takeover of the Catholic Church in England. Their weakness brought to a sudden, crashing end a thousand years of Catholicism in England. The faith endured in some form, of course, but would never be the culture-forming force it had been for so many centuries. It is an embarrassment of Catholic history that almost all the bishops of England fell like dominoes, one after another, at one slight puff of the breath of King Henry VIII on their cheeks.After various nefarious machinations, John Fisher was imprisoned in the harshest of conditions for over a year, even being deprived access to a priest. During this time, the Pope named him a cardinal, although Henry refused him the ceremonial placing of the red hat on his head. After a brief trial with the usual perjury, Cardinal John Fisher was beheaded on June 22, 1535. In order to avoid inevitable comparisons between Cardinal Fisher and John the Baptist, King Henry moved the cardinal's execution to avoid any connection to June 24th's Feast of Saint John the Baptist. Both Johns were martyrs to marriage. But there was no silver platter for John Fisher. His head was placed on a pole on London bridge for two weeks, only to be replaced by Thomas More's head. Saints John Fisher and Thomas More were beatified in 1886 along with fifty-four other English martyrs. The two were canonized together in 1935.Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, through your intercession, give all Catholics courage to resist the pressure to conform to falsehood, to the broad way, to popular opinion. You were both thoughtful and granite-like in your resistance. Help us to be likewise when times call for such.

Julie discusses the life and heroic virtue of Saint Thomas More. https://your-next-mission-from-god.captivate.fm/listen (Subscribe to Your Next Mission From God) on your favorite podcast platform. Find this show on the free https://materdeiradio.com/hail-mary-media-app/ (Hail Mary Media App), along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more. Look through https://materdeiradio.com/category/your-next-mission-from-god/ (past episodes) or https://forms.ministryforms.net/viewForm.aspx?formId=f861df13-50f6-4182-8712-b794ec287dfb (support this podcast). Your Next Mission From God is a production of https://materdeiradio.com/ (Mater Dei Radio) in Portland, Oregon.

“I die the King's faithful servant, but God's first” Journey back in time to hear the story of Saint Thomas More. He was a man that understood true love requires sacrifice and upheld the truth to the very end. His story is one that has stood the test of time, and is a saint known and loved by many. Support the show

Deacon John O'Farrell, a Basilica parishioner, will be ordained to the priesthood on June 4th, 2022, at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More. He will celebrate his first Mass as a priest in the Basilica of Saint Mary on June 5th at 1 p.m., followed by a reception that all are invited to attend in the Basilica's Lyceum Auditorium. In this podcast, Deacon O'Farrell talks about his journey to becoming a priest and what he looks forward to once he is ordained. 

In an age when anxieties about state persecution are running high, Spencer Klavan looks to the ironclad perseverance of Saint Thomas More. More lived in a far more dangerous time than our own, and his confidence in the reality of the hereafter kept him firm in the face of tyranny. This episode of Young Heretics is the first of two on how one man gave it all rather than buckle under pressure. -- Celebrate the moments that matter most with a professional, hand-painted portrait from Paint Your Life. Get 20% off your painting right now if you text the word HERETICS to 64-000. -- Public Goods is the one stop shop for sustainable, high quality everyday essentials made from clean ingredients. Receive $15 off your first Public Goods order at https://publicgoods.com/HERETICS. -- The Spectator believes that life is bigger than politics, which is why it covers arts, culture, food, wine, travel, and life all around. Sign up today and receive three free months, plus a free hat with promo code HERETICS: https://spectatorworld.com/specialoffer. -- The Young Heretics community on Locals is THE place to be, with workout tips, Q&As, and ad-free episodes. Get a one-month free trial of the annual VIP membership, completely risk-free with the promo code HERETICS: https://youngheretics.com/locals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert sets the controls for the heart of the sun in this Code of Honor episode. Features words of wisdom from Robert Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln and Voltaire. Bonus wisdom from Saint Thomas More right from Francis' memory too! 

