Wives come to Monica come for advice, do not gossip about husband’s faults.
Do not talk bad about your husband, regardless of title. If talk bad, treat them cancer. Within boundaries.
Natural foibles, concupiscence, sin & ignorance.
Go to confession, spiritual direction, learn silence. Discern what one is to learn in these moments
Complaining about husbands. Conundrum, modern world talk it out.
BVM pondered thingd in her heart. Monica historical proximity closer to the BVM. Closer to the sorrows of her Son, abused & crucified.
Monica recognized in her own sufferings close to the BVM. Those sufferings asked to endure. Our Lord is generous, married women learn to have custody of mouth and self-recollection. Interior conversations with God, interior.
Thomas More (d1535 executed) and Jane Colt[1]
Courage in face of ecclesiastical and secular outrages in his country. He lost his freedom, life and his family suffered because of his unwavering devotion to the true Church. One of the sins of the age was apostacy.
Married twice, exemplary husband and father
When visiting the household of John Colt, father of Jane, he fell in love with the second of his three daughters. Believing it would be shameful to marry the younger while the older sister was not married first, he out of a type of pity married the older one soon after the visit. The marriage lasted 6 ½ yrs, producing 4 children before his young wife, Jane died.
With 4 young children ranging in ages from 2 to 6 yrs, More remarried quickly to the silk merchant Alice Middleton.
NB working women and business owner. (Proverbs 31:10-31)
Middleton was hardworking and enterprising if perhaps lacking in the youth and beauty department.
More taught Alice how to play the zither, lute, monochord, and flute with time for daily practice.
Middleton had no children with More.
Alice would call More a fool to lie here (Tower of London) close, filthy prison and be content to be shut up amongst mice and rats, when you might be abroad at your liberty
In spite of her condemnation, More loved her and his first wife Jane.
More completely relied on Lady Alice with rearing of the children and running the household
More’s personal conduct was in all respects a practicing Catholic who prayed much, received the sacraments often, and extraordinarily charitable to the poor and needy. At his arrest, when a search was made of his residence by the police. Much to their surprise, there were not treasures and More’s righteous was publicly acknowledged.
Where we see a saint in Monica the wife, we now see one in the husband.
As his martyrdom approached, he prepared his family honestly with stories about the martyrs and how the love of God is the pearl of great price worth everything.
Courageous defender of a valid, consummated marriage
Papal authority as head of the Church of England with a mandatory oath
The refusal to take this oath, led to his arrest. More did not speak against the King’s supremacy in the Church so a false and perjured testimony was given. The initial punishment was to be hanged, then drawn and quartered but king magnanimously commuted it to beheading.
1835 blessed
1935 saint
Interesting time call More saint for absolute defense of the Church & marriage and lifelong reality. Living in confused time in the church at this time. Essential to cling tradition, communion of saint, so great a saint.
Blessed are those who calumniate against you for My sake, your reward is great. Mat 5:10-12
[1] Holbock 319
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