Book Reviews and More: Born to Do This 30 Days with Joan of Arc - Jaymie Stuart Wolfe

Born to Do This: 30 Days with Joan of Arc

Great Spiritual Teachers

Jaymie Stuart Wolfe (Editor)

Ave Maria Press

ISBN 9781646803606

eISBN 9781646803613

ASIN B0CW1KBKWM

I immediately added this volume to my wish list upon first seeing it. I was drawn to it for a few reasons. First I have had a personal devotion to Saint Jon for a few years, second my youngest daughter had picked Joan as her confirmation saint and we have read a few volumes about her over the last 2 years. It is an amazing little volume; I had picked up the eBook edition for myself, and only 2 days in showed it to my daughter and ordered her a physical copy of the book.

The description of this volume states:

“Born to Do This is a personal, thirty-day retreat for those seeking the courage and faith that St. Joan of Arc exemplified throughout her life. Six hundred years after her birth and a century after her canonization, she remains one of the most intriguing and popular saints in history.

In this easy-to-use devotional, the life and words of St. Joan of Arc will help you to grow in courageous faith—the kind of faith that empowered St. Joan to answer God’s call, defeat her enemies, endure martyrdom, and ultimately restore her reputation. With diverse patronages ranging from the United States Armed Forces to prisoners, from those ridiculed for their faith to the entire population of France, this icon of courage and women’s empowerment captures the imagination of today’s Catholic like few saints can.

This little book is perfect for busy people who admire St. Joan of Arc and desire an inspirational read to help navigate the difficulties and challenges of life. The book contains

• a timeline of important events in Joan’s life and a map of containing important landmarks associated with Joan’s life,

• a brief introduction to her life and times, and

• daily opportunities to read, reflect, and pray over her words and story, contained in short yet substantial morning and evening reflections drawn from court transcripts and other contemporary documents.

As the six hundredth anniversary of her martyrdom approaches, the inclusion of the Maid of Orleans in Ave’s Great Spiritual Teachers series brings the inspiration of St. Joan’s own words and life story to those who admire her courage and hope to emulate her in virtue. A special novena is included at the end of the book for those who wish to invoke her intercession.”

About the series we are informed:

“Each book in the Great Spiritual Teachers series provides a month of daily readings from one of Christianity’s most beloved spiritual guides. These easy-to-use books are the perfect prayer companion for busy people who want to root their spiritual practice in the solid ground of these great spiritual teachers.”

I believe there are 15 volumes in this series currently in print, and a number that are currently out of print, The oldest I have seen are from the mid 90’s and it looks like they went through a rebinding and format change in the mid 00’s, and they have undergone yet another rebranding in the 2020’s including this title I believe the most recent available in the series. I must admit I do not recall running across this series prior to this volume, but have added a number of them to my ‘to be read list’. I love the most recent rebranding, and hope Ave Maria completes the rebranding across all volumes. But back to this work.

While reading this I only highlighted a few passages, they were:

“Her men loved her. Her enemies envied her. Joan was inspiring, but she was also controversial. Consequently, she suffered persecution, as have many mystics before her and since.”

“Because both public and private interrogations were officially recorded, we can hear Joan speak for herself. And while we will also listen to the eyewitness testimony of some who knew her, listening to Joan is the purpose of this book.”

“Joan of Arc has been celebrated as a national hero since her first victory in 1429. The city of Orléans, France, has held an annual parade in her honor since 1435, less than five years after her death. This tradition has continued, with few interruptions, for nearly six hundred years. Joan was officially vindicated and declared a martyr by the Church in 1456.”

“Joan of Arc’s brief life can be envisioned in three acts: Mysticism, Mission, and Martyrdom. Over the next thirty days, we will accompany her in those three aspects of her story—and invite her to accompany us with the hope that the courageous faith we admire in her will become our own.”

“We have some suggestions for how you can make the most of this journey. But keep in mind that these books are meant to help you experience the freedom and joy of communing with God in prayer. The daily format is there to help—but don’t hesitate to go at your own pace or take your own route! Repeat a day as often as you like, or skip a day if the reading isn’t resonating with where you are in your journey. The goal is to hear the voice of God through the words of the saints.”

“We’ve chosen to follow the suggestion of the classic book on spirituality The Cloud of Unknowing, which describes a three-part movement of reading, reflecting, and praying: “These three are so linked together that there can be no profitable reflection without first reading or hearing. Nor will beginners or even the spiritually adept come to true prayer without first taking time to reflect on what they have heard or read.””

“Lord,

Sometimes, I don’t say the things that should be said,

or hesitate to ask for forgiveness because I fear rejection.

Instruct me in your ways, Lord.

Sustain me when I do not understand exactly what you are asking of me.

Give me a heart that is quick to obey.

Correct me when my judgment is in error.

Keep me from sin.

Lord, teach me to know your commands.

Inspire me with the urgency of your purpose.

Empower me to overcome any obstacles that arise.

Reassure me when I am uncertain.

Reveal the nature of true obedience to me.

Prepare me to accept any sacrifices I must make.

Show me how to keep your will at the center of my life.

Reign as king over all my decisions and deeds.

And keep me always in your service.

Amen.

Joan of Arc Pray for us.”

“St. Joan of Arc

Like you, we want to be faithful to the promises of our baptism; guide us.

We want to discern the will of God to accomplish it; enlighten us.

We desire to follow the standard of Christ to extend his reign over our lives, our homeland, and the Church; go before us.

We implore you for the salvation of our country and our souls; pray for us.

Amen.”

Both of those prayers I immediately added to my Daily Prayer List one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I found this an incredible little volume to work through. It was hard to stay at a chapter a day. It was deeply moving and brought Joan’s life and holiness even more clearly into focus for me. I know I will return and read this volume again and will read others in this series. There are so many lessons we could learn from Joan’s life and example and apply to our own life. Mike Aqulina states about this volume that:

“From the life of an extraordinary saint, we can learn lessons for ordinary life. This book helps us see the adventure we’re living every day—in temptations, in spiritual warfare, and in the company of angels. St. Joan teaches us to listen in our prayer and open our eyes to the world as it really is.”

And I completely agree. It is an excellent volume any Catholic would benefit from reading. I can easily recommend this volume and look forward to reading it again and reading others in the series.