*This was supposed to go up yesterday; sorry about that. It is a guest post from my sister, Lydia, who studied Joan of Arc in school recently. I thought it would make a great post, but she knows more about it than I do, so here is the first guest post ever on my blog!
Joan of Arc. Just a name that you hear all the time but never stop to think about. Well, maybe it's time we should learn more about the heroine of history.
Her Story
Joan of Arc was a peasant girl from the Middle Ages born to Jacques and Isabelle d'Arc around 1412. When she was thirteen, she claimed she saw visions of the Archangel Michael, St. Margaret, and St. Catheraine persuading her to assist Charles VII in recovering France from the English.
At this point you should get a little political background. The Hundred Years' War was going on in Europe between the French and the English. It started as an argument over the French throne. The French were incredibly weak; when Joan of Arc arrived on the scene, the English had nearly taken over and the French hadn't won any victories for a generation.
Knowing she shouldn't disobey saints, Joan of Arc went to the French court when she was sixteen. She was given permission to travel to the siege of Orleans with the French army. She was very successful there and continued to lead many victories...
...and lived happily ever after? Well, not exactly. On May 23, 1430, she was captured by the Burgundians (an eastern Germanic tribe) and was declared guilty of lots of different things (including horse theft). She was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, at nineteen years of age. So, not quite happily ever after...
...but maybe it was, because there's still a high chance that she went to eternal paradise with God.
And wait! This is the most annoying part of her story. 25 years after she was executed she was declared innocent by Pope Callixtus III, and became a saint. Not that it helped anything at that point.
Incredible Faith
So...how is dying in the end heroic?
Joan of Arc was faithful to God throughout her many trials, no matter how hard things got, as you will see in the quotes below. Her attitude to every burden that was placed upon her was superb. Next time you're in a tough situation, think of Joan, spend some time in prayer, and put all of your trust in God.
Quotes
"I am not afraid, for God is with me! I was born for this!"
"Act, and God will act."
"One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying."
"I would rather die than do something which I know to be a sin or to be against God's will."
What do you think? Do you find Joan of Arc an inspiring role model? Do you struggle with trusting God in hard times? How can you learn from this amazing heroine of history?
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