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Saint Thomas More

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Matt 9:9-13 - Those who are well do not need a physician Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2) Biden policies depart from Catholic teachings catholicleague.org 3) Vaccine deaths in the USA have increased 27-fold over the average seen in the previous decade thanks to the Covid jabs 4) Saint Thomas More forgave the King before he was killed https://wdtprs.com/2021/05/if-you-do-not-forgive-men-their-trespasses-neither-will-your-father-forgive-your-trespasses/

A conversation with Father Joseph Townsend, the new Parochial Vicar at the Basilica of Saint Mary, is featured on this edition of The Basilica of Saint Mary Podcast.  Listen to episode 101 of the podcast if you'd like to hear Father Joseph's vocation story. That conversation was recorded last summer when he served here as a deacon. This is the first priestly assignment for Father Joseph. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Michael Burbidge on June 5 at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington. Founded in 1795, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Old Town Alexandria is the first Catholic parish established in Virginia. Pope Francis named the church a minor basilica on December 6, 2017 due to its important role in the growth of the Catholic Church in North America.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The U.S. bishops are seeking to deepen “awareness” of the Eucharist with their new teaching document, the president of the U.S. bishops' conference said on Monday. At their annual spring meeting last week, the U.S. bishops voted decisively to begin drafting a teaching document on the Eucharist. Such a document, while addressed to all Catholics, was needed to clarify the problems of Catholic public officials advocating policies contrary to Church teaching on grave moral issues. Pope Francis has appointed 12 new members of the Vatican's highest court, including Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark. The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is one of three courts within the Holy See, and functions as a sort of Supreme Court, hearing appeals coming from the two other tribunals. The court's new members were appointed for a term of five years. There is no retirement from spreading the faith. Rather, the prayers of the elderly are needed by the Church and the world. Those were the words of Pope Francis in his message ahead of the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. The pope said elderly have a vocation to preserve their roots, to pass on the faith to the young and to care for the little ones. The World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly takes place annually on the fourth Sunday of July. Today is the feast of Saint Thomas More. The lawyer, author and statesman was martyred for opposing King Henry VIII's plan to subordinate the Church to the English monarchy. Before the executioner, More said, “I die the king's good servant, but God's first.” St. Thomas More was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886 and canonized in 1935 by Pope Piux XI. The Academy Award-winning film “A Man For All Seasons” portrayed the events that led to his martyrdom.

Saints du jour 2021-06-22 Saint Paulin de Nole, Saint Jean Fischer et Saint Thomas More by Radio Maria France

Full Text of ReadingsTuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 372All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Thomas MoreHis belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ cost Thomas More his life. Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, on July 6, 1535, More steadfastly refused to approve King Henry VIII's divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England. Described as “a man for all seasons,” More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children, and chancellor of England. An intensely spiritual man, he would not support the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Nor would he acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the Church in England, breaking with Rome, and denying the pope as head. More was committed to the Tower of London to await trial for treason: not swearing to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. Upon conviction, More declared he had all the councils of Christendom and not just the council of one realm to support him in the decision of his conscience. Reflection Four hundred years later in 1935, Thomas More was canonized a saint of God. Few saints are more relevant to our time. In the year 2000, in fact, Pope John Paul II named him patron of political leaders. The supreme diplomat and counselor, he did not compromise his own moral values in order to please the king, knowing that true allegiance to authority is not blind acceptance of everything that authority wants. King Henry himself realized this and tried desperately to win his chancellor to his side because he knew More was a man whose approval counted, a man whose personal integrity no one questioned. But when Thomas More resigned as chancellor, unable to approve the two matters that meant most to Henry, the king had to get rid of him. Saint Thomas More is the Patron Saint of: Attorneys Civil Servants Court Clerks Lawyers Politicians Public Servants Click here for more on Saint Thomas More! Saint of the Day Copyright Franciscan Media

John O’Farrell, whose home parish is the Basilica of Saint Mary, was ordained to the diaconate on April 10 by Bishop Michael Burbidge at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington. The following day, on April 11, O’Farrell preached his first homily during the 10:00 am Mass at the Basilica of Saint Mary. This podcast features that homily. O’Farrell is currently a seminarian for the Diocese of Arlington studying at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Founded in 1795, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Old Town Alexandria is the first Catholic parish established in Virginia. Pope Francis named the church a minor basilica on December 6, 2017 due to its important role in the growth of the Catholic Church in North America.

Merci à Wilfried Pene, le Tight End français de Virginia Tech, d'avoir répondu à nos questions !

