God Has Made Us for Greatness
St. Paul, Blessed Solanus Casey, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Francis de Sales, and of course the Blessed Mother, are among the many patron saints we regularly call upon in our mission at ACTS XXIX. One saint, though, holds pride of place for most of us most days: St. Joan of Arc.
Aside from Mary, I don’t know a more inspiring woman who has ever lived than this remarkable peasant girl from France who was burned at the stake at the tender age of 19. For those who aren’t all that familiar with Joan, one of the best places to begin is Mark Twain’s Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc. Twain spent twelve years researching Joan’s life, and two years writing the Reflections. He furthermore considered it his best and favorite book and once called Joan “easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced” (imagine if Twain had come to know Mary). Aside from Twain’s biography, it’s also very worth reading the transcript of her trial, which we still have in its entirety. This incredible historical relic from the early 15th century gives us a most thorough glimpse into the wisdom and faith of this incredible hero.
Recently, Alexandre Havard wrote another book on Joan entitled Coached by Joan: Lessons in Virtuous Leadership. The book is described as “a dialogue between the reader and Joan of Arc,” and consists of short chapters where Joan is coaching the reader in various leadership principles. The chapters include topics like “Be Aware of Your Strength,” “Discover Your Mission,” “Do Not Fear Public Opinion,” “Purify Your Intentions,” and other such themes. Our team recently read this and far and away the chapter that stood out the most was one entitled “Magnanimity Trumps Self-Esteem.”
This chapter is so rich that excerpts of it are worth sharing.
“Do not worry. Many have a false understanding of humility. Humility is the virtue of those who live in the truth of who they are. And the truth is that you have received talents, which must bear fruit. Thus, humility goes hand in hand with magnanimity… Magnanimity is the virtue of those who consider themselves capable of great things and who affirm their dignity and greatness through their words and deeds.
“Much has been said about humility in order to emphasize this great truth: God is the source of all good. But less has been said about magnanimity and the greatness of the good we have been given…It is believed that magnanimity overshadows humility. This is a grave theoretical mistake; if humility is the virtue of those living in the truth about themselves, magnanimity — the virtue of those who are aware of their dignity and greatness — is an integral part of this humility, of this truth…
“‘This is what I was born for.’ These are the words I liked to repeat and with which I affirmed my dignity. Some thought this was pride. They were wrong, because it was true…[To} cede the terrain of greatness to unbelievers, agnostics and atheists is to leave in their hands this world ransomed by Christ for the sons and daughters of God. How wretched and what a travesty of justice!…
“It is true that man by himself is absolute nothingness, a non-being, but the man who was created in the image and likeness of God, ransomed by the Son, and divinized by the Holy Spirit is a true wonder. Man was constituted as a son of God. This intimate truth, this sublime reality, should impel you to accomplish great things. You are a son of God — there is no greater dignity than that. This dignity should encourage you to dream and convert your dream into a mission.”
Amen!
None of us is insignificant. None of us just happens to be alive right now. None of us is without gifts from God, both natural and supernatural. And none of us is without a personal mission. We have been created by God for this moment, these days, this time. Let us call upon the intercession of St. Joan of Arc, and of all of our patron saints, that we might come to know our mission ever more clearly, and press into it with trust in the Lord who has chosen for us to be alive at this time in history.
