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WITH GOOD HOPE I SHALL COMMIT MYSELF WHOLLY TO GOD

22 Jun

WITH GOOD HOPE I SHALL COMMIT MYSELF WHOLLY TO GOD

A reading from a letter of St. Thomas More [1478-1535], written in prison, to his daughter 

Although, Margaret, I know well that my wickedness has been such that I know myself well worthy that God should let me slip, yet can I not but trust in His merciful goodness that as His grace has strengthened me hitherto and made me content in my heart to lose goods, land, and life too, rather than swear against my conscience, and has also put in the King towards me that good and gracious mind that as yet he has taken from me nothing but my liberty with which, so help me God, His grace has done me so much good by the spiritual profit that I trust I take thereby, that among all His great benefits heaped on me so thick, I reckon, upon my faith, my imprisonment even the very chief. I cannot, I say, therefore mistrust the grace of God, but that either He shall conserve and keep the King in that gracious mind still, to do me no hurt, or else if His pleasure be that (for my other sins) I shall suffer in such a cause in sight as I shall not deserve, His grace shall give me that strength to take it patiently, and peradventure somewhat gladly too, whereby His high goodness shall (by the merits of His bitter passion joined thereunto and far surmounting in merit for me all that I can suffer myself) make it serve for release of my pain in purgatory, and over that for increase of some reward in heaven. 

Mistrust Him, Meg, I will not though I feel myself faint. Yea, and though I should feel my fear even at point to overthrow me too, yet shall I remember how Saint Peter with a blast of a wind began to sink for his faint faith, and shall do as he did, call upon Christ and pray Him to help.  And then I trust He shall  set His holy hand upon me, and in the stormy seas, hold me up from drowning. Yea, and if He suffer me to play Saint Peter further and to fall full to the ground and swear and forswear too, which our Lord for His tender passion keep me from, and let me lose if it is so befall and never win thereby. Yet after shall I trust that His goodness will cast upon me his tender piteous eye, as He did upon Saint Peter and make me stand up again and confess the truth of my conscience afresh and abide the shame and the harm here of my own fault. 

And finally, Margaret, this I know very well that without my fault He will not let me be lost. I shall therefore with good hope commit my self wholly to Him. And if He suffer me for my faults to perish yet shall I then serve for a praise of His justice. But in good faith, Meg, I trust that His tender pity shall keep my poor soul safe and make me commend His mercy. And therefore, mine own good daughter, never trouble thy mind, for anything that ever shall keep me in this world. Nothing can come but that which God wills. And I make myself very sure that whatever that be, seem it never so bad in sight, it shall in deed be best. 

Short Prayer: Heavenly Father, You set the perfection of true faith in martyrdom. Strengthen us by the prayers of the martyr Saint Thomas More, so that our lives may bear witness to the faith we profess. Amen. 

Taken from THE DIVINE OFFICE III – WEEKS OF THE YEAR 6-34 – The Office of Reading – The Second Reading, pages 61*-63*. 

A Christian Pilgrim

 
2 Comments

Posted by on June 22, 2011 in SAINTS WE LOVE

 

2 responses to “WITH GOOD HOPE I SHALL COMMIT MYSELF WHOLLY TO GOD”

  1. M.A. Hayward

    June 23, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    “But by the grace of God go I.” (Martin Luther) Too often I think would-be disciples of Christ put more trust in their good works and religious habits than they do the grace of God in Christ. We do mistrust Him and still seek to earn His favor, to make ourselves good, to be strong instead of depending upon God’s strength. Peter may have sunk as he turned his focus to the wind and the waves, but at least he got out of the boat. How many Christians fail to realize abundant life because they long not for the danger, risk, and unpredictability of Christ but for the illusion of safety that the boat provides?
    “To actually live the life Jesus is leading us to and experience the power and presence of God would mean taking steps into what we now fear and seek to avoid.” (“The Economy of the Soul” pg. xvi) We cannot take such steps and experience the power of God if we do not trust him.

    Thank you for your faithfulness.
    michael
    http://www.TheEconomyOfTheSoul.com

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    • achristianpilgrim

      June 24, 2011 at 6:32 am

      Thank you Brother. May God bless you, always.
      A Christian Pilgrim

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