Heroic Hearts: Recent Episodes
Amy Chase
Heroic Hearts is a podcast about healing, enchanting, and elevating our hearts through the stories and spirituality of St. Joan of Arc and St. Therese of Lisieux.
www.heroic-hearts.com
Hey Heroic Hearts listeners! Season 2 is over, but we’re pleased to bring you this bonus episode in which Walter interviews Amy about her recent pilgrimage to France, following in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc. If you didn’t catch Season 1 on the life of St. Joan of Arc, begin the adventure here!
From Amy:
This past June, I had the great privilege of joining Chris and Catherine Snidow of Pilgrim Witnesses and seven other Joan of Arc enthusiasts for a very special pilgrimage to France. For 10 idyllic days, we explored the villages, churches, battlefields, and castles in which the incredible, almost unbelievable drama of Joan of Arc’s heroic life played out. Even though I’d read the books and watched the films, nothing prepared me for standing in the very places where “Joan the Maid” walked, prayed, fought, and sacrificed. I think my fellow pilgrims would agree that we encountered not just a story, or even a legend, but a real human being whose soul shines with strength and beauty.
Here’s a brief itinerary:
June 17-19: “Base Orléans”
The monastery of St. Benoit-Sur-Loire where St. Benedict’s relics rest and through which Joan of Arc and the Dauphin Charles VII passed on their way to Reims for Charles’ coronation
The Chateau Sully-Sur-Loire, which hosted Joan during her Loire campaign
The city and Cathedral of Orléans
The historic site of Les Tourelles, where Joan fought the final battle to free Orléans
June 20-23: “Base Domrémy-La-Pucelle”
The Basilica of Joan of Arc in Domrémy-La-Pucelle
The Fairy Tree
Maison de Natale de Jeanne D’Arc (i.e. the house where Joan was born)
Joan’s childhood church, St. Remy
Vaucouleurs, where Joan traveled to convince Robert de Baudricourt to give her escorts and an introduction to Charles VII
The Chapelle de Bermont where Joan prayed as a girl, and which contains the oldest known image of Joan of Arc
June 24-26: “Base Reims” in Champagne, France
The Benedictine Monastery of St. Thierry
The Cathedral of Reims, where Charles VII had his coronation (made possible by Joan of Arc’s military victories and strategic foresight)
June 27: Rouen, France
The Cathedral of Rouen
The Tower where Joan was imprisoned
The Vielle Marche where Joan was burned at the stake
Chris and Catherine are planning another pilgrimage in summer 2023. Please visit Pilgrim Witnesses to learn more and sign up!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
In the final episode on the life of St. Thérèse, co-hosts Walter and Amy reflect on their “Heroic Hearts” journey with this extraordinary saint. As her young life draws to a close, Thérèse makes the life-changing discovery that her vocation is love. The members of her community at last begin to recognize her great sanctity while her sister Pauline records her “Last Conversations". From these notes we hear again and again of Therese's desire to suffer for souls, to spend her time in heaven doing good on earth, and above all, of her ardent desire for God's will concerning her life and her death.
Thanks to all our listeners for accompanying us on this journey with our favorite saints, Joan of Arc and Thérèse of Lisieux. We hope you’ve enjoyed the show. Please share it with others and stay tuned for future bonus episodes!
Reflective Questions
How would you describe The Dark Night of the Soul? What is your experience with such dark nights?
How has this time with Therese taught you to love, suffer, and die to self with joy?
Prayer
Thérèse, by your generous intercession:
May we, too, suffer in joy and peace.
May we, too, like only whatever God does.
May we, too, see that we are often in agony over silly things.
May we, too, be patient with those who annoy us when we’re in pain.
May we, too, praise the trees, the birds, the flowers.
May we, too, know that unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
May we, too, become little—more and more.
Resources
Heather King’s Shirt of Flame: A Year with St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Prayer of the Heroic Hearts
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
Contact: podcast@heroic-hearts.com
Follow us on Instagram! heroic2hearts
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Walter and Amy explore the deeper aspects of St. Thérèse’s spirituality related to the problem of suffering. Whether it was losing her parents at a young age, enduring the loneliness of rejection, or her own physical suffering, Thérèse bore her crosses with equanimity and even joy. Join Walter and Amy’s discussion of this perennial mystery: Why does Christ allow us to suffer? What purpose does it serve in our sanctification? How can we redeem our experiences of pain and rejection in order to live a more Christ-like life?
Reflective Questions
Have you watched a loved one suffer? What did you experience?
Have you felt insignificant or unnoticed? What can you learn from the life of St. Thérèse?
Reading
This episode: Heather King’s Shirt of Flame, Chapters 9 and 10
Next episode: Heather King’s Shirt of Flame, Chapters 11 and 12
Prayer
Lord, when the world tells me I am nothing, help me to remember that you are not of the world.
When everything I do turns to ashes, help me to remember to turn to you.
When everywhere I turn is a blank wall, help me to see your face.
When I feel like an orphan, help me to remember that you are my Father.
When I feel like a frightened bird in a dead universe, help me to remember that love reigns eternal.
When I feel like I’m being stripped down to nothing, help me to know
that you are especially near.
