Today’s meditation is dedicated to St. Helena, Empress and mother of Emperor Constantine. The 18th of August is considered to be the day of her death, which is why her memory is celebrated on this date in some parts of the Catholic Church.
Instead of taking a biblical reading, we will begin this meditation with a few words from the Magnificat canticle:
The Lord “has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly” (Lk 1:52). Read More
Let us meditate once more on these words of St. Anthony Abbot:
“He who sits in the desert and seeks to have a calm heart, has been spared from three combats: that of listening, that of speech and that of sight. He has only one battle left to fight: the battle against impurity”.
The last two days, we had reflected on the fight against what we hear and what we speak. Today, we will devote ourselves to the struggle in relation to what we look at. Read More
Part 3: Passion and martyrdom
For Joan, the hardest part of her mission now came. Now she was to bear the whole burden of the cross, to taste the suffering that no one who is fully at the service of his Lord is spared.
It would not have been enough for the English to simply take Joan captive and then execute her, knowing full well that the French people would have considered her a martyr. This could have even encouraged them in their efforts to continue the liberation of the country! Read More
Part 2: Joan’s mission
Now begins the mission of Saint Joan of Arc at the head of the French troops.
Her very presence showed the soldiers and officers that God would intervene concretely in the situation of France. Thus, the population and the combatants regained their courage and bravery, and believed in the mission of the Maiden. Read More
Part 1: The Call
On January 6th I had dedicated a part of the meditation to St. Joan of Arc, because it was her birthday. Last year on 16 May we had celebrated the centenary of her canonisation. For us – who write these daily meditations – this was a great celebration, because we are very much connected to this saint in many ways. Over the next three days we want to repeat last year’s transmissions. Saint Joan, the Maiden of Orleans, is the best documented person of the Middle Ages. Her mission is more than extraordinary! Read More
A short book review
Before we come close to Pentecost and after the Ascension of the Lord, wich prepare ourselves in a novena for the most holy feast of Pentecost, I would like to present a book shortly after our broadcasts on St. Joan of Arc. It was written by Robert Hugh Benson, an English Catholic priest in 1907, with the title “Lord of the World”. Read More
Part 3: Passion and martyrdom
For Joan, the hardest part of her mission now came. Now she was to bear the whole burden of the cross, to taste the suffering that no one who is fully at the service of his Lord is spared.
It would not have been enough for the English to simply take Joan captive and then execute her, knowing full well that the French people would have considered her a martyr. This could have even encouraged them in their efforts to continue the liberation of the country! Their aim was therefore to prove publicly that Joan was a heretic and a witch who had achieved her victories through an alliance with the devil. Read More
Part 2: Joan’s mission
Now begins the mission of Saint Joan of Arc at the head of the French troops.
Her very presence showed the soldiers and officers that God would intervene concretely in the situation of France. Thus, the population and the combatants regained their courage and bravery, and believed in the mission of the Maiden.
Her presence was so impressive that many people saw her as an angel of God. Read More
Part 1: The Call
Today, 16 May, we celebrate the centenary of the canonization of Saint Joan of Arc. For us, who prepare these daily meditations, this is a great feast, because we are very united to this saint in many ways. Therefore, we want to dedicate the meditations of the next three days to her. There will be a lot to tell, because Saint Joan, the Maid of Orleans, is the best documented person of the Middle Ages. Her mission is more than extraordinary! We also hope to glorify in this way God, our Father, who so gifted this saint, who, unfortunately, is often misunderstood. Furthermore, we are convinced that the mission of St. Joan of Arc is of great importance, especially in our difficult times. Read More
Let us begin by saying that, on an objective level, it is always the same spirit that induces a person to kill, whether it be to kill another person (and in this case, an innocent child); whether it be to take his own life. Read More
