Thomas Theullosson (T.T.) Carter (1808–1901) was twenty-four when he was called to his first pastorate at a small church in rural England. It was a long-standing custom in the church for the rector to give a mince pie, a loaf of bread, and quart of ale to every man, woman and child in the parish. Thomas thought it was “an undesirable waste of money.” He eliminated the practice and redirected the money to buy clothes for the poor. He wrote, “I believe reasonable people thought it was the right thing to do. But some, I am afraid, never forgave me.” A short while later, he received a parcel on Christmas Day. At the bottom of the package, under a heap of rags and straw, was a mince pie.
It should come as no surprise that Thomas didn’t stay long. He went to another church and noted in a letter that the sanctuary was in a state of disrepair. And he added, “the behavior of the congregation was on a par with the appearance of the sanctuary.” To curb drunkenness, he started a temperance society. He opened a relief ministry for the poor and a House of Mercy “for fallen women,” establishing an Anglican sisterhood to meet the needs of the House of Mercy community. Thomas also reintroduced confession to aid the renewal effort. Some Anglican colleagues took umbrage at his “ritual excesses,” which led to his resignation from the church. He devoted the remainder of his life to the House of Mercy, providing spiritual direction and becoming a pioneer of retreats in England.
Thomas aspired to lead a life of humility. “Humility is the perpetual quietness of heart,” he wrote. “It is never to be fretted, or vexed, or irritated, or sore, or disappointed. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed and despised.”
Near the end of his life, he compiled a book of prayers, titled Treasury of Devotion, including this Advent prayer: