I think of the saint that we celebrate today, Joan of Arc, who died on this day 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 was 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, almost five hundred years after her death, 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 Irish-American author Brian Moore, shows a Jesuit priest praying at the site where Joan of Arc was burned at the stack before he leaves for 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. The psalm refrain states today: “Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.” The joy in which we approach the Lord is not rooted in earthly pleasures, but is rather to be found in the joy of our faith, in the joy of our faithfulness to God. I am sure Joan of Arc felt joy in her entry into eternal life with the Lord.
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