Avec François-Daniel Migeon, redécouvrons l'utopie chère à Saint Thomas More, "cet horizon qui nous inspire à donner le meilleur de nous-mêmes". Ingénieur de formation, X-Ponts, François-Daniel Migeon a débuté sa carrière à la Banque Mondiale, avant de la poursuivre entre des cabinets ministériels et celui de consultant puis de partenaire du prestigieux cabinet de conseil McKinsey. En 2007, il est appelé au sein du gouvernement de Nicolas Sarkozy à prendre la direction de la DGME, la Direction Générale de la Modernisation de l’État au ministère du Budget et de la Réforme de l’État. En 2010, il fonde le Thomas More Leadership Institute. Avant tout, François-Daniel Migeon se définit comme un chrétien engagé. Ce père de huit enfants témoigne du bouleversement qu’il a vécu à l’âge de 21 ans: Dans la Chapelle des Apparitions de Paray-le-Monial, il s’est senti profondément rejoint et guérit par le Christ. Une foi profonde qui l’a appelé à se mettre au service des autres, particulièrement ceux qui sont en charge de responsabilité, que celle-ci s’exerce sur les autres ou sur eux-mêmes. À la clé, l’association Thomas More Leadership Institute, dont la finalité est de permettre aux leaders comme à tous ceux qui veulent changer leur vie de prendre conscience de l’unité de leur personne. Elle s'inspire du modèle de Saint Thomas More, l’apôtre de la conscience, celui dont l’exemple nous a appris à quel point il est primordial de respecter la conscience de chacun… Aidez Zeteo ! Diffusé gratuitement, le développement de Zeteo dépend de vous : Si vous appréciez nos podcasts, vos dons sont nécessaires pour soutenir notre effort et permettre à la parole des témoins du Christ de rejoindre le plus grand nombre. Pour cela, un seul clic suffit sur ce lien : « Aider Zeteo » ou en allant sur cette page du site de Zeteo : "soutenir Zeteo". D’avance et de tout cœur, Merci ! Si vous souhaitez contribuer à notre effort par chèque, cela est possible à partir d'un montant de 20€. Merci de le libeller à l'ordre de "Zeteo", et de l'adresser à Zeteo - 3 rue du Collège - 35400 Saint-Malo Pour en savoir plus au sujet de Zeteo, cliquer ici. Pour découvrir l’équipe de Zeteo : Guillaume Devoud et Xavier Goulard. Pour en savoir plus sur les activités de François-Daniel Migeon, cliquer ici : Thomas More Leadership Institute. Pour lire le livre de François-Daniel Migeon sur le leadership authentique publié en 2017, cliquer ici : Leader authentique. Nous contacter : contact@zeteo.fr

28 June 2020 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Matthew 10:37-42 + Homily 15 Minutes 59 Seconds Link to the Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062820.cfm (New American Bible, Revised Edition) From the parish bulletin of Sunday 28 June 2020:   As the local churches gradually open again, one is reminded of the persistence of Benjamin Stoddert Ewell, president of the College of William and Mary, ringing the school bell during seven years of closure after the Civil War. It is yet to be seen how many return to our churches after the quarantine, but the churches will be strengthened by the perdurance of the truly faithful, and I have been edified by their patience.    Nor have I been scandalized by those who call worship of God non-essential. No surprise here. I write this on the feast of Saint John Fisher and Saint Thomas More, the only bishop and the one high-level magistrate who placed Christ before the Crown. “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help” (Psalm 146:3).    Perhaps not by coincidence have social riots accompanied the health crisis. The anarchists, whose numbers include ignorant pawns, are the latest effervescence of the ancient Gnostic heresy which in modern times has assumed the fatal dialectic of Marxism.    The supine “virtue signaling” of failed leaders bending their knees to barbarians makes them poster children for what Lenin called his “useful idiots.” Civilization stands on the precipice of what already seemed chaotic as William Butler Yeats perceived over one hundred years ago. “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, / The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere / The ceremony of innocence is drowned; / The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.”    Demagogues who lack all conviction ignored one of the most important civil acts of recent times: our President’s “Executive Order on Advancing International Religious Freedom.” On June 2 he dared to proclaim that “Religious freedom, America’s first freedom, is a moral and national security imperative.” The First Amendment is not “non-essential” because, among other instances, thousands of Christians have been slaughtered in Nigeria, in attacks ignored by Westerners who claim to be champions of black lives, and in China churches are being destroyed by a government with which ecclesiastical bureaucrats have tried naively to cut deals.    In the present cultural war, parishes are on the front line. We have our obligations to the needs of the larger church, but we exercise the “principle of subsidiarity” by assuring our people that any donations specified for the support of our local church will be honored as such. After months of closure, our parish, perhaps like most, is in financial peril. But the greater peril is surrender to vandals who would smash the very fundaments of our civilization. If “the centre cannot hold,” such is only the case with the material order. Christ is the true and unfailing nucleus of all life: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter’s Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic Ignatian Marian Spirituality through articles, podcasts, a radio show, retreats and spiritual direction. He is the author of three books: From Humdrum to Holy, Total. Consecration to Jesus through Mary though the Mysteries of the Rosary and Road Map to Heaven, A Catholic Plan … Read more The post SAINT THOMAS MORE appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Deacon Jonathan Smith gave his first homily at the Basilica of Saint Mary on June 14, 2020, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Smith was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Michael Burbidge on June 13, 2020, at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington. Founded in 1795, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Old Town Alexandria is the first Catholic parish established in Virginia. Pope Francis named the church a minor basilica on December 6, 2017 due to its important role in the growth of the Catholic Church in North America.

