“There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot solve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.” – Servant of God, Lucia de Santos, Fatima Visionary
Betrayed. Deserted. Discarded. Dropped. Dumped. Empty. Forgotten. Forsaken. Left. Neglected. Rejected. Shunned. Sidelined. Alone. Cast aside. Outcast. These are just a few of the synonyms listed next to the word “abandoned” in a Thesaurus. Can you relate to any of them?
What can a fifteenth-century peasant girl teach us about living our mission today?
St. Joan of Arc lived during the Hundred Years’ War. It was a time of great political upheaval and confusion. Much of France was under English rule while the throne was disputed among the royals of the time. Through a series of messages from St. Catherine and St. Margaret, she was given her life’s mission to help Charles VII gain his rightful place as King of France.
Joan exhibited great courage and fortitude in pursuing her mission to save her country. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines fortitude as, “the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It disposes one even to renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause.”
So committed was Joan to her mission that she, an uneducated peasant girl, willingly spoke in the highest courts of her land. She bravely went into battle with men who were far more experienced and skilled than she. Then, though only nineteen years old, she was unwilling to recuse herself in court to save her own life from being burned at the stake.
Below are some of the most inspiring quotes compiled from the many works, testimonies, and transcripts of her life:
“Courage! Do not fall back.”
“In God’s name let us go on bravely.”
“Every man gives his life for what he believes. Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing, and so they give their lives to little or nothing. One life is all we have, and we live it as we believe in living it…and then it’s gone. But to surrender who you are and to live without belief is more terrible than dying – even more terrible than dying young.”
“I fear nothing for God is with me!”
“Go forward bravely. Fear nothing. Trust in God; all will be well.”
“I am not afraid; I was born to do this.”
“All battles are first won or lost, in the mind.”
“I am the drum on which God is beating out his message.”
“… since God commanded me to go, I must do it.”
“Hold the cross high so I may see it through the flames.”
When it comes to spiritual warfare and battle, St. Joan of Arc is the quintessential warrior of God. May she intercede for us as we fight the battles of our time.
Let’s “Joan up” together through our prayer of the rosary this week during our Women of Grace Warrior’s Rosary Crusade.
Click the image below to join us for our Women of Grace Warrior’s Rosary Crusade every Wednesday at 4PM ET. If you’ve already registered, you should receive a reminder link directly from Zoom. Please be sure to share the information below with your friends and family!
Why were the visionaries of Fatima so motivated to offer prayers and sacrifices for souls? So much so they willingly endured the harshest of threats from the authorities, bore the scorn of their families, and regularly offered painful penances like going all day without food and water. Little Jacinta Marto’s thirst for making sacrifices was so insatiable that she never let an opportunity pass by to “offer it up.” She was often heard repeating the phrase, “I want to offer it up for the conversion of sinners” as she made each sacrifice. Read the rest…
“Whenever my enemy provokes me to combat, I try to behave like a soldier.” -St. Thérèse of Lisieux
If you have been praying with us you understand that we have been enlisted as soldiers in God’s kingdom, by virtue of our baptism and confirmation. Every moment of our lives on earth is a battle, a spiritual battle, and our enemy the Devil never rests. He is constantly prowling around seeking souls to devour. Read the rest…
In a letter to then Pope John Paul II dated May 12, 1982, Sister Lucia shared the following insight about the Third Secret of Fatima:
“The third part of the secret refers to Our Lady’s words: ‘If not [Russia] will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated’ (13-VII-1917).
Our world is fraught with fear, division and violence. Many of us feel weighed down by the burdens that overwhelm our country and we seek to be part of the solution to problems beyond our comprehension. Our hope is in the Lord.
Read the rest…
June 1
“Here is your mother.”
-John 19:27
Today’s Reflection
In 2018, Pope Francis decreed the Monday after Pentecost to be celebrated as the memorial, “Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.” During these challenging times, what does it mean to you to know that Our Lord Jesus gave us his own mother, to intercede, guide and protect us, His Church?
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May 31
“Reconcile men with life and above all, we beseech you, watch carefully over the future of our race. Hold back the hand of man, who, in a moment of folly, might attempt to destroy human civilization…Women of the entire universe…you to whom life is entrusted at this grave moment in history, it is for you to save the peace of the world.”
-Documents of Vatican II Closing Speeches, “To Women”
Today’s Reflection
This mandate from the Pope Paul VI, in conjunction with the Council Fathers, issues to women a magnanimous call and mission – to save the peace of the world. This is your call and your mission in union with Mary and her Son, Jesus Christ, by virtue of the fact that God has given you life at this moment in the history of man. What is your response? Do you trust that He is giving you every grace and spiritual blessing you need? How have you seen yourself, through the course of this month, already living out this call? Thank Our Lady for her maternal beatitude and the grace she has advocated for you through these last 30 days.
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May 30
“How are Catholic women to accomplish their providential role as spiritual mothers (with Mary) of the human race?
• They are to know Jesus from daily intimacy with Him in prayer
• They are to receive Jesus by often receiving Him into their hearts
• They are to love Jesus, by spending themselves in serving the needs of Christ’s children as they have never done before…
Love is proved by service. It is in spending ourselves for others that we mainly show our love for Our Lord…”
-Father John Hardon, S.J.
Today’s Reflection
Reflect on the statement “Love is proved by service.” How is God asking you to show your love of Him through service (Consider the culture of the day as well as your personal circumstances.)? What one step of spiritual maternity can you take today? Perhaps right this very moment?
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May 29
“How are Catholic women to accomplish their providential role as spiritual mothers (with Mary) of the human race?
• They are to know Jesus from daily intimacy with Him in prayer…
• They are to receive Jesus by often receiving Him into their hearts…
God has made the hearts of women naturally self-giving. But their womanly nature must be fortified on the Sacrament of Love to give them the heroic strength needed to mother the Church today.”
-Father John Hardon, S.J.
Today’s Reflection
In what ways are you, a woman, naturally self-giving? Read Paragraphs 1391-1401 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Why are these fruits of the Holy Eucharist fortification for the work entrusted to us as women today? Of these fruits, which do you most need to develop and make use of? Why? Why do you think the work entrusted to today’s spiritual mothers requires heroic strength?
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