Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Remembering Thomas Becket today

 


Back in 1976, I went to England on a Foreign Study League trip with some of my students.  Several of us took the train from London down to Canterbury, and this is the view I remember of Canterbury Cathedral as we left the train station.  The visit to that cathedral was one I will never forget.

I'm quoting here from an old friend, Fr. Mike McCarron, about Saint Thomas Becket:

"In T.S. Eliot's powerful drama, Murder in the Cathedral, Becket faces a final temptation to seek martyrdom for earthly glory and revenge. With real insight into his life situation, Thomas responds:
"The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason."
On this 5th day in the Octave of Christmas, get the film "Becket". With Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, and Sir John Gielgud. Super watch for a rainy winter’s day!"


The death of Thomas



It's interesting how the Church arranges the liturgical feasts. Right after Christmas, we have St. Stephen, the Holy Innocents, and then, today, Thomas Becket. Serves to remind me that Christianity is not just about Christmas.




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