“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29). This is exactly what the Lord is telling us in this passage. “Our heart is restless until it rests in You,” St. Augustine tells us. Our soul seeks […]
Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3 In those days, a great number that believed turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the
Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle: Faithfulness to the Lord and His Church Read More »
I am delighted for—and with—everyone who followed the twelve reflections on the Blessed Virgin of Orléans. This is not the first time I have written about her, and—God willing—it will not be the last. Indeed, every time I write about her, it feels fresh, which is connected to the fact that the Virgin of Orléans
IN HONOR OF ST. JOAN OF ARC: “Concluding reflection” (Part 12) Read More »
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet” (Luke 15:22). Today we turn our attention to the Father in this moving story, which we know well as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. God
“THE JOY OF HEAVEN” Read More »
What had happened to the heroic Joan of Arc, who had endured so many trials and never doubted her mission? Let us think of Saint Peter. Did he not repeatedly show Jesus his love? Did he not leave everything to follow Jesus? Did he not say that he was willing to die for Jesus? What
IN HONOR OF ST. JOAN OF ARC: “Joan’s greatest victory!” (Part 11) Read More »
‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as
Joan withstood the terrible ordeal of interrogation, the harassment she endured at the hands of the English guards, the harsh conditions of her imprisonment, and the judges’ attempts to convict her of heresy. Not even the threat of torture caused her to falter. Supported by her saints, she remained unyielding. She told those who threatened
IN HONOR OF ST. JOAN OF ARC: “Jeanne’s Recantation” (Part 10) Read More »
In Rouen, the conditions of the Virgin’s imprisonment worsened. Although she should have been held in a church prison under the supervision of women, English soldiers guarded her instead. The priest Jean Massieu of Rouen described her conditions of imprisonment as follows: “Joan was imprisoned in the citadel of Rouen in a room on the
IN HONOR OF ST. JOAN OF ARC: “The trial of shame” (Part 9) Read More »
After her capture, it became clear what the English intended to do with her. Joan was not merely a prominent prisoner; with her, English military dominance in France had come to an end. They therefore believed they knew what had caused their defeats. In their view, a witch—and thus a woman influenced by the devil—had
IN HONOR OF ST. JOAN OF ARC: “A diabolical plan: Joan is being taken to Rouen!” (Part 8) Read More »
After Charles VII was crowned in Reims, the king began negotiating with the Burgundians. On the day of the coronation itself, Joan wrote to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, on behalf of Charles VII. She pleaded with him in the name of God: “May the King of France and you conclude a good and
IN HONOR OF ST. JOAN OF ARC: “Joan is captured!” (Part 7) Read More »
