With good hope I shall commit myself wholly to God

Today, June 22, as our Church celebrates the Memorial of John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and Thomas More, Martyr, we are invited to first read and reflect on the letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans (8:18-39) entitled "Nothing is able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through Jesus Christ. Our treasure is from the letter written in prison to his daughter, Margaret, by St. Thomas More. St. John Fisher was born in 1469. After completing his theological studies at Cambridge in England, he was ordained to the priesthood. Appointed Bishop of Rochester, he led a most austere life and fulfilled his pastoral role by frequently visiting the faithful. He also composed works against the errors of the time. Saint Thomas More was born in 1477 and was educated at Oxford. He married and had one son and three daughters. While Chancellor of the Kings Court, he wrote works on the governance of the realm and the defense of the Faith. Both were beheaded in 1535 by order of King Henry VIII, whom they had resisted in the matter of his divorce: John Fisher on June 22 and Thomas Moore on July 6. While detained in prison, Bishop Fisher was named to the College of Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church by Pope Paul II. Saint Thomas More wrote a famous letter from prison to his beloved daughter, Margaret Roper, while he was confined in the Tower of London in 1534–1535. More had refused to take the oath acknowledging Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church in England because it contradicted his Catholic faith and his conscience. Imprisoned, separated from his family, and facing the likelihood of execution, he wrote to Margaret to encourage her and to explain why he could not compromise his beliefs. His letters reveal a deep trust in God's providence, serenity in suffering, and confidence that earthly trials are temporary when compared with eternal life. The primary teaching of the letter is that a Christian must remain faithful to God and to a well-formed conscience, even at great personal cost. Saint Thomas teaches that no earthly power, fear, or suffering should lead a person to betray the truth. He encourages Margaret to place complete trust in God's loving plan, reminding her that whatever God permits ultimately works for the good of those who love Him. The letter is a powerful witness to courage, fidelity, and hope in the midst of persecution. In our first reading, the principal message of Romans (8:18–39) is that the glory God has prepared for His children far outweighs any suffering they experience in this life, and nothing can separate them from His love in Christ Jesus. Saint Paul the Apostle teaches that present hardships are temporary and that all creation is longing for the fulfillment of God's plan of salvation. He assures believers that the Holy Spirit helps them in their weakness and intercedes for them according to God's will. The passage reaches its climax with Paul's powerful declaration that God is always working for the good of those who love Him and that no power—whether suffering, persecution, danger, death, or any other force in creation—can separate us from the love of God revealed in Christ Jesus. The central takeaway is one of hope, confidence, and perseverance: Christians can face life's trials with courage because God is with them, His love is unfailing, and their ultimate destiny is eternal life with Him.