Today is the feast of St Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Catholic, of course), who did not hesitate to penalise those who committed serious offence against Holy Mother Church.
Richard Burton made a fine Thomas Becket and his scene of excommunication is, for me, one of the highlights of the film 'Becket'
When, eventually, King Henry II uttered those immortal words about a troublesome priest he set in motion the actions that would lead to St Thomas Becket's martyrdom.
As he was hacked at by his attackers at the altar, he uttered the following sentence:-
"Here I am ready to suffer in the name of He who redeemed me with His blood; God forbid that I should flee on account of your swords or that I should depart from righteousness."
He died at Canterbury on 29th December 1170 - St Thomas Becket, ora pro nobis!
And now......another Archbishop speaks out against the state - thank you Archbishop Vincent Nichols -
A Reluctant Sinner has it covered.
Richard Burton made a fine Thomas Becket and his scene of excommunication is, for me, one of the highlights of the film 'Becket'
When, eventually, King Henry II uttered those immortal words about a troublesome priest he set in motion the actions that would lead to St Thomas Becket's martyrdom.
As he was hacked at by his attackers at the altar, he uttered the following sentence:-
"Here I am ready to suffer in the name of He who redeemed me with His blood; God forbid that I should flee on account of your swords or that I should depart from righteousness."
He died at Canterbury on 29th December 1170 - St Thomas Becket, ora pro nobis!
And now......another Archbishop speaks out against the state - thank you Archbishop Vincent Nichols -
A Reluctant Sinner has it covered.
Thank you, Richard. I had shamefully not thought of St Thomas Becket for a long time. Like St Thomas More, I guess he has little appeal, sadly, for Flexi-Church. From now on, he is on my list, along with St Antony of Padua, friend of the poor and of those (like me) who lose things and St Joseph of Cupertino, friend of the stupid.
ReplyDeleteGod bless!
Why are they singing the Dies Irae a hundred years before it was written?
ReplyDeletewhat a fine preacher Richard Burton would have made.
ReplyDeleteYes Left footer I noticed in a weekly news of an Anglican parish that they did not mention St thomas a'beckett's martyrdom 842 years ago. So i read my Missal and I pray that I will live worthily and be coutned as such if i too must suffer for the True Church
St. Joseph Cupertino, me too. Thanks everyone.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteJohn - I think that they are singing an earlier Eccles and Bosco version based on a prayer against diseases of the ear ('Dey is earache')Thank you GC, strange that they did not mention it, especially as it was Catholics who were both perpetrators and martyr.