Posted on 05/30/2023 10:06:19 AM PDT by ebb tide
“I like Joan of Arc best of all my books, and it is the best; I know it perfectly well. And besides, it furnished me seven times the pleasure afforded me by any of the others; twelve years of preparation, and two years of writing. The others needed no preparation and got none.” —Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc is perhaps the finest novel ever to have been written by an American. It’s a book with the power to change the lives of its readers. Yet I’m typically greeted with a surprised look, whenever I mention it to friends, over having strung together the names “Joan of Arc” and “Mark Twain” so closely in the same sentence. The greatest work penned by the man who is widely considered to be America’s greatest-ever author remains obscure today.
Mark Twain himself had initially insisted upon anonymity while the book was first being published in serialized installments in Harper’s Magazine, in hopes that that way the public would take it more seriously.
I’d purchased my own copy of Joan of Arc before a vacation, some months back, knowing that I’d soon be having plenty of reading time while on airplanes and buses. At the time of this purchase, my interest in reading a book written by Mark Twain, rather than about St. Joan of Arc, was greater. My interest in the life and character of St. Joan grew with every page.
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
He was inspired by girls, I have read. Back in his time, puberty could happen as late as 16 or 17, so there were some girls who were smart, beautiful, capable, spunky, pure of heart, and not yet boy crazy. I think maybe this is the sort of muse which motivated his interest in Joan of Arc.
Thanks for posting! Very interesting, never knew of this book.
Your post just reminded me about how stupid some people can be.
Thank-you!
.
What are Christian saints according to the Bible?The word “saint” comes from the Greek word hagios, which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious." It is almost always used in the plural, “saints.” "…Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem" (Acts 9:13). "Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda" (Acts 9:32). "And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons …“ (Acts 26:10). There is only one instance of the singular use, and that is "Greet every saint in Christ Jesus…" (Philippians 4:21). In Scripture there are 67 uses of the plural “saints” compared to only one use of the singular word “saint.” Even in that one instance, a plurality of saints is in view: “…every saint…” (Philippians 4:21).
The idea of the word “saints” is a group of people set apart for the Lord and His kingdom. There are three references referring to godly character of saints: "that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints …" (Romans 16:2). "For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12). "But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints" (Ephesians 5:3).
Therefore, scripturally speaking, the “saints” are the body of Christ, Christians, the church. All Christians are considered saints. All Christians are saints—and at the same time are called to be saints. First Corinthians 1:2 states it clearly: “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy…” The words “sanctified” and “holy” come from the same Greek root as the word that is commonly translated “saints.” Christians are saints by virtue of their connection with Jesus Christ. Christians are called to be saints, to increasingly allow their daily life to more closely match their position in Christ. This is the biblical description and calling of the saints.
How does the Roman Catholic understanding of “saints” compare with the biblical teaching? Not very well. In Roman Catholic theology, the saints are in heaven. In the Bible, the saints are on earth. In Roman Catholic teaching, a person does not become a saint unless he/she is “beatified” or “canonized” by the Pope or prominent bishop. In the Bible, everyone who has received Jesus Christ by faith is a saint. In Roman Catholic practice, the saints are revered, prayed to, and in some instances, worshiped. In the Bible, saints are called to revere, worship, and pray to God alone.
(Source: "GotQuestions.org" emphasis added)
Q.E.D.
That's a lie.
Isabel Flores de Oliva (1586-1617) and Juan Martín de Porres Velázquez (1579–1639) were contemporaries. They both lived in Lima, Peru and were lay Dominicans. Both garnered a reputation for Christlike holiness during their lives. They were even acquaintances. After their respective deaths, the people in the diocese and the surrounding region quickly and passionately called out for both to be recognized as saints. St. Rose of Lima was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671, making her the first saint from the Americas. St. Martín de Porres, however, was canonized by St. Pope John XXIII in 1962. That is a difference of 291 years!
This raises the question: Who decides if someone becomes a saint? As usual in the Catholic Church, the answer is complicated.
First, the faithful decide. Everyday women and men, clergy and lay, encounter these inspired individuals and are transformed by God’s spirit flowing through them. They recognize the unique presence of Christ in these holy women and men, learn from them while they are alive, then garner momentum for their causes after death. Both Sts. Rose and Martín were venerated immediately as saints in this way by the people.
Second, the institutional structures of the church decide. The process, which has been revised many times, includes four basic steps. The bishop of the local diocese in which the person lived opens the cause five years after the person’s death. The person is declared a Servant of God while an initial investigation into their life takes place. If the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints agrees that the person has shown heroic virtue in life, the cause is validated by the pope and the person is declared Venerable.
From there the investigation may continue to the beatification process that includes the recording of a miracle attributed to the person’s intercession, a more rigorous investigation into the person’s life, and a declaration of Blessed. Finally, if the cause continues and the person passes additional criteria, including attribution of another miracle, they are canonized as a saint.
Source: uscatholic.org emphasis added
Q.E.D.
Honestly, you’re too easy.
God does. Can you not comprehend that simple fact?
Honestly, you’re too thick.
Now, I'm done playing with you... you'll have to play with yourself.
Bye.
You mean you give up too easily.
Only God decides who becomes saints. No one else!
Thanks for the link.
I am a saint already.
I’m still in the race and there’s work to be done.
You should not promote suicide on the web. You don’t know who might be on the other side, reading your recommendation. You need to be more circumspect.
Oh!
You shouldn’t promote suicide at home either.
Or any place, really. That was a very reckless suggestion that you made.
You had already made your ungrounded point with the picture, there was no need for you to persist with the follow up post. Maybe you were angry? You had just been schooled by kinsman redeemer.
Do not accuse anyone of lying in the Religion Forum.
Stop with the personal attacks.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.