See the photograph of St Joan of Arc above? How is that possible when she lived in the 15th century? Well, that really IS a photo, but it's of St Therese of Lisieux dressed as Joan of Arc. I adore this picture, because I love St Therese so much.
But let's talk about St Joan of Arc. We read about her today in the book In Caelo et in Terra, and I did a little more research about her because she's a controversial figure, and I'd heard some things to make me hesitate to call her a heroine. But once I read up on her, she definitely is a heroine AND a saint.
She was born to poor farmers in France in 1412. She was illiterate. But she was given some amazing gifts by God, including being visited and given messages by such saints as St Michael the Archangel and St Catherine of Alexandria. They told her she was to lead France to restore the rightful king and to throw off England as its conqueror. She cut her hair and dressed like a soldier, and led the forces of France against the English in several battles. She was victorious time and again, and was wounded in one of the battles. After seeing Charles VII restored to the throne, she was captured and sold to the English for 10,000 Francs. They tried her and decided she was a heretic and a witch and burned her at the stake at the age of nineteen. As she was engulfed in flames, she fixed her eyes on a crucifix and died with the name of Jesus on her lips.
It doesn't get much better than that. Let's read more about her here.
What a heroine! What an example of holiness and bravery and the TRUE kind of feminism that we need in the world today. I'm reading a book about her now, and there are some amazing examples of what she did and who she was... she didn't carry a sword into battle, but instead a banner with Jesus sitting in judgment. Her men remembered her on her knees, weeping as she held the head of a dying ENEMY, urging him to repent of his sins. MIND. BLOWN.
God, thanks for the amazing and emboldening example of this wonderful, courageous girl. St Joan of Arc, pray for us.
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