Resources
Heather King’s Shirt of Flame: A Year with St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Prayer of the Heroic Hearts
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Novena (traditionally July 7th-16th)
Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
Contact: podcast@heroic-hearts.com
Follow us on Instagram! heroic2hearts
Thank you for listening to Heroic Hearts. This episode is public so feel free to share it.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Join Walter and Amy in this pivotal episode wherein they explore St. Thérèse’s famous spirituality of “the Little Way”. How did St. Thérèse reconcile her desires for greatness while pursuing spiritual humility? What did penance look like in her life and how can we practice it in our own? What can we learn from St. Thérèse about courage in the face of aridity, or spiritual dryness? If you ever struggle with overcoming judgment or negativity (and who doesn’t?), let Thérèse’s story this week encourage you!
Reflective Questions
How do you (or could you) apply Thérèse's Little Way in your own life?
When have you felt aridity or emptiness in your spiritual life? What was that experience like?
Reading
This episode: Heather King’s Shirt of Flame, Chapters 7 and 8 (July and August)
Next episode: Heather King’s Shirt of Flame, Chapters 9 and 10 (September and October)
Prayer
Oh God, have mercy on us. Show us how to love each other. I don’t know how to love. I can’t separate my pain from self-pity, dishonesty, selfishness. I don’t know how to turn my will and my life over to your care.
Sometimes I can’t feel you anywhere: not in solitude, not when I’m with people. Sometimes I feel like any move I make is wrong. Sometimes I feel as if I’m invisible and that no one sees or cares about the good I try to do. Sometimes I feel like I’m going to be alone all my life. Sometimes I don’t trust anyone, and maybe you, dear God, least of all.
Resources
Heather King’s Shirt of Flame: A Year with St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Joan of Arc’s legacy in Rouen, France
Prayer of the Heroic Hearts
The Jansenist heresy
True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort (Marian consecration) - on SALE!
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
Contact: podcast@heroic-hearts.com
Follow us on Instagram! heroic2hearts
Thank you for listening to Heroic Hearts. This episode is public so feel free to share it.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
In this episode, Walter and Amy reflect on St. Thérèse’s great faith and ardor for souls as she prepared to enter cloistered life at Carmel. What was it about Thérèse’s faith that allowed her to ask boldly for signs of God’s favor and receive them with such confidence? Whether praying for an unrepentant murderer or tending to the sick and dying, St. Thérèse shows us how to deal with unresolved tensions and illusions of life with unfailing strength and grace.
Reflective Questions
Have you ever prayed for a sign from God and received it? What meaning did it have for you?
Thérèse had no illusions about life in the convent, but what kind of illusions might we have about our lives?
Reading
This episode: Heather King’s Shirt of Flame, Chapters 5 and 6
Next episode: Heather King’s Shirt of Flame, Chapters 7 and 8
Prayer
Lord, relieve me of my illusions: that love is easy, that the spiritual path isn’t strewn with sharp rocks. Help me to see that maybe my anger is at myself: anger at a lifetime of doing things I think are going to make other people happy. Help me instead to figure out the things that make me happy, and to do them.
True freedom—from what people think, from failure, from the fear that I’m unworthy or incapable of love—is a long way off. So I will just continue to offer up my nothingness, along with St. Thérèse, and to seek your will.
Resources
Discover Domrémy-la-Pucelle, St. Joan of Arc’s birthplace
Prayer of the Heroic Hearts
Heather King’s Shirt of Flame: A Year with St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
Contact: podcast@heroic-hearts.com
Follow us on Instagram! heroic2hearts
Thank you for listening to Heroic Hearts. If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to share it!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
In this episode, Walter and Amy explore the themes of “learning to serve” and “daring to ask” seen in St. Thèrése’s life during the various trials of her adolescence. How was Thèrése able to transcend the rejection and loss of her early life in order to practice what Heather King calls an “agape of wholeness”? We’ll discuss some of the pivotal moments in Thèrése’s life that show us the power of grace and conversion in our spiritual lives.
Reflective Questions
Have you ever had a “Christmas Eve” moment of immediate and grace-filled conversion in your life like St. Thérèse?
In what ways may God be asking you to lay down your life for others right now as you learn to “die to self”?
Prayer
God, be with me in my loneliness.
God, give me the courage to stay the course.
God, lead me to the people who will help me to discern your will.
God, let me be willing to shed my blood to the last drop, even though most of the time I’m not willing to shed even one drop.
God, if I’m called to go against the wishes of those who are close to me, let me do so with humility and love.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Resources
“Shirt of Flame: A Year with St. Thérèse of Lisieux” by Heather King
Heather King’s Blog
National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe at Marytown
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
Contact: podcast@heroic-hearts.com
Follow us on Instagram! heroic2hearts
Thanks for listening to Heroic Hearts! Subscribe for free to receive new episodes.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Welcome back to Season 2 of Heroic Hearts, in which we will discuss the spiritual journey of St. Thérèse of Lisieux!
In this episode, Walter and Amy introduce the season’s featured book, “Shirt of Flame: A Year with St. Thérèse of Lisieux” by Heather King. In the first two chapters, King draws a portrait of Thérèse as a loving but sensitive child who lost her mother early in life and suffered from a mysterious and debilitating illness. In spite of these challenges, Thérèse always remained open to grace and spiritual childhood.
Reflective Questions
In what ways can you identify with Thérèse that might help you in your personal spiritual journey?
Reflect on the "I choose all!"story: are you more restrained like Céline or expansive like Thérèse? What prevents you from giving or wanting more out of life?
