Mar 7 john ireland, john larke, jermyn gardiner d. 1544 bl 1929

John and Thommy,

Good morning
I love you.

Third Sunday of Lent. Another one day in a row for my efforts at discipline and productivity and good living…. One less hour of sleep this night - zero in all, actually. I read Grisham’s The Associate from about 1700 to 0130ish. A bit of inspiration to renew my twenty hour days of work. I certainly have enough to accomplish in the next three weeks to justify my churning the effort, punching the clock, prayer, exercise, and good eating to boot…. In this first day in a row, I’m a successful two hours into the ‘schedule’. Ora pro me.

I’m doing March 7 saints because I’m guessing Catholic online is still on daylight savings time and the email with today’s saints have not arrived. Plus, since I’m more than a few days behind on daily entries, March 7 is as good a day to renew as any….



March 7
Bl.s John Ireland, John Larke, Jermyn Gardiner d. 1544 bl. 1929


These three plus John Heywood, a layman, were brought to Westminster 15 Feb 1544.
They were charged with ‘attempting treason against the king in the matter of his dignity, title, and name of Supreme Head of the Church of England and Ireland, by words, writing, and acts’ and convicted. Ponder the charges. Apply them to yourselves. How do you dare attempt treason against the monarchs in your live vis a vis our faith and religion? How do you strengthen your faith? How do you live your faith when you know if you do, the monarchs in your life will accuse you of treason against them?

Will you take John Heywood’s road? John Heywood recanted and was pardoned. Pardoned by the state, by the monarch. I wonder how his life turned out? Like Judas’? Judas wound up rejected not only by the Christians, from whom he excommunicated himself, but also the Jews, his tribe and his family. Judas had time and opportunity to reconcile. Our tradition tells us he committed suicide - might that have been his remorse? Could he have begged forgiveness?

John Heywood? I don’t know his story hardly at all. How did he live after he “recanted” -i.e., retrenched himself into the abyss of the monarch - out of fear for what the monarch could, had proven would, do! How afraid are you of your monarchs? How can you Love God enough to overcome such fear?

John Ireland, John Larke, and Jermyn Gardiner were hanged drawn and quartered on 7 mar 1544.

John Ireland was chaplain to Thomas More. Whom do you provide spiritual sustenance to? I suggest that in the same way that most [?] people compete at the level of their competitor, our sanctity levels off at the same height as those we serve. To the degree that is true, I suggest you find your Thomas More to serve. One way to start, is to actually dedicate yourself to one of your patron saints, serve him, dare not to disappoint such a one who loves you so much. One who is demonstrably close to God; who explicitly seeks to bring you to God, like I do; actually more than I do….

John Larke was the priest pastor in Bishopgatge, Woodford, Essex and then Chelsea. John Larke, as did John Ireland and Jermyn Gardiner, opposed the religious supremacy of Henry VIII. We are baptized priests of our faith. We too have the responsibility to oppose the claimed supremacy of the monarchs in our lives who lead us away from the one true faith, the Holy Catholic Church. At whatever risk such prophecy and priestly duties creates for us.

Jermyn Gardiner, a layman, was secretary to Stephen Gardiner, to whom he may have been related. He engaged in controversy with the Reformers. His heroes were those martyrs especially who suffered for the defense of the papacy. Jermyn was an excellent, learned, and holy layman. To the degree that the ‘Reformers’ in your life lead you away from our faith, I suggest that you too choose as heroes those faithful who suffered in defense of the papacy: one of the advantages of having so many saints to know and choose from.

I love you
dad
3-8-9