Jehanne

This year, I’m going to forgo my lamentation of the mobile Epiphany. For today, 6 January 2012, is the 600th birthday of one of the most truly remarkable women who ever lived.

And she was burned at the stake when she was 19 years old.

She was known as Jehanne la Pucelle, Joan the Maiden.

In 1429 at the tender age of 17, she led the French army to a string of victories against the English: the Assault of Orléans (7 May), the Battles of Jargeau (12 June), Meung-sur-Loire (15 June), Beaugency (17 June), Patay (18 June – sometimes called “Agincourt in Reverse”), the Surrender of Auxerre (3 July), the Siege of Troyes (10 July), and finally the Surrender of Reims (16 July).

In a little over a month, Joan put together more French victories in the Hundred Years’ War than France alone ever did. She had no military training or experience.

After she arranged for the Dauphin to be crowned King of France, another string of victories followed. Joan was wounded at the siege of Paris, and the French army withdrew rather than face battle without her.

When she was captured by the English, she was subjected to a mock ecclesial trial. The transcripts make for fascinating reading.

France before Joan was defeated and her nobility so dejected that Joan had to persuade them to crown the Dauphin King. France after Joan had the strength and will to reclaim their land from the English. It is no exaggeration to say that in just 18 months she changed the entire course of the Hundred Years’ War.

This shepherdess from Domrémy had a mission, and she carried it out without question. Admittedly, the instruction was pretty clear. At her trial, she testified that she had her first vision around 1424 at the age of 12 years. Alone in the fields, she saw visions of Saint Michael, Saint Catherine, and Saint Margaret, who told her to drive out the English and bring the Dauphin to Rheims for his coronation.

She cried when they left, they were so beautiful.

Most of us come to discern our vocation only through prayer and sometimes long stretches of time. Some of us never do, or we run away in fear from what the Lord tells us in our hearts.

Not so Joan. Like the Blessed Virgin Mary and countless other saints throughout time, Joan said “yes”.

Called by the Lord to defend her fatherland, [Joan] responds to her vocation with an enterprise that the entire world – and herself, in the first place – considered impossible; but that which is impossible to men is always possible with the help of God.

(Pope Saint Pius X, Address of 13 December 1908)

We are all called to that “yes”; we are all called to be saints. Nothing is impossible with God.