Monday, June 22, 2026
JUNE 22 Monday Fourth Week after Pentecost
St. Thomas More- Religious
Freedom Week
Luke, Chapter 12, Verse 32
Do not be AFRAID any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give
you the kingdom.
Are we living in the Kingdom?
Copilot’s Take
The Catechism teaches that
the Kingdom is already present in Christ and mysteriously growing in those who
belong to Him (CCC 2816–2819). It is not seized by force or secured by
earthly guarantees. It is given. That single truth dismantles the anxious
posture that so often grips believers. We do not claw our way into the Kingdom;
we stand under a Father who delights to place it in our hands. Fear shrinks a
man, but sonship enlarges him.
Yet the world we inhabit is
not neutral. The Church is blunt: humanity lives under the wound of sin and the
pressure of the evil one (CCC 409, 1707). Nations rise and fall,
regimes oppress, and violence spreads. The instability in regions like Iran,
the suffering of civilians, and the manipulation of power remind us that the
Kingdom is not yet fully revealed. But they also remind us that the Christian
confronts evil without becoming its mirror. Fidelity, not fury, is the
Christian weapon.
Religious freedom becomes,
in this light, more than a civil concern. It is the space where the Kingdom
grows in public. The Church insists that every person must be free to seek the
truth and adhere to it (CCC 2106–2109). When governments pressure
conscience, when mobs punish dissent, when believers are silenced or
threatened, the Church’s defense of religious liberty becomes an act of
spiritual resistance. It is the refusal to let fear redraw the lines of faith.
To live in the Kingdom now
is to live as heirs, not fugitives. It means refusing the narrative of fear,
confronting evil with courage and clarity, and guarding the freedom to worship,
speak, and serve. It means living as men who know the Kingdom is already in
their possession, even as they await its fullness. The Christian who remembers
this walks with a steadiness the world cannot manufacture. This is the “filial
confidence” the Catechism calls the mark of true Christian freedom (CCC 1828).
The lighthouse becomes the
perfect symbol for this day. It does not argue with the storm or retreat from
the waves. It stands, burns, and guides. That is the Kingdom in a man. That is
St. Thomas More. That is the Church in an age of upheaval. And that is the
invitation of June 22: to stand firm, shine steadily, and fear nothing, for the
Kingdom has already been given.
Sir Thomas More-Honesty[1]
John McCain in his book entitled “Character is Destiny” tells us that Sir Thomas More surrendered everything for the truth as he saw it and shamed a king with the courage of his conscience. Thomas was a brilliant student. He loved learning and would for the rest of his life prefer the less prestigious but more satisfying rewards of a scholar to the riches and power of the king’s court. He was part of a movement called humanism, whose followers were faithful to the Church but hoped to encourage a better understanding of the Gospels and their more honest application to the workings of society. They studied the great Greek and Roman philosophers, whose views on morality and just societies they believed complemented their Christian principles. They were passionate in pursuit of the truth as revealed by God, and by discovery through study and scholarly debate and discussion. They thought the world could be made gentler with Christian love and greater learning—love and learning that served not only the nobility of court and Church, but all mankind. Thomas was a devout Christian, and for a time lived in a monastery with the intention of entering the priesthood. The monastic life was one of isolation and self-denial. And though he took his religious devotion seriously, he loved the comforts of family life, and the rewards of learning and earthly pleasures as well: music and art, reading and writing, friendship and conversation and jests. He loved his city, London, then the greatest capital of Northern Europe. He loved life. So, he left the cloister for a wife and family, and returned to the worldly affairs of men. His love of learning and truth was second only to his love of God, and he encouraged his children, for the sake of their happiness, to seek truth through learning as well as scripture. He cultivated friendships and exchanged letters with some of the greatest minds in Europe, including with the Dutch priest and famous humanist philosopher Erasmus, who became More’s greatest admirer outside his family, and whose description of More became the title by which he is still remembered to this day: “a man for all seasons.” His scholarly reputation and skill as a scrupulously honest lawyer first gained the attention of the king’s most powerful counselor, the lord chancellor of England, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. An ambitious and shrewd politician, Wolsey recognized the younger man’s talents, and pressed him into the king’s service. Serving first as a diplomat, then in a series of increasingly powerful offices at court, knighted, and given lands and wealth, More became a favorite of Wolsey’s and Henry’s. And while he might have preferred the life of a philosopher, husband, and father to the rigors of public life, he no doubt took pride in the king’s confidence and favor. When Wolsey’s downfall came that would lead in time to Thomas’s death, Henry made his friend, Thomas, Lord Chancellor. It was the highest office at court, and Thomas More was the first layman to hold it. His appointment was greeted favorably by the court and public alike, for Thomas was known by one and all as an honest man, who would conscientiously discharge the duties of his office. As it turned out, he was too honest for his king. Thomas More waged an intellectual and judicial war against the followers of Luther that was at times surprisingly aggressive and even