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The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday, Memorial of Sts. John Fisher & Thomas More, Martyrs, 22 June 2023 2 Corinthians 11:1-11 <'[[[>< <'[[[>< + ><]]]'> ><]]]'> Matthew 6:7-15
Glory and praise to you, God our almighty and loving Father for the gift of two great saints, John Fisher and Thomas More whose memorial we celebrate today after giving their lives in defending the gospel of Jesus Christ before the powerful king of England in 1535.
Like St. Paul in today's first reading, St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More spoke their hearts out to everyone, opposing King Henry VIII's divorce and call to break away from Rome; for standing for what is true and good like the sanctity of marriage and primacy of Rome, they were both beheaded.
What a beautiful example for us to emulate today when so many of us professing to be Catholics yet have turned their backs from the Church and especially from the Gospel, choosing to be oblivious to you dwelling in our hearts; like St. Paul, they have taught us that standing firm on our faith is the best expression of our love not only for God but for everyone; help us realize that when we allow ourselves to follow modern trends that are contrary to the life and teachings of Jesus our Lord, that is when we do not love at all because that is when we allow evil and sin to spread its errors and destruction of persons and life in general.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere and pure commitment to Christ. For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough.
2 Corinthians 11:3-4
Forgive us, dear God, when we would call you "Father" but could not stand for what is true and just, good and holy there in our hearts; forgive us, dear God, when we would call you "Father" but would keep on holding to our anger and bitterness, refusing to forgive from our hearts; forgive us, dear God, when we would call you "Father" but would always push the lines and limits in our hearts until we fall into temptations and sin. Forgive us Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.
St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, pray for us!