Alex Solsma has a conversation with our new Parochial Vicar, Father Nicholas Blank, on this edition of The Basilica of Saint Mary Podcast. Father Nicholas was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Michael Burbidge on June 8, 2019 at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington. He shares the story of his path to the priesthood during this podcast.  Father Nicholas replaces Father Andrew Haissig, who served as a Parochial Vicar at Saint Mary from June of 2015 to June of 2019. Father Andrew is now a Parochial Vicar at Saint Louis Parish in Alexandria. Founded in 1795, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Old Town Alexandria is the first Catholic parish established in Virginia. Pope Francis named the church a minor basilica on December 6, 2017 due to its important role in the growth of the Catholic Church in North America.

On this month's Talking Saints, Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez reflect on the life and legacy of Saint Thomas More, a 16th century lawyer and Lord Chancellor to England’s King Henry VIII who put God above all things, at the cost of his own life. In addition to his relationship with the King, our hosts delve into More’s love for his wife and children, his skills as a theologian and writer, and how close More came to joining a Carthusian monastery at a young age. Saint Thomas More, patron saint of lawyers, adopted children, and civil servants, pray for us!

12 May 2019 Fourth Sunday of Easter John 10:27-30 + Homily 16 Minutes 17 Seconds Link to the Readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051219.cfm (New American Bible, Revised Edition) From the parish bulletin:   The English priest John Colet was influenced by his friends Erasmus and Saint Thomas More. As Dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London, he founded Saint Paul’s School for boys in 1509 on humanist principles. Graduates have included John Milton, Samuel Pepys, John Churchill, G.K. Chesterton, three recipients of the Victoria Cross and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, who planned the D-Day invasion in one of its classrooms. Colet provided that the school have 153 young scholars, in recollection of the 153 fish that the disciples hauled ashore the third time the Risen Lord appeared to them.    There is endless speculation about what 153 means, but saints including Jerome and Louis de Montfort have been transfixed in observing that the Tetragrammaton, the unutterable name of God, appears 153 times in the first book of the Bible.    It would be a mistake to suppose that the apostles went back to fishing in disobedience to the Master’s command years before that they drop their nets and follow him. Christ is the Alpha and Omega, meaning that He is able to know everything from start to finish at the same time. So He was able to “set up” His men, ordering them to go to the Sea of Tiberius, knowing their thoughts in order to instruct them.    In His humanity He did a human thing in cooking breakfast. In His divinity He predicted what the apostles would become. By an intricate symmetry, He prepared a charcoal fire on the shore and asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Peter got the message, and he wept because he had denied knowing Christ three times sitting by another charcoal fire. Whatever else may been encoded in the number 153, the point is that this event happened, a detail never to be forgotten.    Contemplation of the unity of the True God and True Man encounters layers of reality beyond the limitations of human intelligence. Nonetheless, we can perceive the existence of those dimensions. A “Participatory Anthropic Principle” among some quantum physicists suggests that the universe is structured with a set of physical constants without which there would be no intelligent life on Earth, and that it is only by participating in that structure by observation that humans can sense this. So there may be in those 153 fish the Voice saying: “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12).    But one thing we know, and it is what prevents miniaturizing Christ as the best of men, but nothing but a man: “For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17).  

