I fear not death, nor I contemn not life. If life were my lot, I would endure it patiently; but if death, I shall receive it joyfully, for that Christ is my life, and death is my gain. Never since my receiving of Holy Orders did I so much fear death as I did life, and now, when it approacheth can I faint?
Letter of Blessed John Duckett to his Bishop the night before Duckett went to his execution on September 7, 1644. His jailers were so impressed by the good cheer with which he met his death that they said he had to be dying in a just cause.
I am always inspired and impressed by these members of our family tree. I am also always challenged by their example and wonder about how my life measures up to theirs. The comparison may be unfair – our life circumstances are so different – but it is normal to do and wonder how I would react to an impending execution. I end my contemplation of their story by asking them to pray for me. God bless the TAC family!