Today we hear from the first letter of
Peter. This very wise reading tells us
that our salvation was paid for us not by things of the world such as gold or
silver, but rather by the blood of Christ that was shed for us. We have our new life in Christ not in
perishable things from this world, but from the eternal, from the divine. And while we see things in this world that
are beautiful and that catch our eye, it is the word of God that endures
forever. That is where we must trust our faith and our trust.
I think of the saint that we celebrate today,
Joan of Arc, who died on this day way back in 1431 at the age of 19. She is remembered for her faith in the Lord,
a faith that allowed her to lead the troops from France to victory over the
English. Through her courage in leading
the French troops she is able to say: "I place trust in God, my creator, in all
things; I love Him with all my heart.”
Joan was burned at the stack as a heretic, the victim of the political
circumstance of this period, yet the courage in which she lived out her faith has
inspired generations of the faithful.
Although she died way back in the early 15th century and was
not canonized until the year 1920, she remained a saint in the eyes of
believers for centuries even before she was officially named a saint by the
Church. One of my favorite novels, Black
Robe by Brian Moore, shows a Jesuit priest praying at the site where Joan
of Arc was burned at the stack before he leaves from his mission work in 17th
century Canada. Her example of faith
still speaks to us throughout the centuries.
Joan of Arc was able to take risks of faith based upon the enduring word
of God that allowed her to rise above those transitory things of our
world. May we also have the strength and
courage to stand by the word of God, to have it inspire us and guide us.
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