Prayer
For those of us whose minds tend to run in obsessive ruts,
For those of us with the impulse to manage and control,
For those of us who can’t stop taking our emotional temperature,
For those of us who tend to hoard money and love,
For those of us who think we know best,
For those of us who tend to strive for straight A’s on some cosmic re- port card,
For those of us who are disciplined, sometimes to a fault,
For those of us who have difficulty forgiving ourselves and difficulty forgiving others,
For those who didn’t make it— St. Thérèse, pray for us.
Resources
“Shirt of Flame: A Year with St. Thérèse of Lisieux” by Heather King
Heather King’s Blog
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
Contact: podcast@heroic-hearts.com
Follow us on Instagram! heroic2hearts
Thanks for listening to Heroic Hearts! Subscribe for free to receive new episodes.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Heroic Hearts Podcast is on a recording break between seasons. In lieu of a regular episode this week, we invite you to pray St. Thérèse’s Offering to Merciful Love with us. We hope you’ll be blessed by it. Walter and Amy will return the week of June 20, 2022 with the first episode of Season 2, in which we’ll follow the spiritual journey of St. Thérèse!
Offering to Merciful Love
O My God! Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to Love You and make You Loved, to work for the glory of Holy Church by saving souls on earth and liberating those suffering in purgatory. I desire to accomplish Your will perfectly and to reach the degree of glory You have prepared for me in Your Kingdom. I desire, in a word, to be a saint, but I feel my helplessness and I beg You, O my God! to be Yourself my Sanctity!
Since You loved me so much as to give me Your only Son as my Savior and my Spouse, the infinite treasures of His merits are mine. I offer them to You with gladness, begging You to look upon me only in the Face of Jesus and in His heart burning with Love.
I offer You, too, all the merits of the saints (in heaven and on earth), their acts of Love, and those of the holy angels. Finally, I offer You, O Blessed Trinity! the Love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dear Mother. It is to her I abandon my offering, begging her to present it to You. Her Divine Son, my Beloved Spouse, told us in the days of His mortal life: "Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name he will give it to you!" I am certain, then, that You will grant my desires; I know, O my God! that the more You want to give, the more You make us desire. I feel in my heart immense desires and it is with confidence I ask You to come and take possession of my soul. Ah! I cannot receive Holy Communion as often as I desire, but, Lord, are You not all-powerful? Remain in me as in a tabernacle and never separate Yourself from Your little victim.
I want to console You for the ingratitude of the wicked, and I beg of You to take away my freedom to displease You. If through weakness I sometimes fall, may Your Divine Glance cleanse my soul immediately, consuming all my imperfections like the fire that transforms everything into itself.
I thank You, O my God! for all the graces You have granted me, especially the grace of making me pass through the crucible of suffering. It is with joy I shall contemplate You on the Last Day carrying the scepter of Your Cross. Since You deigned to give me a share in this very precious Cross, I hope in heaven to resemble You and to see shining in my glorified body the sacred stigmata of Your Passion.
After earth's Exile, I hope to go and enjoy You in the Fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for Your Love alone with the one purpose of pleasing You, consoling Your Sacred Heart, and saving souls who will love You eternally.
In the evening of this life, I shall appear before You with empty hands, for I do not ask You, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is stained in Your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in Your own Justice and to receive from Your Love the eternal possession of Yourself. I want no other Throne, no other Crown but You, my Beloved!
Time is nothing in Your eyes, and a single day is like a thousand years. You can, then, in one instant prepare me to appear before You.
In order to live in one single act of perfect Love, I OFFER MYSELF AS A VICTIM OF HOLOCAUST TO YOUR MERCIFUL LOVE, asking You to consume me incessantly, allowing the waves of infinite tenderness shut up within You to overflow into my soul, and that thus I may become a martyr of Your Love, O my God!
May this martyrdom, after having prepared me to appear before You, finally cause me to die and may my soul take its flight without any delay into the eternal embrace of Your Merciful Love.
I want, O my Beloved, at each beat of my heart to renew this offering to You an infinite number of times, until the shadows having disappeared I may be able to tell You of my Love in an Eternal Face to Face!
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, pray for us!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Heroic Hearts is on a recording break between seasons. In lieu of a regular episode this week, we invite you to pray this devotion to St. Joan of Arc with us. The prayers are provided below, as well as a link to order this beautiful chaplet from the Carmelite Monastery of the Sacred Hearts. We hope you’ll enjoy it. Heroic Hearts will return the week of June 20, 2022 with the first episode of Season 2!
Chaplet of St. Joan of Arc
Prayer on the Crucifix:
Sign of the Cross
O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Prayer to Christ the King (Plenary indulgence):
O Christ Jesus, I acknowledge You to be King of the Universe. All that has been created has been made for You. Exercise upon me all Your sovereign rights. I hereby renew my baptismal promises, renouncing Satan and all his works and pomps, and I engage myself to live a truly Christian life. I promise to do all in my power to procure the triumph of the rights of God and Your Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You my poor actions to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Your sacred Royalty and Kingly Power, and that thus the reign of Your peace may be firmly established throughout the universe. Amen.
Prayer on the Fleur-de-lys Medallion:
St. Michael, mighty Standard Bearer of the Blessed Trinity and First Champion of the Kingship of Christ, pray for us.
On the First Single Bead:
Through the victory of the sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary may the reign of the Heart of Jesus come.
On the Second Single Bead:
Our Father
On the Center Medal:
St. Joan of Arc, Apostle of the Kingship of Christ, pray for us.