cruel for such a reasonable and just man. In the beginning, he had the king’s full support in his persecution and prosecution of “heretics.” More defended the Church out of religious principle, and because he and the king feared the uncontrollable social disorder that a permanent split among the faithful would surely cause. But his hatred, if it could be called that in such a mild man, was for the heresy and not the heretics. Death was the judgment for heretics in the courts that Thomas More governed, but he went to great lengths to encourage the accused to recant their views and escape their sentence. In fact, in the many cases he prosecuted, all the accused except for four poor souls, who went to their deaths rather than recant, escaped the headman’s ax. More was diligent in his duty, but a much more powerful threat than Luther’s protests had encouraged was growing to the Catholic Church in England. Henry’s queen, Catherine of Aragon, had failed to produce a surviving male heir. Henry was determined to have a new wife who could give him a healthy son. Other kings and nobles had received from the pope annulments of their marriage. But the most powerful king in Europe, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, was Catherine’s nephew, and he had great influence with Pope Clement VII. He persuaded Clement not to grant an annulment that would remove the crown from his aunt’s head. Once Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn, the fifteen-year-old daughter of a scheming courtier, he would no longer accept papal opposition to his desire to remarry. In this dangerous and growing conflict, Thomas More became a central figure, and he would struggle with all his intellect, lawyer’s skills, and courage to obey his king without forsaking his church. It would prove impossible. Initially More dutifully served the king’s wishes, arguing in Parliament that there were grounds to consider the marriage to Catherine unlawful. But when the king declared himself, and not the pope, to be the supreme head of the Church in England, More offered the king his resignation. Henry refused it and promised his friend that he would never be forced to take any action that his conscience would not permit. But the king’s assurance was hollow, and soon both he and More realized that the king’s desires and More’s conscience could not be reconciled. More again asked the king to accept his resignation, and this time, Henry agreed. For many months, he was careful not to speak against the king’s wishes, in public or in private. But he declined to attend the king’s wedding to Anne Boleyn. When Parliament passed a law requiring the king’s subjects to sign an oath recognizing Anne as queen, and any children she might bear Henry as legitimate heirs to the throne, he refused to sign it because it denied the pope’s authority over the Church in England. He was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He remained there until his trial fifteen months later. The jury, which included Anne Boleyn’s father, brother, and uncle, found him guilty and sentenced him to be hanged, and drawn and quartered. Then More spoke his conscience and said he could not in his own heart accept the king as head of the English Church. The death to which he was first sentenced would have been a far slower and more painful death than he was made to suffer in the end. Henry, mercifully, permitted his old friend and counselor to die by beheading. On the day of his execution, he had some difficulty climbing the scaffold steps. He thanked the guard who helped him but joked that he should be allowed to “shift for myself” when he came back down. He recited a prayer of repentance. The hooded executioner, as was the custom, begged the condemned man’s forgiveness. More gave him a coin, kissed him, and thanked him for giving him a “greater benefit than ever any mortal man can be able to give me.” And then the man who had all his life loved to jest, made one last joke. As he knelt to place his head upon the block, he asked for a moment to arrange his long beard so that it wouldn’t be severed by the ax, observing that as far as he knew his beard had not offended the king. In his last address, spoken moments earlier, he had asked the crowd of witnesses to pray for his soul and for the king, for he died “the King’s good servant, but God’s first.” One swift stroke and the king’s will was done. The life on earth of honest Thomas More was ended. His glory had just begun.
Things
to Do:[2]
A Man for All Seasons by Robert
Bolt is a wonderful play that captures much of St. Thomas More's vitality.
There is a 1966 movie by the same title that stars Paul Scofield as St. Thomas.
If you haven't watched the movie or read the play yet, put it on your priority
list.
Read more on the life of St. Thomas More.
For youth, Saint Thomas More of London by Elizabeth Ince, a reprint of
the wonderful Vision Books series. For adults, the newer book The King's Good Servant but God's First : The Life and Writings
of Saint Thomas More by James Monti which explores the life and writings of
St. Thomas More. Also Scepter Publishers has a biography Thomas More: A Portrait of Courage by Gerard B. Wegemer.
For some writings by St. Thomas More, see
The Sadness of Christ (Yale University Press Translation)
and Four Last Things: The Supplication of Souls: A Dialogue on
Conscience.
If you or your children are considering a
career as a lawyer you might find Dr.
Charles Rice's article helpful.
Learn more about St. Thomas More at Catholic News Agency
Read St. Thomas
More: A Saint for Adopted Children and Widowers
Read St. Thomas More, martyr of the English Reformation
Read Saint Thomas More, Martyr,
Chancellor of England at EWTN
Watch this YouTube
video on St. Thomas More
Read about the Thomas More Society, a
not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring
respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty here
Plan a special meal. Be at Peace.
