"Lord, show me Thy ways."
-- Thaddaeus Daly, O.S.F., who was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Limerick, 1 January, 1579; witnesses report that his head when cut off distinctly uttered these words.
First of all, this is just cool.
Secondly- this seems something very strange to say after your head and body are physically separated. Given the circumstances, I would have expected something like "Jesus, take my soul" or "I forgive you." But "Lord, show me Thy ways"? This sort of prayer is generally followed with something like "that I might follow them," that is, the pray-er assumes that he will have more time to follow in His ways. I don't think that a man with a severed head could have expected to have much more time in this world.
I don't know anything about this martyr except what's quoted above. But I wonder if what he means is "hanging, drawing and quartering are not your ways, Lord. Show me Thy ways."
A good lesson for his persecutors, no doubt.
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