(300 days indulgence)
On the Three Groups of 5 Beads:
5 Hail Marys in honor of St. Joan’s heroic practice of Faith, Hope, and Charity.
On the Two Single Beads:
St. Joan, drawing all your strength from union with Our Lord in the Eucharist, obtain for us your burning love for Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
Last Prayer on the Center Medal:
O Lord, King of Heaven and of earth, may it please You this day to direct and sanctify, to rule and govern our hearts and our bodies, our thoughts, our words and our deeds according to Your commandments. Thus we shall be able to attain salvation and deliverance, in time and eternity, by Your help. O Savior of the world, who live and reign forever. Amen.
Resources:
Carmelite Monastery of the Sacred Hearts
Chaplet of St. Joan of Arc
History of King Clovis, first Catholic monarch of France
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
After a lengthy and unjust trial, Joan of Arc is finally executed by her enemies on May 30, 1431. Join Walter and Amy in the season finale to discover why St. Joan’s horrific martyrdom was truly her final victory.
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
Contact: podcast@heroic-hearts.com
heroic2hearts
Show Guide01:43 Enchanting Moments
05:38 Prayer of the Heroic Hearts
06:09 Reflective Questions
04:15 Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse 2022
10:25 12th stage of the hero's journey: Return with the Elixir
16:23 Bishop Cauchon
18:09 Joan of Arc's Abjuration
23:54 Joan is set up to "relapse" by wearing men's clothing again
26:47 Bishop Cauchon allows Joan to receive the Eucharist
28:58 Joan's last words: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
34:27 Joan of Arc's mother Isabel demands justice for her daughter
36:15 Regine Pernoud's Joan of Arc in Her Own Words
38:57 Why did's Joan's canonization take so long?
41:15 St. Therese's plays, "Pious Recreations”
46:22 G.K. Chesterton's quote on Joan of Arc
54:34 Closing Poem:"Pied Beauty" by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Reflective QuestionsReflect on the life and martyrdom of St. Joan of Arc:
- What impact has her story had on you as you journeyed with us?
- In what ways has your journey opened you up to experiencing transcendence in your life?
Resources* Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * Super Flower Blood Moon of 2022 * Bishop Pierre Cauchon * Regine Pernoud’s “Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses” * The Plays of St. Therese: Pious Recreations * G.K. Chesterton’s quote on Joan of Arc * Poem: “Pied Beauty” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Cover Art: Joan of Arc at the Stake by Georg Poppe, 1915
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
In this episode, Walter and Amy discuss the 11th stage of Joan of Arc’s heroic journey, in which she faces a formidable and unjust trial of inquisition. How does one young woman outwit a jury of 60 learned judges? Listen and find out!
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
Subscribe: www.heroic-hearts.com
Contact: podcast@heroic-hearts.com
heroic2hearts
Show Guide02:14 Prayer of the Heroic Hearts
02:54 Enchanting Moments
02:57 Our Lady of Lasalette Shrine
04:48 First Friday Devotion
10:48 Preview of Reflective Questions
12:24 11th Stage of the Heroic Hearts Journey
17:23 The heretical movement of "collegiality"
19:25 Regine Pernoud’s “Joan of Arc, Her Story”
22:15 Farewell to the Paladin 😥
24:59 Joan of Arc's capture and imprisonment
27:15 The political context of Joan of Arc's trial
31:34 Pierre Cauchon, the Bishop of Beauvais
38:12 St. Joan of Arc Center in Albuquerque, NM
45:47 Charles VII as the political target during Joan of Arc's trial
Reflective QuestionsHave you ever felt wrongfully accused and in a matter of great importance? Describe what that was like and how you managed to get through it.
Have you stood on the sidelines of a great injustice? How did you respond? Would you respond differently today?
Reading Assignment This episode: Mark Twain’s Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, Bk. 3, Ch. 1-12 * Next episode: Mark Twain’s Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc,* Bk. 3, Ch. 13-24
Resources* Our Lady of Lasalette Shrine * First Friday Devotion * Regine Pernoud’s “Joan of Arc, Her Story” * St. Joan of Arc Center in Albuquerque, NM * St. Joan of Arc’s Trial Transcripts
Cover Art: Joan of Arc in Prison by Gillot Saint-Evre, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Joan of Arc’s heroic journey takes a solemn turn in this episode. Caught between her desire to return home and the demands of her fickle king, Joan displays true nobility. Walter and Amy discuss King Charles VII’s political blundering and betrayal—with terrible consequences for Joan.
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
Follow us on Instagram! heroic2hearts
Show Guide02:20 Announcing Season 2 on St. Therese of Lisieux!
04:31 “Shirt of Flame” by Heather King
05:04 Subscribe now for free book giveaway! First 5!
05:44 Prayer of the Heroic Hearts
06:26 Enchanting Moments
06:31 St. Michael's Abbey in Silverado, CA
08:13 Norbertines at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine
13:10 Preview of Reflective Questions
14:45 10th Stage of the Heroic Hearts Journey
18:25 Joan’s mission accomplished!
22:26 The turning point of Joan's story
25:01 Political forces working against Joan
26:45 20 day truce with Burgundy
30:42 Joan's Voices become quiet
32:32 Charles VII betrays Joan of Arc
41:00 Joan of Arc captured at Compiegne
45:43 Joan of Arc's life imitating Christ's passion
48:11 Joan imprisoned by Duke of Burgundy
49:27 Reflective Questions
53:01 "Happy the Man" translated by Richard Wilbur
Reflective QuestionsRecall a moment of crisis when your world was turned upside down. What was that experience like and how did you get through it?
