The feastday of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More is observed today.
St. Thomas More (1478-1535) was a humanist and intellectual – he worked as a lawyer and explored theology through his written works, many of which were defenses of the Catholic faith against heresy. He studied at Oxford and briefly considered religious life, but he eventually followed a vocation to marriage and fatherhood.
His persistence to remain sided with the Church rather than the King of England ended in martyrdom and was a testament to his tireless devotion to God and God’s law. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935, and was later named patron of statesmen and politicians by St. John Paul II.
St. John Fisher (1469-1535) was ordained a priest when he was about 22, and was appointed Bishop of Rochester in 1504. He lived an intentionally simple lifestyle and was a scholar. He studied theology at Cambridge. Among his writings is a commentary on the seven penitential Psalms. His mission as a bishop was to perfect how the Church’s teachings were conveyed by his diocese. He spent much of his time travelling to parishes with the mission of theologically correcting and realigning clergy. He also wrote various apologetic defenses in response to Martin Luther. He stuck to what he knew to be the truth and was executed for it. He was canonized with St. Thomas More in 1935.
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From Saint of the Day: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-fisher/