Episode 3: St. Thomas More - Show Notes Corrections or clarifications on a few point are provided below in the Summary. Also, since this discussion went long, we have divided the recording into three parts, separated by short breaks: • Part 1: Early Life (beginning to 35:40) • Part 2: Beginning of the Reformation (35:40 to 57:06) • Part 3: Martyrdom (57:06 to end) *Special Thank You to Paul Spring for allowing us to use his song "Itasca" from the album Borderline EP (2014)! Brief Chronology: • 1478 - Birth of Thomas More • 1485 - Battle of Bosworth Field (end of Plantagenet and beginning of Tudor dynasty) • 1490-92 - More is a page in Cardinal Morton's household • 1504 or 1505 - Marriage to first wife, Jane Colt, mother to More's four biological children • 1511- Death of Jane Colt and marriage to second wife, Alice Middleton • 1515 - More writes Utopia (published 1516) • 1517 - Martin Luther posts his Ninety-Five Theses (starting Protestant Reformation) • 1525 - Peasants' War in Germany; William Tyndale translates New Testament • 1527 - Rome sacked by Charles V's army • 1529-1532 - More is made Lord Chancellor • 1533 - Marriage of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn • 1534 - More is imprisoned in Tower of London • 1535 - Trial and execution of Thomas More • 1935 - Canonization by Pope Pius XI Episode Summary: This was a long conversation, but we hope you get a lot out of good information from it! Thomas More was (probably) born February 7, 1478 in London, England. His childhood was a unstable time for England: the final years of a civil war between rival branches of the ruling Plantagenet family called the Wars of the Roses. Thomas More would become an important official under the new Tudor dynasty, especially under Henry VII's son Henry VIII. More studied grammar, logic and rhetoric from a young age and was eventually sent to Oxford and the Inns of Court to study law. He also spent some years as part of the household of Cardinal Morton, which may have helped shape him spiritually. More's family came from a middle class background: his grandfathers were a baker and brewer. His father John More was sent to study law and eventually became a judge. However, the family seems to have been targeted by Henry VII after a young Thomas More opposed a tax in parliament that the king wanted. (+ Correction to the episode: the tax was related to posthumous knighting of Arthur and a dowry for Princess Margaret's marriage to the king of Scotland). After Henry VII's death, More found favor with his son Henry VIII and eventually More rose to the high position of Lord Chancellor, technically the highest judicial post, but which also included other duties at the king's discretion. Both before and after becoming Lord Chancellor, More was responsible for suppressing what were then considered heresies (Protestantism), a fact which has made him controversial for modern scholars. The Reformation is traditionally reckoned to have begun with Martin Luther posting his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of Wittenberg Cathedral in 1517. The reformation spread to the rest of Europe and started to take on new forms. In England it was viewed as a dangerous sequel to the Lollard movement. Henry VIII's government, fearing sedition and social chaos, violently suppressed the Protestants. More was the highest lay official in this government and vehemently opposed to the Protestants' attack on tradition. Six people were executed for heresy during his time in office and many protestant books were seized and burned. During this period More wrote books against the ideas of Luther and Tyndale, who had ironically been influenced by the ideas of More's friend Erasmus. (+ Another correction to the episode: the Bible text that Zwingli and other reformers liked, which Jake butchers is," The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing." - John 6:63). Nonetheless, More was moderate in his response to his son-in-law William Roper's temporary conversion to Protestantism and he may have sensed that the Reformation would eventually gain the upper hand. He privately confided to Roper, "'And yet, son Roper, I pray God,' said he, 'that some of us, as high as we seem to sit upon the mountains, treading heretics under our feet like ants, live not the day that we gladly would wish to be at league and composition with them, to let them have their churches quietly to themselves, so they would be content to let us have ours quietly to ourselves." (Roper, The Life of Sir Thomas More, Knight, p. 18). Ironically, More became a victim of the same government he had served. More took over office as Lord Chancellor, following the fall of Cardinal Wolsey from royal favor, in a turbulent time. While central Europe was dividing along sectarian lines, Italy was fought over by France and the Holy Roman Empire. England shifted first from an alliance with the Holy Roman Empire (championed by Wolsey) to an alliance with France when it became clear that Emperor Charles V would not support Henry VIII's claim to be king of France. However, despite Wolsey's efforts, Pope Clement VII would not approve Henry VIII divorce from Queen Catherine, Charles V's aunt. Clement VII was apparently fearful after Charles V's troops sacked Rome in 1527, but he also may have realized that the annulment could have tarnished his spiritual and moral authority, which was already in jeopardy due to the Reformation (Richard Marius, Thomas More, p. 214-15). In his position of power, More's beliefs eventually became impossible to reconcile with King Henry VIII's objectives of divorcing Catherine and declaring himself supreme head of the Church of England. More was allowed to resign, but refused to publicly support the marriage or the new laws enacting the English Reformation. Anne Boleyn and the royal secretary Thomas Cromwell, both favoring reformation, increasingly targeted More. After refusing an oath to support the marriage to Anne Boleyn and succession, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. After over a year of confinement, during which he continued to refuse to take the oath or to say directly why he would not, he was finally put on trial for treason. When he was executed on July 6, 1535, More told onlookers "to pray for him, and to bear witness with him that he should now suffer death in and for the faith of the Holy Catholic Church." (Roper, p. 50) Four hundred years later, in 1935, Pope Pius XI declared Thomas More a saint along with his fellow martyr St. John Fisher. Even if Thomas More had not risen to high office or been martyred for his faith, he would still be famous today as a renaissance humanist and writer. He left behind political works such as Utopia as well as religious and philosophical writings, such as the Dialogue Concerning Heresies and the Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation. He was friends with the famous humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam, who remembered More after his execution as follows: " [...] Thomas More, who was the chief magistrate of his country, whose heart was whiter than snow, a genius such as England never had before, nor ever will have again, a country by no means lacking genius" (Erasmus’ Dedicatory Preface to Ecclesiastes, August 1535, online at The Center for Thomas More Studies). Primary Sources: * Utopia by Thomas More, ed. by Edward Surtz, S.J . (Yale Univ. Press, 1964). * Final Letters by Thomas More, ed. by Alvaro de Silva (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2000) * The Life of Sir Thomas More, Knight by William Roper - Citations above are to the edition published in Lives of Saint Thomas More, ed. by E.E. Nichols (J.M.Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1963). This is a short memoir of More by his son-in-law William Roper. * The Center for Thomas More Studies: https://thomasmorestudies.org/index.html Secondary Sources: * Thomas More: A Biography by Richard Marius (Alfred A. Knopf, 1984). * The King's Good Servant but God's First: The Life and Writings of St. Thomas More by James Monti (Ignatius Press, 1997). * The Cambridge Companion to Thomas More, ed. by George Logan (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2011) - Especially recommended is the essay, "Thomas More and the heretics: statesman or fanatic?" by Richard Rex . * Reformation Divided: Catholics, Protestants, and the Conversion of England by Eamon Duffy (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017). * The Reformation: A History by Diarmaid McCulloch (Penguin, 2004). Movies: * A Man of All Seasons (1967) - Highly recommended award-winning movie based on the play by Robert Bolt. (source for the quote, "This isn't Spain, this is England!" featured in the episode). Image Credit: "Thomas More and His Family" (1592) - Rowland Lockey [Public domain]