Describe a time that you didn’t get something that was important to you. How did you respond, with bitterness or trust in God—or something in between?
Reading Assignment This episode: Mark Twain’s Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, Bk. 2: Ch. 36-41 * Next episode: Mark Twain’s Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc,* Bk. 3, Ch. 1-12
Resources* “Shirt of Flame” by Heather King * Subscribe now for free book giveaway! First 5! * Norbertines at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine * "Happy the Man" translated by Richard Wilbur
Cover Art: The Arrest of Joan of Arc by Adèle Martin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Walter and Amy discuss Joan of Arc’s crowning achievement (literally!) in the 9th stage of her heroic journey. Also, the importance of ceremony and ritual is considered in view of Charles VII’s coronation.
Show Guide 01:15 Enchanting Moments * 01:29 Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor * 03:46 Icon painting * 06:58 Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * 07:33 9th Stage of the Hero's Journey * 08:28 Josef Pieper - In Tune with the World * 09:02 St. Chrysostom quote * 09:36 Reflective Questions * 13:50 Battle of Patay * 19:10 Attempts to downplay Joan of Arc's story * 23:11 Mark Twain lists the “Great Deeds of Joan of Arc” * 26:56 The Bloodless March * 31:57 Joan ransoms the prisoners at Troyes * 35:55 Drawing of Joan of Arc * 36:57 The Coronation of Charles VII at Reims * 38:44 Clovis, first Christian king of France * 41:50 The Holy Coronation Anointing Oil * 46:58 Bedford has Henry VI crowned in Paris * 49:23 Jonathan Pageau and the Symbolic World podcast * 49:30 Crowning of a king as the founding ritual marriage ceremony * 53:24 Christmas in July! * 54:19 Reflective Questions Recap * 59:21 USS Carl Vinson * 01:00 Homework * 01:01* "The Gift" by Mary Oliver
Reflective QuestionsCan you describe a time when you were awed by something greater than yourself? How did this experience empower and inspire you?
What place do ceremony and ritual hold in your life? How might such celebrations serve to enrich and elevate important moments in your life?
Reading Assignment This episode: Mark Twain’s Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, Bk. 2: Ch. 31-35 * Next episode: Mark Twain’s Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc,* Bk. 2: Ch. 36-41
Resources Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor * Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * In Tune with the World * Drawing of Joan of Arc * Symbolic World episode: Universal History: The Bridegroom and the Scapegoat* | with Richard Rohlin * Life Onboard Supercarrier USS CARL VINSON * Poem: "The Gift" by Mary Oliver
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
In this week's episode, Joan of Arc finally defeats the English enemy in several decisive battles. Walter and Amy discuss Joan's perseverance through various challenges, including a serious injury. As always, Joan demonstrates charity towards her enemies.
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
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Show Guide 00:52 Heroic Hearts now on Substack! * 03:07 Enchanting Moments * 06:30 Josef Pieper and Leisure: The Basis of Culture * 11:19 Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * 12:03 Review of previous episode * 14:35 Reflective Questions * 16:58 8th stage of the Hero’s Journey: Ordeal, Death, & Rebirth * 19:16 Joan of Arc’s battle injury * 23:11 The final, victorious assault * 29:28 What was the divine purpose behind Joan’s injury? * 31:15 French troops re-invigorated * 32:06 Sandrine Bonnaire in The Battles and The Prisons * 34:38 The English fold and Orleans freed * 36:48 Sir John Fastolf and 5000 reinforcements * 40:32 The Loire Campaign * 42:33 English defeated at Battle of Patay * 44:44 Joan’s charity towards her English enemies * 50:27 Reflective Questions * 56:51 Stephen Covey * 58:21 Poem: The Soldier* by Rupert Brooke
Reflective QuestionsWhat is your greatest success? Why was it a success and what have been the long term effects?
When facing an external enemy, how can you show compassion while still working to defeat injustice?
Resources Leisure: The Basis of Culture * Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * Joan the Maid Part 1 - The Battles * Joan the Maid Part 2 - The Prisons* * Sir John Fastolf * Sir John Talbot * The Loire Campaign * Battle of Patay * Stephen Covey
Homework This episode: Mark Twain’s Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc,* Book 2, Chapters 21-30 * Next episode: Book 2, Chapters 31-35
PoemThe Soldier by Rupert Brooke
Cover Art: "The Turmoil of Conflict" (Joan of Arc series II) by Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel
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In this episode, Walter and Amy discuss Joan of Arc's preparations for war, how she gets her army into fighting (and praying) shape, and their first contact with the enemy. The winds of war are changing for France under Joan's brave leadership and more than one General is in for a surprise!
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
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Show Guide 01:27 Enchanting Moments * 08:09Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * 09:08 Review of Reflective Questions * 15:40 The 7th stage of the Hero's Journey * 15:51 Christopher Vogler, "The Writer's Journey" * 17:02 The important events of April 29-May 8 * 18:43 The army assembles in Blois * 19:35 Joan meets General La Hire * 24:53 La Hire's famous "prayer" * 26:33 Veni Creator Spiritus * 27:48 Dunois, the B*d of Orleans * *33:51 Joan's captains lead her to the wrong side of the river * 36:50 The Changing of the Wind * 42:48 The attack on the Bastille of St Loup * 44:52 Vita Sackville-West, "Saint Joan of Arc" * 46:50 Joan seizes the Bastille of the Augustins * 47:30 Walter gives a summary * 48:21 Joan brings order and courage to the French forces * 50:10 Reflective Questions * 53:11 Homework * 54:42 "February Afternoon" by Philip Edward Thomas
Reflective QuestionsDescribe a time when something typical, ordinary, and otherwise of little account happened to you in such a way that it changed your life.
