Prayer to Saint Thomas More Patron of Lawyers

Prayer to Saint Thomas More

(For Lawyers and Those in the Legal Profession)

Thomas More, counselor of law and statesman of integrity, merry martyr and most human of saints:

Pray that, for the glory of God and in the pursuit of His justice, I may be trustworthy with confidences, keen in study, accurate in analysis, correct in conclusion, able in argument, loyal to clients, honest with all, courteous with adversaries, ever attentive to conscience. Sit with me at my desk and listen with me to my clients’ tales. Read with me in my library and stand always beside me so that today I shall not, to win a point, lose my soul.

Pray that my family may find in me what yours found in you: friendship and courage, cheerfulness and charity, diligence in duties, counsel in adversity, patience in pain — their good servant, and God’s first. Amen.

A widely recognized prayer to Saint Thomas More, the patron saint of lawyers, is often referred to as "A Lawyer's Prayer to St. Thomas More." This prayer seeks guidance and virtues for legal professionals, emphasizing integrity, justice, and faithfulness to conscience.

The prayer typically asks for qualities such as trustworthiness with confidences, keenness in study, accuracy in analysis, correctness in conclusion, ability in argument, loyalty to clients, honesty with all, courtesy to adversaries, and attentiveness to conscience. It also includes a plea for divine presence during legal work, stating, "Sit with me at my desk and listen with me to my clients’ tales. Read with me in my library and stand always beside me so that today I shall not, to win a point, lose my soul." Furthermore, the prayer often extends to family life, asking that one's family may find in them friendship, courage, cheerfulness, charity, diligence in duties, counsel in adversity, and patience in pain, reflecting More's own family values.

Several versions and adaptations of this prayer exist. One common version begins: "Thomas More, counselor of law and statesman of integrity, merry martyr and most human of saints: Pray that, for the glory of God and in the pursuit of His justice, I may be trustworthy with confidences..." Another adaptation, attributed to Henry Bender, Jr., and published in The Catholic Mind in 1951, starts with: "Lord, grant that I may be able in argument, Accurate in analysis, Strict in study, Candid with clients, And honest with adversaries." These prayers are often used by lawyers to reflect on the ethical and moral dimensions of their profession, drawing inspiration from St. Thomas More's life and his ultimate sacrifice for his conscience. St. Thomas More, born in London (1478–1535), was a skilled attorney, philosopher, and Lord High Chancellor of England under Henry VIII. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935 and is revered for his defense of religious liberty and his unwavering conscience, famously proclaiming himself "the King’s good servant, but God’s first." His feast day is celebrated on June 22nd.

OTHER PRAYER: "Dear scholar and martyr, it was not the King of England but you who were the defender of the faith. Like Christ unjustly condemned, neither promises nor threats could make you accept a civil ruler as head of the Christian Church. Perfect in your honesty and love of truth, grant that lawyers and judges may imitate you and achieve true justice for all people. Amen."