Why did Joan of Arc become Saint Joan of Arc? What can we learn from her?

I came across the life of Saint Joan of Arc, a great woman saint of France. My images of Joan are few like riding her horse into ferocious battles or being cruelly burned at a fiery stake. I thought at first, probably not someone I want to imitate in my lifetime. However, this only piqued my interest to read more.

I found a book that went deeply into Joan’s transformation from an ordinary, obscure, young girl into a great French general. It showed her as a simple young peasant girl who could not read or write who turned these weaknesses into strengths, covered her innocence with armor, and changed shy meekness into courage. She did it all with amazing belief and uncanny trust in a God who was leading her. Joan listened to God and her listening brought her closer to God and her holiness.

Joan was asked whether she knew she was in God’s grace, the saint answered: “If I am not, may God place me there; if I am, may God so keep me there. I should be the saddest in all the world if I knew that I were not in the grace of God."

It was clear her life was not all glory. Joan struggled with setbacks, rejection, and mockery, but determination to hear God’s voice through it all edged her forward.

Reading of her battle escapades and victories, we can easily get caught up in her hero phase. But a closer look at the person and we see Joan is like us in so many ways.

When questioned Joan never wavered from the truth. She said, “All I have done is by Our Lord’s command…I have done nothing in the world but by the order of God.”

At times, Joan felt lost, lonely, and isolated. She suffered qualms, doubts, and twinges of hesitation. Yet she continuously believed and trusted in the Lord’s “still, small voice.”

Persevering through these challenging moments and times, young Joan of Arc became Saint Joan of Arc. She had to be Joan first before she inherited that saint part of her name. Now that makes her like us. We do our many lived experiences becoming who God created us to become, and through the journey, live God’s plan before we move up that saintly ladder.

We do this one day at a time by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well with Jesus walking beside us supplying the grace needed for each time we choose faithfulness over fear.

Joan said, “My words and deeds are all in God’s Hands: in all, I wait upon Him.”

Of course, ferocious battles and fiery flames may not be in our future, but the choice to be faithful and believe in whatever lies ahead as God’s plan. And don’t forget, as with Joan of Arc, the Lord is ever ready to supply grace needed for each moment we remain faithful until we earn the SAINT part of our name.

As Saint Francis de Sales wrote: Be patient with everyone, especially with yourself.

Painting: Joan of Arc Listening: Catholic Media