In this Saintly Summer: Jolt of Faith episode, we explore the powerful witness of St. Thomas More—a brilliant scholar, devout Catholic, and Chancellor of England who chose faith over favor and conscience over comfort.
Known from the acclaimed play A Man for All Seasons, St. Thomas More stood firm in his beliefs during one of the most turbulent times in Church and English history. When King Henry VIII demanded his support in breaking from the Church and divorcing Queen Catherine of Aragon, More quietly tried to step away from public life. But when pushed to sign away his convictions, he chose martyrdom over compromise.
In this video, you’ll learn:
🔸 Why St. Thomas More was imprisoned by King Henry VIII
🔸 The pressure he faced—even from his own family—to conform
🔸 What his example teaches us about conscience, faith, and sacrifice
🔸 How his legacy challenges us to live our beliefs boldly in today’s divided world
More than a historical figure, St. Thomas More reminds us that being a follower of Christ means making hard choices—and sometimes, paying a real price.
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Full text:
Our next saint for June is Saint Thomas More. Now, Saint Thomas More is better known because of the play “A Man For All Seasons”. To refresh your memory, Saint Thomas More was chancellor of England under King Henry the Eighth. He was a known philosopher, a great man of learning, and an extremely devout Catholic, and he found himself in between a rock and a hard place. When Henry the Eighth wanted to divorce his legal wife, Queen Catherine of Aragon, to marry his mistress, and to break from the church of Rome, he wanted Thomas More to broker that. But Thomas thought by retiring and simply disappearing from public life, he could avoid having to confront the King. But Henry the Eighth kept pushing the issue, and Thomas Moore found himself in prison. All he needed to do to save his life was to sign a paper agreeing with the King. And even his own daughter, devout Catholic said, Dad, just sign it. God will know what’s in your heart. The Thomas More remained true to his conscience, and he lost his head in defense of his faith. Now, you and I read that story and we think, wow, wow, thank God we
don’t live under Henry the Eighth, and how many of us are ever going to have to make such a choice. But it is a powerful reminder that to be a person of faith isn’t just what’s in my heart. It’s by the example I give. And sometimes that means some hard choices. Sometimes that means sacrifices. And sometimes, even yes, that means suffering. And Saint
Thomas More could have easily escaped all of that. Live the life of comfort and ease simply by signing the paper. But he didn’t. Instead, he chose to remain true to what mattered most, his conscience and his relationship with God. And that’s a powerful reminder in our very divided
culture that our conscience always has to be our guiding principle. It may not be easy to stick to it as Thomas More did, but it’s always worth it because it makes us a true follower of Christ.