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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Cardinal Vincent Nichols

Murder in the Cathedral

Good Morning.

Another weekend lies ahead. Not your average weekend, but one that ushers in the New Year. So a weekend for more celebrations! But what does today bring?

One answer is that it brings ‘murder in the cathedral’. For this is the feast day of St Thomas Becket, murdered in Canterbury Cathedral on this day in 1170. His death was brought about by a sort of clash of the Titans: the King, Henry, wanting to assert his authority, and Thomas, the Archbishop, wanting to protect space for the Church. The knights who carried out the killing may well have misunderstood the King’s intentions for he immediately repented and Thomas was quickly declared a hero of the faith.

From birth in a stable to murder in a cathedral: this is a tale worth telling. Over the centuries countless people have died for the good news of this Gospel and its central proclamation that God is a God of mercy and compassion, born Emmanuel, God-with-us. To him alone do we bend our knee and profess him to be our saviour and most precious gift. He alone can cure our ills and refresh our spirit. To him be glory and thanksgiving.

As the new year unfolds, we sincerely wish each other happiness and prosperity, not forgetting the greatest gift of all: that God is with us, year in and year out, ready to guide our steps into the way of peace.

Father in heaven, help us to choose peace over violence, harmony over discord, both now and in the year to come.

Amen.

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