Saint Joan of Arc Martyred Today in 1431

One of my favorite saints for her stout heart, her piety, and unswerving faith. Of all the saints, Saint Joan inspires me to fear no evil, and rallies my spirit with her witness.

Tea at Trianon has an interesting post with eyewitness accounts of her holiness:

At Joan's posthumous Trial of Nullification of 1456, in which the verdict which condemned her was overturned by the Holy See, many of those who had known Joan were able to testify about her personal holiness. The Duke d'Alençon stated:

So far as I could judge, I always held her for an excellent Catholic, and a modest woman. She communicated often, and, at sight of the Body of Christ, shed many tears. In all she did, except in affairs of war, she was a very simple young girl; but for warlike things bearing the lance, assembling an army, ordering military operations, directing artillery-she was most skillful. Every one wondered that she could act with as much wisdom and foresight as a captain who had fought for twenty or thirty years. It was above all in making use of artillery that she was so wonderful.

Read more here.

And from her other blog, Fountain of Elias, a post about Fortitude. She shares an excerpt from a Father Lovasik book: Fortitude is a basis for cheerfulness. Fortitude induces you to face the inevitable sorrows of life and, above all, death itself, in the service of God with courage and patience. You will look to the sufferings of Christ for inspiration. Read the rest here.