[Officium]
St. Thomas of Canterbury, Bishop and Martyr

[Oratio]
O God, in defence of Whose Church the glorious Bishop Thomas fell by the swords of wicked men, grant, we beseech thee, that all that ask his help, may obtain wholesome fruit of their petition.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio4]
Thomas was born in London, (in the year of our Lord 11 17,) and succeeded Theobald in the Archbishopric of Canterbury (in 1162). He had previously filled with great distinction the office of Lord Chancellor, and showed an indomitable firmness in his duty as Primate. When Henry II., King of England, in an assembly of the Bishops and great men of his realm, endeavoured to pass laws detrimental to the advantage and dignity of the Church, he opposed himself so steadily to the king's wishes, that, neither promises, nor threats availing to shake him, he was about to be cast into prison, had he not made good his escape in time. The whole of his kinsfolk without regard to age or sex, his friends, and his advisers, were then banished the kingdom, and those who were able, were bound by an oath to make their way to the presence of Thomas, in the hope that though careless of his own sufferings, he might yield at the sight of their misery. But neither flesh and blood, nor the pleadings of natural affection could make him swerve from the line of his pastoral duty.

[Lectio5]
Lie betook himself to Pope Alexander III., by whom he was graciously received, and who committed him to the care of the Cistercians at Pontigni. As soon as this came to the knowledge of King Henry, he sent threatening letters to the monks, in order to drive Thomas from this shelter. The saint was unwilling that the Cistercian Order should suffer on his account, and therefore voluntarily withdrew from Pontigni, and accepted the invitation of Lewis VII., King of France, to go to his court. He remained here, until his banishment was recalled at the intercession of the Pope and of the King of France, and he returned to England amid great public joy. He was quietly continuing the work of a faithful shepherd of souls, when certain calumniators denounced him to the king as a plotter against the crown and the public peace. Henry, deceived by these libels, cried out that it was hard that one priest should never let him have quiet in his kingdom.

[Lectio6]
Come wicked servants of the king, hearing his words, and thinking to do him pleasure, betook themselves to Canterbury to rid him of the Archbishop. They entered the cathedral in the evening as Thomas was proceeding to assist at Evensong. The clergy in attendance on him, conscious of the attempt about to be made, wished to bolt the doors. But the saint caused them to be again opened, saying, The Church of God is not to be made a castle of, and for the cause of God's Church I am willing to die. He then said to his murderers, I charge you in the name of the Almighty God to hurt none of my people. With these words he fell on his knees, and commended himself to God, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to St Denis, and to the other holy Patrons of the Church of Canterbury. He presently offered his sacred head for the stroke of death, and received it from the swords of those wicked men with the same constancy with which he had withstood the commands of the unrighteous king. The murderers pulled out his brains and strewed them all about the floor of the Church. He testified on the 29th day of December, in the (53rd) year of (his own age and of) our Lord 11 70, and, being afterwards honoured with many miracles, was canonised by Pope Alexander IIL (in 1173).

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to John
!John 10:11-16
In that time Jesus said to the pharisees: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. And so on.
_
Homily by St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch (of Constantinople.)
!59th on John.
Dearly beloved brethren, the Bishops of the Church hold a great office, an office that needeth much that wisdom and strength whereof Christ hath given us an example. We must learn of Him to lay down our lives for the sheep and never to leave them; and to fight bravely against the wolf. This is the difference between the true shepherd and the hireling. The one leaveth the sheep and seeketh his own safety, but the other recketh not of his own safety, so as he may watch over the sheep. Christ then having given us the pattern of a good shepherd, warneth us against two enemies; first, the thief that cometh not but to kill and to steal, and, secondly, the hireling that standeth by, and defendeth not them that are committed to his charge.

[Lectio8]
Ezechiel hath said of old time, (xxxiv. 2): Woe be to the shepherds of Israel! do they not feed themselves? Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? But they did the contrary, a great wickedness and the root of many evils. Therefore, he saith, they brought not back that which was gone astray neither did they search for that which was lost neither did they bind up that which was broken, nor strengthen that which was sick; for they fed themselves, and not the flock. And Paul hath the same in other words, where he saith, (Phil. ii. 21): All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

[Lectio9]
Christ showeth Himself very different from either the thief or the hireling; whereas the thief cometh to destroy, He came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. The hireling fleeth, but He layeth down His life for the sheep, that the sheep perish not. When then the Jews went about to kill Him, He ceased not to teach He gave not up them that believed in Him, but stood steadfast and died. Wherefore He hath good title often to say, I am the Good Shepherd. It was but a little while, and He showed us how He could lay down His life for the sheep. And if it appeareth not as yet how they have life, and have it more abundantly, (but it shall appear, in the world which is to come,) we may well be persuaded of the truth of the second promise, who have seen the fulfilment of the first.
&teDeum