St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc is a formidable force, someone you want fighting for your cause, advocating for you, keeping you in line.  Her life unfolded for me today as I hunkered down and indulged in a rare (I thought extinct!) day of reading.
I think I was able to avert the flu by lying low once the first symptoms hit. Lots of vitamin C, fluids and good old fashioned chicken soup made by my husband kept me on the couch for two days, reading and sleeping.  I'd spent several days of the past week caring for patients with the flu.  We all take precautions with masks, gloves, hand washing, but with so many at once, it's nearly impossible to avoid it.  Fortunately, I think only outskirt germs found me and took hold for just a bit.  I'm much better, and glad for the chance to read as much as I did.  First I finished a great novel I had been chipping away at since Christmas ...a gift from a friend. Today the spine of another book kept glaring at me.
Shortly before Phoebe died she had a funny little exchange with her principal.  They'd just finished an all school meeting where the principal, once again, passionately spoke on a point she would not let go of until accomplished.  After, Phoebe told her she was beginning to sound like St. Joan of Arc.  "I'm flattered," the principal responded. To which Phoebe replied "well, be careful, you know what happened to her."  After Phoebe died, her principal shared that with me, a comment on how that would only come from Phoebe, she would have that sense of history, be able to apply it ...something her teachers had often commented on.  I've remembered that story lots of times, and believing there are no coincidences, had a strong sense I should learn more about St. Joan of Arc and see what might have drawn Phoebe to her.
So today was the day.  When Phoebe died, I lost my ability to read for many months, a common effect from loss of a child.  When I was once again able, it was only for short periods of time, as in three minutes or less.  I abandoned the idea then, that I would take on the highly complex and complicated spiritual reading I had once pushed myself through.  Now I read books about the saints that are targeted to the middle school level. Perfect!  I'm able to both start and finish the book, which is good and second, I get to see things from the perspective of a younger mind.  The information shared is what might appeal to the younger set, so it helps me see from my kids eyes ...what qualities and characteristics speak to them, speak of God.
Now, for my disclaimer.  I am in no way suggesting my daughter is a saint (though I may believe she is!, I do not expect, need, or even desire others to).  I am suggesting however, I understand how Phoebe found this saint appealing and could sense a kinship with her.  First, they were both seventeen.  St. Joan left her family to fight for France.  She left her family without telling them what exactly her plans were, and enlisted the hesitant help from her cousin to get her started.  She fought and served without fear ...qualities shared by Phoebe.  There was a sense of adventure and daring, risk taking for the sake of the greater good.  Everything St. Joan did was meant to only serve God.  She used her qualities to serve Him.  Way back in the 1400's that was easier to do, I think.  Life, culture was centered on God.  Today we live in a world very far away from God, far away from serving Him, and I think that confuses our kids tremendously.  Way back in St. Joan's time, God was the bedrock, the backbone.  Of course then too, there was corruption, heresy, rejection ...but it was more obvious because He was the core.  Not so anymore.
St. Joan fought to restore France, restore the Kingship, restore things to be rightly ordered to God.  Our kids, all of them, want to fight for something beyond SAT scores and honor role.  Too many of them question the existence of God, the purpose of themselves, the purpose of life.  And they fight ...they fight us ...they fight with drugs, with sex, with alcohol ...all sorts of distortions and perversions that mirror the diet fed to them from this crazy mixed up world.  And some kids fight right out in the open, while others hide.  Either way isn't good, either way is statement for the madness we've created for them.  Listen to the radio, it's all you hear.  Watch TV, struggle to find something that isn't base and degrading with the laugh track running non-stop. Integrity, dignity, purity, selflessness don't sell ...and so we don't see much of it anymore.  As parents we don't get much backup.  While our kids make the inevitable journey to physical adulthood, our culture keeps them children, selfish, only now with a mix of cynicism.
I don't believe our children want this, I believe they desire the good, the Truth.  They want the wholeness of life, the richness God provides.  And yet, the vocabulary, the language of faith is unspoken, unknown.  For those of us who teach it to them, they can't find others out there who understand it ...or care for it.
A long conversation with a good friend brings the shared concerns, but also the confidence there is a way for us to give all that is good to our kids ...even when it seems obviously impossible.  God will provide.  Those of us holding on to the faith, and the teachings ...yes, even the tough ones, the ones our culture calls archaic, laughs at and scoffs ..those of us striving to pass that on, without it being a badge of elitism, but rather a bridge for all we see, we must find a way to bridge Heaven to earth, Heaven to our kids in the immediacy of life.  We are the Church Militant ...those desperately striving to live our lives as Jesus asked us to, as He witnessed. We must extend our hands to the Church Triumphant ...the saints, the men and women whose lives were lived for God, and often lost for God.  Real people, real battles and sacrifice, real suffering and sorrow.  Not the battles we often complain about ....needing a bigger house, an annoying husband, not enough money ...blah, blah, blah (I've done it too, so I can say it!), but the battles that make us bleed out every ounce of self ...every ounce of what we counted on and believed ...only to reach back and choose God over and over, when He has seemingly taken the very core of ourselves from us!  These are the people, the saints, like St. Joan of Arc, that we need to ask into our lives, the lives of our children.  It was said, that a high ranking English officer saw angels on horseback escorting her as she led the charge against the English.  The sky was filled with Heavenly warriors.  I want them on my team!  I want them to be with my kids.  I want my kids to be saved from all the deception and lies of this world.  Parents cannot do that alone ...we need the help of angels and saints to help us.  Guard our children, give them the virtues to attain Heaven one day.  Give me the virtues to one day attain Heaven and merit the company of the saints, the company, once again of my daughter.  I pray for that, never stop.
Like most things that are good and holy, St. Joan of Arc has been written off as a schizophrenic, a witch, a liar.  Of course, in this day, we laugh at anyone who lives to serve God alone ...when He is all we should be serving.  St. Joan of Arc was a seventeen year old girl with passion and purpose.  I know a few other seventeen year old girls like that ....too bad the world is too Godless to witness their extraordinary grace and virtue.  But I see it, and others do too!  And thank God for these girls.  And thank God for St. Joan of Arc.
St. Joan of Arc, young woman, with purpose, passion, courage and faith, protect our children, protect us, pray for us.
An ordinary day, a sweet memory, an invitation towards the Church Triumphant ...I'm thinking Phoebe and I found each other today ....I'm glad.