We watched, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
over the weekend. Joan of Arc is the soldier’s patron saint. Apparently this was a strange choice of saint for a young machismo type boy but he said you’re supposed to pray and meditate on it which is what he did and she is who came to him.
He didn’t know anything about her at the time but has since read virtually everything ever written and when he makes a claim of this sort you can believe he’s not kidding.
We liked the movie a lot. It was tremendously moving but my favorite part was this comment he made…
“So were you there?” I asked the past life soldier.
He looked at me studiously. “I have never been English,” he said. “I have never been French either,” he added.
“So you weren’t there.”
“No I was not. There have been some great battles I had nothing to do with, I am sorry to say.”
“This is one of them?”
“This is one of them,” he said sadly. “I didn’t get to be in this one – I wasn’t there.”
He looked so forlorn, I decided not to ask any more questions.
pictured: Engraving of Joan of Arc in battle in Le Brun de Charmettes, L’Orleanide poeme national, 1819
I have done two years of research into St. Joan of Arc, from that research I designed an sketch which was later scanned and engraved in to solid high quality brass key rings, I also provide a story on her life/death and include her prayer.
John Pavon – The soldier says the best thing ever written on Joan of Arc is what Mark Twain wrote about her. He says it is very hard reading but excellent.
I wear a St Joan medal. 🙂 The Twain book is good.
I like her because of the Mars stuff but also the Merc/Neptune hearing voices thing.
Joanie was supp. born on the 15 of January (which is hard to prove, being a peasant in a time when they didn’t give much lip service to accurate dating.) but so was Martin Luther (the first one) and Martin Luther King- and my mum. Being raised a catholic she was over the moon to find out she shared a birthday with Joan, she even wrote it as the opening to her opus. Bless.
Have you been to this large site about Joan of Arc
Contains the Twain book and some other books complete online.
Thank you, Emily. 🙂 Welcome.