When the time comes to approach the great contest of your life, will you face it with fear or battle-joy?
Homework* This episode: Mark Twain's "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc", Bk 2: Ch. 11-20 * Next episode: Mark Twain's "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc", Bk 2: Ch. 21-30
Resources* Christopher Vogler, "The Writer's Journey" * Veni Creator Spiritus * Vita Sackville-West, "Saint Joan of Arc"
Poem"February Afternoon" by Philip Edward Thomas
Cover Art: "The Maid in Armor on Horseback" (Joan of Arc series II) by Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel
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Walter and Amy discuss the 6th stage of Joan's heroic journey in which she makes allies, faces challenges, and outwits her enemies. The Paladin entertains the crowd at the tavern and is chosen by Joan for her staff. Walter shares the decisive moment in his friendship with Joan which led to a radical life commitment.
Follow hosts Walter Emerson and Amy Chase at www.heroic-hearts.com
Show Guide* 01:22 Joan of Arc Pilgrimage * 02:56 Enchanting Moments * 08:18 Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * 09:09 Review of Reflective Questions from previous episode * 12:46 Jordan Peterson and the "Edge of Chaos" * 13:34 6th Stage of the Hero's Journey: "Tests, Allies, and Enemies" * 15:25 Recap of Joan's story until now * 17:42 Preparing to meet the Dauphin Charles VII * 22:35 Joan sees through the Dauphin's trick * 25:30 Joan identifies the real Dauphin * 26:46 Joan reveals the Dauphin's secret * 31:23 Joan meets the Duke of Alencon * 33:14 Prudent vs. malicious skepticism * 34:43 Twain's story of the Paladin at the tavern * 39:30 Charles VII sends Joan to Poitiers for examination * 45:02 Joan finds the sword of St. Catherine * 46:16 Joan's standard (flag) * 47:42 Joan is appointed the Supreme Commander of the French Army * 50:07 The quote that changed Walter's life * 52:35 Reflective Questions * 54:36 Joan as an icon pointing us to Christ * 56:06 Homework * 57:05 "Everyone Sang" by Siegfried Sassoon
Resources* Joan of Arc Pilgrimage * Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * Jordan Peterson and the "Edge of Chaos" * "Everyone Sang" by Siegfried Sassoon
Reading Assignment* This episode: "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc" by Mark Twain, Bk 2: Ch. 6-10 * Next episode: "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc" by Mark Twain, Bk 2: Ch. 11-20
Reflective QuestionsWalter
Have you ever been given a position of honor or responsibility that ennobled you? Describe how that made you feel and the impact it had on your life.
AmyHave you ever felt outnumbered by your opposition? Describe this experience and how you responded.
Poem"Everyone Sang" by Siegfried Sassoon
Cover Art: "Her Appeal to the Dauphin" (Joan of Arc series II) by Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel
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Walter and Amy discuss Joan's pivotal transition to the Extraordinary World, which is called "Crossing the Threshold" in the Hero's Journey. Joan crosses this threshold when she leaves her village of Domremy to travel to Vaucouleurs. There, she'll need to win over the local magistrate and assemble a company of soldiers to begin her quest to rescue France.
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy Chase
Find out more at www.heroic-hearts.com
Show Guide 01:11 Enchanting Moments * 07:09 Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * 07:38 Reflective Questions about mentors * 10:05 Crossing the Threshold motif * 10:28 The Extraordinary World as a place of transcendence * 11:05 Joan's departure from Domremy * 14:28 The role of Robert de Baudricourt in Vaucouleurs * 18:08 Joan's "exorcism" * 18:53 Joan's prophecy about the Battle of the Herrings * 20:56 The Prophecy of Merlin * 24:17 Joan's first supporter, Jean de Metz * 25:30 The rules of chivalry * 28:25 The Paladin returns! * 31:08 Joan's dangerous journey to Chinon * 35:22 Joan's character vs. the Paladin * 38:58 Joan outwits the enemy * 45:01 Joan arrives at Chinon * 49:14 The Dauphin's secret * 49:55 Reflective Questions * 53:00 Homework * 53:49* Excerpt from "First Steps, Brancaster" by Malcolm Guite
Resources* Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * The Prophecy of Merlin * "First Steps, Brancaster" by Malcolm Guite from The Word in the Wilderness, © 2014 by Canterbury Press
Reflective QuestionsWalter:
- Consider the somewhat comical comparison between Joan of Arc and the Paladin. Contemplate where you stand on that continuum.
- What can you change in your life and thinking to move closer to Joan's character and away from the Paladin's?
Amy:* Describe the beginning of a memorable journey that you've taken. How did you prepare and what were you feeling? Excitement? Nervousness? * How did these emotions heighten your experience of the journey?
Reading Assignment* This episode: "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc" by Mark Twain, Book 2: Ch. 1-5 * Next episode: "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc" by Mark Twain, Book 2: Ch. 6-10
Cover art: Paul Cezanne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Joan and Her Heavenly MentorsIn this episode, Walter and Amy discuss all about mentors: who they are, why they are important for the Heroic Hearts journey, and how Joan of Arc's heavenly mentors prepared her for her great calling. If you are discerning your own calling, don't miss this episode on how to benefit from the mentors in your life!