What do Mesmerism, Christian Science, and Donald Trump all have in common? They all come up in this week's episode of Sunday School for Heathens! Our saint is Saint Thomas More, who got a little too mixed up in the English reformation.  Theme song: Adam Griffin https://alteringgravity.wordpress.com/ Logo and Editing: David Griffin Email us at sundayschoolforheathens@gmail.com Tweet at us @school4heathens

From our recent IPWire blog post from Patrick Anderson on Unified Patents’ PTAB win record. As part of our ongoing series to factually expose the patent opposition’s effort of “de-propertization” of patents, I further breakdown Unified Patents as more the devil of patents than Saint Thomas More. Last month, I posted a detailed breakdown of Inter Partes Review statistics relating to petitions filed by self-proclaimed ‘Anti-Troll’ Unified Patents. While I highly recommend you read that post, a few of the highlights for convenience: A paltry 34% institution rate (compared to about 71% for the PTAB overall) An Institution:Denial ratio less than one A substantially higher settlement rate than average Google Buys Academic to Support Their Anti-Patent Agenda The Wall Street Journal article exposing Google for paying for academic research that “independently” supports their anti-patent agenda. By Brody Mullins and Jack Nicas | Updated July 14, 2017 9:14 a.m. ET “Google operates a little-known program to harness the brain power of university researchers to help sway opinion and public policy, cultivating financial relationships with professors at campuses from Harvard University to the University of California, Berkeley.”

Saint of the Day for June 22 Saint Thomas More (February 7, 1478 – July 6, 1535 ) Saint Thomas More’s Story His belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ cost Thomas More his life. Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, on July 6, 15