Ale
Asian
Salmon Cucumber Appetizer
Religious Freedom Week
All people desire to know their Creator. All people have a natural impulse to seek the good and to live in accordance with that good. All people can flourish when they pursue the truth about God and respond to the truth. Religious freedom means that all people have the space to flourish. Religious freedom is both an American value and an important part of Catholic teaching on human dignity. When we promote religious freedom, we promote the common good and thus strengthen the life of our nation and the community of nations. Learn more at www.usccb.org/ReligiousFreedomWeek!
As we begin reading 1 Peter today, Fr. Mike walks us through
Peter's powerful message about persevering in trials, trusting that those
sufferings purify our love and faith by teaching us to love God for his own
sake and not just the gifts he blesses us with. Finally, as we wrap up
Colossians, Fr. Mike highlights St. Paul's call to uphold the obligations we
have to others in society, in our family, and in our work. Today we read 1
Peter 1-2, Colossians 3-4, and Proverbs 30:10-14.
Around the Corner
Do
not be guided by feeling; it is not always under your control; but all merit
lies in the will. Will is
an act of Love.
Bucket List Trip: Around
the World “Perfect Weather”
Berlin, Germany
Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
Spirit Hour: Sir
Knight Cocktail
Monday: Litany of Humility
Foodie-Éclair
Every
year on June 22, we celebrate National HVAC
Tech Day, a day dedicated to the skilled technicians who keep our heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning systems running smoothly.
How to
Celebrate National HVAC Tech Day
Shoutout to the Techs!
Blast out a message on social media to celebrate the unsung heroes of HVAC.
Highlight their dedication and hard work with a personalized post that shows
how much you appreciate their service. Don’t forget to tag your favorite techs
and include the hashtag #NationalHVACTechDay.
Gift a Cool Tool.
Surprise your favorite HVAC technician with a handy tool they can use on the
job. Make sure to choose something practical, like a gadget that will make
their workday a bit easier. A thoughtful gift shows you understand and support
their skills.
Treat Them to a Meal.
There’s no better way to say “thank you” than with a delicious meal. Treat your
tech to breakfast before their busy day begins, or hand them a gift card for a
well-deserved break. Showing kindness with food is always a hit.
Learn About HVAC.
Attending a local seminar to dive into the world of HVAC technology. You’ll
gain a deeper appreciation for what technicians do and maybe even learn how to
keep your system running better.
Take Care of Your
System. Keeping your HVAC system in top shape not only helps you but also eases
your technician’s workload. Regular maintenance, like changing the filter,
ensures your tech won’t have to work as hard to keep your system running
efficiently.
Let Freedom Ring Day 8 Freedom from Elitism
Politics, Religion, and the Ruling
Class[3]
The ruling class is society’s “ins.” This
class comprises persons in government, those who depend for their livelihoods
on government, and whose socio-economic prospects and hopes are founded on
government. Thus, it includes most people in the educational establishment, the
media, and large corporations. Its leading elements and its major voting
constituencies are the Democratic party. But it transcends political
parties because any number of Republicans aspire to its privileges and share
its priorities.
Above all, the ruling class defines
itself by a set of attitudes, foremost of which is contempt for those outside
itself. This contempt stems from the rather uniform education that the ruling
class’s members absorbed from universities and which they developed by living
in their subculture.
Believing themselves intelligent
apostles of scientific truth, they regard others as dumb and in the grip of
religious obscurantism.
Religion is the greatest of the divides
between the ruling class and those it deems its inferiors.
Whereas they believe themselves morally
good and psychologically sound, they regard others as suffering from
psychological dysfunctions and phobias—effectively as bad people.
The ruling class does not believe that
those outside itself have the right or capacity to conduct their own lives.
The “country class” is the term used in British-American discourse since the 17th century to describe society’s “outs.” The rest of us. Lots more people—quite heterogeneous. Though for reasons heterogeneous and often internally inconsistent, more than two thirds of this class is resentful of the ruling class
.
These
seem to be the secular religion’s commandments:
1. Science is the only authority, and we are its
prophets. For all practical purposes, Science R-us. Thou shalt have no
other sources of authority beside us.
2. Thou shalt neither speak nor think anything that
besmirches our authority or honor. Whatever we deem inconvenient to us is
politically incorrect and shall be punished.
3. Dishonor all that diminishes our authority:
father, mother, husband, wife, any notion of “nature.”
4. Every day is like every other day. It is
forbidden to waste time thinking about whence you came and whither you are
going.
5. For yours and for society’s convenience, you may
make categories that allow you to kill those whom you place within them.
6. Everything belongs to all. But the use of
anything belongs to whomever can exclude others from using it.
7. Copulate as you may and count it as the charter
of your freedom and worth.
8. Speak as seems best to serve your interests.
9. Do what you can to put yourself in position to do
unto your neighbor before he does unto you.
10. Grovel before your superior, step on your subordinate.
Daily Devotions
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Increase of Vocations to the Holy Priesthood.
Litany
of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
Rosary
[1]McCain, John; Salter, Mark. Character Is Destiny:
Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should
Remember
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