Joan of Arc is the patron saint of France, youth, soldiers, prisoners, those in need of courage, and those ridiculed for their faith. She was a young French peasant, born in 1412 in the small village of Domremy in eastern France. Her devout mother, Isabelle Romée, fostered in her a great love for the Catholic Church and its doctrines even though she was not taught to read or write. Joan of Arc experienced locutions and heard the voices of Saints Michael the Archangel, Margaret of Antioch, and Catherine of Alexandria when she was 13 years old. They informed her that God had given her a special mission to crown the legitimate king of France and end the dynastic conflict that had caused the Hundred Years' War. She eventually persuaded nobles, soldiers, and Charles VII, the French heir to the throne, of her divine purpose.
After an extensive investigation, she was granted command of the army and freed the besieged city of Orléans. She subsequently set several cities free before Charles VII was finally crowned in the Cathedral of Rheims. Charles VII ennobled Joan and her family as a reward for her service to the Kingdom. The following year, after being apprehended near Compiegne, Joan was sold to the English and put on trial for heresy and witchcraft. The young saint, who was destined to save the French from English incursion, was burnt at the stake in 1431 at the age of 19 after a corrupt trial found her guilty of heresy. The first judgment, which was rendered under political duress, was overturned in a second trial that took place 25 years later. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV declared Joan of Arc a saint. Joan, who is primarily remembered for her military prowess, had a deep love for the sacraments, which heightened her empathy for the underprivileged.
St. Joan of Arc, obtain for us the courage to face life's challenges; help us discern the path that leads to virtue and follow it faithfully.
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love (Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)
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