“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).
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Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: The Love of Jesus
Mt 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’
Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle: Faithfulness to the Lord and His Church
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 Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians. Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyre′ne, Man′a-en a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Read More
“HE HAS BEEN FOUND!”
“It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:33)
IN HONOR OF ST. JOAN OF ARC: “Concluding reflection” (Part 12)
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 was a believer who carried out a mission from God. One can never understand this enough. I invite everyone, as they see fit, to look at my earlier publications and listen to the radio play created in her honor:
- Conference “Jeanne d’Arc and our times”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CAUejmfh0E
- Radio play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVKE6WCNZ3g
The title of this series on Joan makes clear what my intention was. I wanted to honor the Maid, who suffered a terrible death by public burning at the stake for her mission. Unfortunately, this is often poorly understood in depictions of her, and even less understood is the fact that glory is due first to God, who intervened in the history of France through her and accomplished this work with her help. If we forget this or allow it to fade too far into the background, then we fail to grasp the essential point and remain trapped in a merely human perspective when considering the events surrounding Joan of Arc.
“THE JOY OF HEAVEN”
“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).
“TRUE REPENTANCE”
‘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 one of your hired servants.”’ (Lk 15:17-19)
IN HONOR OF ST. JOAN OF ARC: “Joan’s greatest victory!” (Part 11)
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 happened then? We know the answer. In the hour of danger, he denied Jesus and bitterly regretted it afterward.
What about Joan of Arc?
A few days after her recantation, Bishop Cauchon came to Joan’s prison with a few companions. He asked her if she had heard the voices since Thursday, the day she recanted.
Joan answered in the affirmative and said:
IN HONOR OF ST. JOAN OF ARC: “Jeanne’s Recantation” (Part 10)
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 her with torture: “Truly, even if you were to break my limbs and sever my soul from my body, I could say nothing else to you. If you force me to speak, I will say that you made me speak by force.”
As the pressure mounted, she heard all the charges brought against her and was repeatedly ordered to submit to the judgment of the Church. She appealed to God and said she should be taken to the Pope.
Joan testified: “I asked my voices for advice on whether I should submit to the Church because the clergy were pressing me fiercely. They answered that if I wanted our Lord to help me, I should entrust myself to Him in everything.”
“TRUE LIFE”
“Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)