Hosts: Walter Emerson, Amy Chase
Find out more at www.heroic-hearts.com
Contact us at podcast@heroic-hearts.com
Show Guide 01:29 Enchanting Moments * 03:48 Enchantment is not escapism; it's elevating our thinking to a higher plane * 08:42 Finding Truth, Beauty, and Goodness in the midst of tragedy * 09:07 Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Victor Frankl * 10:07 Enchantment as a discipline for learning to see the world with new eyes * 12:27 Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * 13:32 Review of last week's Reflective Questions * 14:41 Amy and Walter share about the obstacles and challenges with starting their podcast * 17:05 Criteria for evaluating the authenticity of a calling or mission * 17:58 Establishing your mission and vision for your call * 19:43 Simon Sinek - "Start with Why" * 20:40 Jesus, Jordan Peterson, and Archetypes * 22:53 The Communion of Saints as a Kingdom * 24:53 Overcoming fear with St. Joan * 27:18 Meeting the Mentor in the Hero's Journey * 27:57 Athena as Mentor in "The Odyssey" * 32:37 St. Joan's heavenly mentors: St. Michael the Archangel, St. Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Margaret of Antioch * 34:20 Joan of Arc historian Regine Pernoud * 34:49 Four tasks of St. Michael the Archangel * 37:14 Speculation about why St. Catherine and St. Margaret appeared to Joan * 38:13 St. Joan's virtue of purity * 39:20 Purity as "clarity of vision" * 41:50 How do we become like our mentors in this process of formation? * 42:12 Discovering St. Joan's "field of meaning" * 45:10 How we can discern reality in relation to God's point of view? * 47:33 Lifting the dome of oppression * 51:14 Walter's Reflective Questions * 52:10 Amy's Reflective Questions * 55:58* "The Bright Field" by R.S. Thomas
Resource Guide* Alexander Solzhenitsyn * Viktor Frankl, "Man's Search for Meaning" * Prayer of the Heroic Hearts * Simon Sinek, "Start With Why" * Jordan Peterson and Archetypes * Regine Pernoud and her books * "The Bright Field" by R.S. Thomas
Reflective QuestionsWalter:* What “calls” have you received in life? What was their impact? * How do you discern a call as a call? By what criteria?
Amy:* Describe a time that a mentor prepared you for a coming challenge. How did they share their wisdom and hope with you? * Are you in a position to mentor others? How can you help someone through a difficulty?
Reading Assignment* This episode: Mark Twain's "Joan of Arc", Book 1, Chapters 7-8 * Next episode: Mark Twain's "Joan of Arc", Book 2, Chapters 1-5
Poem"The Bright Field" by R.S. Thomas
Cover Art:St. Michael and the Dragon, Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Responding to the CallIn this episode, Walter and Amy discuss the 3rd stage of the Heroic Hearts' Journey and how Joan of Arc responds with courage and resolve to overcome obstacles and those who would resist her Call. They also share thoughts on Lent and how the Church's penitential season can provide opportunities to experience enchantment.
Hosts: Walter Emerson, Amy Chase
Find out more at www.heroic-hearts.com
Contact us at podcast@heroic-hearts.com
Show Guide01:07 Reflections on Lent
05:36 Search for Meaning vs. Happiness
07:37 Walter's Enchanting Moment
08:21 Prayer Journal
11:51 Amy's Enchanting Moment
13:30 Tolkien's creation myth in Silmarillon
14:18 The Phenomenological World
14:32 Bishop Barron on our participation in creation
16:15 Review of last week's Reflective Questions
19:37 Walter's hierarchy of values changes after his encounter with Joan of Arc
21:23 Joan of Arc's heavenly advice
22:55 St. Therese's hermeneutic of St. Joan
23:09 St. Therese's "Pious Recreations"
23:32 Photo of St. Therese as Joan of Arc
26:30 Life of St. Therese book
27:48 3rd Stage of the Hero's Journey - Questioning the Call
28:04 The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
29:43 St. Joan's response to her Call to Adventure
31:33 Joan's preparation period following her Call
33:25 Regine Pernoud on Joan of Arc
35:18 Joan of Arc faces resistance to her call
37:12 Robert de Baudricourt, governor of Vaucouleurs
39:22 Joan of Arc meets Jean de Metz
42:44 Joan of Arc's father threatens her
45:08 The loyalty of Jean de Metz
48:18 Questioning our own calls when we face obstacles
50:51 Walter's Reflective Questions
52:17 Amy's Reflective Question
55:07 "The Morning" by W.S. Merwin
Reading AssignmentThis episode: Mark Twain’s “Joan of Arc”, Book 1, Chapters 7-8
Next episode: None (catch up week)
Reflective QuestionsWalterDescribe a time when you felt a call and were immediately confronted by obstacles or challenges. What was the outcome, and did you grow or shrink in response?
Describe a time you felt others were speaking poorly and unfairly about you. Did you defend yourself with virtue or anger/vice? Did your response help or hurt you in accepting your call?
AmyHow has doubt, fear, or resistance to change manifested in your own higher calling? How have you dealt with it?
