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In our first reading today, St. John helps us to understand how we can more fully realize God’s divine love when he says: “The way we may be sure that we know Jesus is to keep His commandments…whoever keeps His word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.”


Of course, the challenge of our faith life is to maintain this state of grace. St. John tells us “whoever claims to abide in Him ought to walk just as He walked.”
 
So how do we walk just as Jesus walked?
 
As it turns out, we can look to our Saint today for inspiration. St. Thomas Becket had a difficult relationship with his friend King Henry II in 12th century England. Henry raised St. Thomas thru the ranks of the Church but there were strings attached. Henry insisted on interfering with Church affairs and at one point, St. Thomas temporarily submitted to the pressure. St. Thomas first approved, but later rejected Henry’s attempt, to restrict papal authority in England. After blocking Henry’s attempt to gain more influence in the Church, St. Thomas fled to France for safety and remained in exile for 7 years.
 
St. Thomas returned to England realizing he may be killed for his positions against the king. During the next dispute, Henry was heard to say, “Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest!” Four knights, taking his words as a command, killed St. Thomas in the Canterbury cathedral. Thomas Becket was canonized 3 years later and the king and the knights did public penance.
St. Thomas certainly walked in the steps of Jesus with his martyrdom and we can learn from the lessons of his life. Although St. Thomas was influenced by popular opinion, and even stumbled for a short time, he stood by his faith and the love of God was truly perfected in him. As we consider how we can walk in the steps of Jesus, let us ask for the intercession of St. Thomas Becket to keep us on the straight and narrow path today.