Saint Joan of Arc 30th May 2016
“What will anyone gain by winning the whole world and losing his life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life?”
Sg.8,8-15 Ps.15 Mt.16,24-27
“Jesus said to his disciples”If anyone wants to follow me, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it ; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. If anyone wants to follow me let him renounce himself, take up his Cross and follow me."
Christian life is the fortunate discovery of Jesus; it also means to walk behind the Crucified One, by renouncing ourselves.
Jesus announces his Passion, his departure for Jerusalem, his death and Resurrection ’on the third day.’ He says again : ’If someone wants to come after me…’
Jesus constrains nobody.He leaves each person free to choose what he wants to do, this is the most powerful means of drawing to Himself those He desires to be close to Him.
The goods he offers are so great that they merit us running looking for them, that there be a movement of desire for them from deep within ourselves.
We verify the truth of this Word of God with Saint Joan of Arc. ’Moved by her voices’ Joan adapted herself to the Truth come from God, taking the risk of being perceived as a witch, someone who was mad. She will be burned alive like a heretic. What was important to her was that she remained faithful to the Gift God had given her. To be faithful to the Holy Spirit who gave her life and energy. In her mission she was consecrated in Truth. ’Indeed, whoever wishes to gain their life will lose it, whoever wants to lose their life because of me will find it.’
“What then will anyone gain by winning the whole world and losing his life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life?”
If we walk behind Jesus we accept taking risks out of love for him. Jesus walks in front of us, he goes before us. He was the first to accept the risky existence he offers to us, with His Love being the only reason for it.
Whoever take this Cross begins to live, by following Jesus a strange madness which is the most gentle of wisdoms. He is going to lose his possessions, power, he loses sight of himself, looking only the One walking before him. Jesus comes to announce us a great Wisdom. He underlines to what extent we ought to give up ourselves, despise the goods, pleasures, and glory that don’t come from god.
We bear witness to the courage Jesus has in his sufferings, humility, gentleness, with his modesty. Everything that is necessary to live a Christian life.
With Joan of Arc we wish our life to be in Jesus’ footsteps, we let the Word of God resound in us : ’What within us is not in the truth of the Gift of God has to become a sacred offering.’
“For the Son of man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his behaviour.”
When we find our soul we find our life, find ourselves in God and according to God.We want to hollow out a path of goodness and go to Jesus by the path of Love in the giving of ourselves. To follow Jesus who is poor implies a new relationship with God, to insert our life each day in God’s plans. Consecration the Truth of Christ we are sent into the world.
For Joan of Arc, walking in the footsteps of Jesus means denying herself, taking up her Cross to follow Jesus. Everything that could still be ’personal’ : love of self, own will, own ideas had to give way so as to be put back in the truth come from God.
In order to be able to confront he adversary in spiritual combat, we ned to be consecrated in Truth. Moved by the Holy Spirit may we be in the Light that comes from God’s heart. We give thanks to God in singing hymns to Him always. With Joan of Arc we want to make the deserts flower again so that humanity may be found agreeable before God and before mankind through the Mercy of Jesus.
We ask for the grace of confidence so as to remain in the feelings in the Heart of Jesus.
Sainte Joan of Arc
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ’If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
Jesus just says ’If someone wants to come after me’, he doesn’t put any pressure on anyone. He leaves every person to himself, free to do what he likes with the goods he proposes. This is the most powerful means to draw those he wishes close to him. Jesus says’ If someone wants’. The goods he offers are so great that they deserve that we run after them and that our movement reveals our desire. With Saint Joan of Arc we verify the truth of this Word from God in our lives.“Moved by her voices” Joan of Arc adapted herself to the truth of the truth coming from God at the risk of being seen as a witch, someone crazy .She will be burned alive as a heretic.What was important for her was to be faithful to the gift of God given to her to be faithful to the Holy Spirit that animated her. In her mission she was consecrated to the Truth.Indeed, whoever wants to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for me will gain it.
“’What then will anyone gain in by winning the whole world and forfeiting his own life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life?’”
Jesus comes to announce us a great Wisdom, he marks to what extent we should renounce ourselves and despise goods, pleasures and glory that don’t come from God. ’and follow me’, says Jesus. When we follow Him, and put up with everything for Him, our sufferings are accompanied by His Passion. We bear witness to Jesus’ courage in his sufferings, and of his humility, gentleness, and we see the modesty of Jesus, all this is necessary to live as a true Christian. With Joan of Arc, we want our lives to be in the wake of Jesus, letting Jesus’ words echo in
us : ’What good does it do for a man to gain the whole world if he forfeits his own life?’ All that within us is not a Gift of God must become a sacred offering. May God’s Will join us so that all the feelings in our hearts become a source of life. There is no happiness possible outside God’s Light which is Love.
“For the Son of man is going to come in the Glory of his father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his behaviour. ’”
Jesus does not just want to show us just the goods we share with him, ’ for whoever wants to save his soul will lose it and whoever will lose it for my sake will gain it.’ The father who spares his son loses him, he who doesn’t spare him at all will gain him. Jesus doesn’t want his disciples to fall into an unhappy state. Consecrated in Jesus’ Truth we are sent into the world. For Joan of Arc, to walk following Jesus means denying herself and take upon her cross to follow him. Everything that could still be ’personal’ : self love, own will, own ideas, had to burst so as to be put again in the truth that comes from God. In order to be capable of confronting the adversary in spiritual combat, one needs to be consecrated in Truth. Moved by the Holy Spirit may we be this light coming from God’s Heart. We give thanks to God, always singing him hymns. With Joan of Arc, we wish to make deserts flower once more, so that humanity be a pleasant reality for God and mankind through God’s Mercy.