Poem: "The Morning" by W.S. Merwin (see publication info below)
References cited:Mark Twain's "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc"
Bishop Barron's Catholicism series
JRR Tolkien's "Silmarillon"
August Laveille's "Life of St. Therese of Lisieux"
JRR Tolkien's "The Hobbit"
W.S. Merwin's "The Morning" from "Garden Time" (Copper Canyon Press, 2016). Copyright © 2016 by W. S. Merwin. www.coppercanyonpress.org.
Cover Art: Henri Chapu, via Wikimedia Commons
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
In this episode, Walter and Amy reflect on the 2nd stage of the Heroic Heart's Journey, the "Call to Adventure". We discuss Joan of Arc's heavenly "Voices" and what this call might look like in our own lives. Walter also gives a summary of the state of France during the Hundred Years War at the time Joan received her call.
Hosts: Walter Emerson, Amy Chase
Find out more at www.heroic-hearts.com
Show Guide
02:25 Review of last week's reflective questions
05:49 Enchantment touching on reality
06:46 Empathic devotion: Seeking empathy with St. Joan of Arc
09:04 Amy and Walter's Enchanting Moments
10:27 Gerard Manley Hopkins - That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire and of the Comfort of the Resurrection
11:59 Door County, Wisconsin
15:46 The Call to Adventure in the Hero's Jourmey
18:05 Modern skepticism about Joan of Arc's call
19:04 Walter's poem, "The Ballad of Thomas Ox"
20:50 The Call to Adventure as an invitation to experience transcendence
22:30 History of the Hundred Years War
23:15 Contested claims over the French throne
25:03 France's devastating defeat at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415
25:12 Shakespeare's "St. Crispin's Day Speech"
26:24 France faces an existential crisis
27:20 The Anglo-Burgundian Alliance and France's civil war
29:57 Charles VI and the Treaty of Troyes
31:12 Charles VII's mother, Queen Isabeau of Bavaria
33:40 Joan of Arc tames the Mad Man in Mark Twain's story
41:40 The Battle and Siege of Orleans
42:23 Joan of Arc's divine call to save France
43:07 Joan's Voices: St. Michael the Archangel, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Margaret of Antioch
46:02 When we receive our call, we begin a journey
46:59 Regine Pernoud's history of Joan of Arc
50:06 Reflective Questions
52:57 Prayer of the Heroic Hearts
54:10 Poem: "The World I Live In" by Mary Oliver
Reading Assignment:* This episode: Mark Twain's "Joan of Arc", Book 1, Chapters 4-6 * Next episode: Book 1, Chapters 7-8
Reflective QuestionsWalter:
- Between the characters of Joan of Arc and the Paladin, where you stand on that continuum?
- What can you change in your life and thinking to move closer to Joan's character?
Amy
- Describe the beginning of a memorable journey that you've taken. How did you prepare for it and what were you feeling? How did these emotions heighten the experience of the journey?
Poem: "The World I Live In" by Mary Oliver
Cover Art: Joan of Arc by Gaston Bussière, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
In this first episode of Season 1, Walter introduces us to Mark Twain's novel about Joan of Arc, the book we'll be reading and discussing throughout the season. Amy discusses the Hero's Journey motif as it unfolds in Joan's story, focusing on the first stage of that journey called the "Ordinary World". This world consists of the tasks, responsibilities, and concerns that define our every day life--and it often causes us to feel stifled and oppressed. Walter shows us how this world in Twain's story is closely intertwined with an emerging Extraordinary World that will beckon Joan (and us!) to a great adventure.
Hosts: Walter Emerson, Amy Chase
Find out more at www.heroic-hearts.com
Show Guide:
- Enchanting Moments (01:24)
- Prayer of the Heroic Hearts (05:46)
- "The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc" by Mark Twain (07:07)
- The Ordinary World: First stage of the Hero's Journey (07:17)
- Summary of Mark Twain's novel of Joan of Arc (09:40)
- The Ordinary and Extraordinary Worlds in Joan of Arc's story (15:46)
- Discussion of the Front Matter (16:32)
- Twain's character, "Sieur Louis de Conte" (21:40)
- The Fairy Tree of Joan's village of Domremy (29:20)
- How Mark Twain establishes the theme of two worlds in his novel (31:40)
- Joan's encounter with the Vagabond (38:15)
- The Vagabond as an allegorical character of France (45:03)
- The Song of Roland (47:07)
- Reflective Questions and "Being-in-the-Story" (50:55)
- Walter's Questions (52:55)
- Amy's Questions (54:15)
- "God's Grandeur" by Gerard Manley Hopkins (58:24)
Reading Assignment: Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, by Mark Twain
- This episode: Front Matter + Book 1, Chapters 1-3
- Next episode: Book 1, Chapters 4-6
Reflective Questions
Walter
- When did you first sense a memorable enchanting moment? Can you describe that experience?
- Can you describe an experience where you perceived a calling to something greater, to a higher purpose? What happened?
Amy
- What aspects of Joan's 15th century Ordinary World are similar to our own? What aspects are different?
- Have you ever encountered a vagabond-like character who turned out to be so much more than their appearance? Describe this encounter. What opened up your sight?
Poem: "God's Grandeur" by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Cover Art: Eugène Grasset, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Join Walter and Amy in an ongoing conversation about healing, enchanting, and elevating our hearts through the stories and spirituality of St. Joan of Arc and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com
Introducing Heroic Hearts, a conversation about enchantment and adventure following the heroic lives of St. Joan of Arc and St. Therese of Lisieux.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.heroic-hearts.com