Ann-

Having recently seen the awesome movie “Becket” about the saintly and manly archbishop of Canterbury, there was this scene at the 1:56:12 mark:

“Lord, what do You really want me to do? To remain here, a poor monk in simplicity of spirit? Is it a path to bring me nearer to You? Or is it too easy a way; perhaps even a luxury? The path to holiness in this monastery is too effortless. I think it would be too easy to buy You like this…bargain price. It has pleased You to make me archbishop and to set me like a solitary pawn face to face with the king on the chessboard. I think You mean me to defend Your honor, peacefully if I can; with argument and with compromise. And if I cannot, then with the full challenge of my office and the soaring force of what I know to be right. So…I shall take up the miter again and the golden cope and the great silver cross, and I shall go back and fight with the weapons it has pleased You to give me. All the rest…Thy will be done.”

And this got me thinking “What if Thomas Becket remained in humble exile living simply as a monk in order to avoid the stressful duties of high ecclesial office in defense of holy mother Church?” Apart from avoiding (missing out on?) martyrdom and a one way ticket to Heaven, it struck me as a similar situation to Cardinal Burke dodging the bullet of persecution for being confrontational, instead contentedly and humbly resigning himself to the care of a shrine in Wisconsin.

Just thought it was an interesting comparison and I wanted to share wtih you!

R