We ended yesterday’s meditation with the firm conviction that St Joan of Arc, together with the whole Church of Heaven, will hasten to assemble a spiritual army to fight consciously against the immanent and already existing anti-Christian threats. I like to call it ‘the army of the Lamb’.
The term alone makes it clear that this is the ‘Bride of Christ’. It is the army of the King of heaven and earth, and its warriors are those who “follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (Rev 14:4).
“Take the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Eph 6:16).
One of our great intentions is that the figure and mission of St Joan of Arc be properly understood, so that God, who called her, may receive the praise, and she, who cooperated in His plan of salvation, may be honoured as she deserves. Joan of Arc is a great gift from the Lord and certainly one of the most beautiful creatures to come from the hand of God.
The last three meditations were dedicated to Saint Joan of Arc. We pray daily in the community that her mission may be better understood and that her honour may be fully restored.
Why do we do this? St Joan was often misunderstood. It was inconceivable that God would intervene in the course of history in such a way as to bring about such a turnaround in the war situation through a young girl. This misunderstanding persists to this day…
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.
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.
Starting today, we will depart for a few days from the usual framework of our daily meditations on the Word of God. Since this year the Solemnity of Corpus Christi fell on 30 May, the day on which the feast of St Joan of Arc is usually celebrated, we would like to dedicate the meditations of the next few days to the story of this extraordinary saint. The “Maid of Orleans” is the patron saint of our spiritual family and has accompanied us on our journey with the Lord for many years. We like to call her our “dearest sister”.
1 Pet 4:7-13
The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers. Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
Heb 9:11-15
But now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, not made by human hands, that is, not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement, may restore their bodily purity.
Mk 10:32-45
The disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise.” James and John, the sons of Zeb′edee, came forward to him, and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
