During Memorial Day weekend this
year as we remember and honor all of our soldiers let us also remember that Saint Joan of
Arc is the patron saint of soldiers for a very good reason. I can think of no
better person to be the patron saint of soldiers than St. Joan because her own military
career gave her an intimate knowledge of what it means to live and die as a
soldier. While almost everyone seems to know about Joan’s great military
victories few seem to remember that she also suffered the agonies of war having
been wounded on at least three separate occasions as well as having been
captured and kept as a POW for over a year before she was executed. Because of
her own experiences as a soldier Joan can truly empathize with what all
soldiers go though during war. One episode from Saint Joan’s life that best
demonstrates her own great love and compassion for soldiers and demonstrates
why she is indeed the perfect person to be the patron saint of all soldiers
occurred just after her greatest victory at the Battle of Patay. Coming across
a mortally wounded enemy soldier Joan dismounted from her horse and held the
man’s head in her lap and comforted him as he died. In reflecting upon this
touching incident from Joan’s life one can only wonder as to the mysteries of
God and how through His grace the likelihood that Saint Joan has continued to
comfort dying soldiers on many battlefields down through the years in a similar
way as their loving patron saint. This year on Memorial Day let us remember
Saint Joan and her example as the ultimate soldier: strong yet merciful,
courageous yet loving. A true soldier of God!
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