But just as I often witness in my ministry with vocations, we cannot always perceive God’s hidden plan at work in human affairs. Though Joan’s life was cut short, how many people has she inspired and brought closer to God in the years to follow?

This Lent, we recall other moments in the life of Christ that seemed dark while they were happening, but we know too the hope of the events that followed. How can we strive to be more like St. Joan of Arc, trusting in God’s plan even in the face of confusing situations or surroundings?

_{^{Image Credit: Paul Jacques Aimé Baudry, (French, 1828-1886) Saint Joan: A Study for an Unrealized Project for the Panthéon, ca. 1876-1886, Oil on canvas, Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame. The Muriel S. and Noah L. Butkin Collection, 2009.045.079.}}