Sweet Solitude

By Edmund Blair Leighton

“All this she must possess,” added Darcy, “and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.” Pride and Prejudice

Happy Feast of St. Joan of Arc!

Quote from St. Joan

The Maid of Lorraine

St. Joan of Arc was in the news rather recently. Her ring, given to her by her parents, had been in England since her death, and this year, after 600 years, it has been returned to France. This is hugely meaningful, since this martyr was burned at the stake, so we have no first class relics of her. I’ve seen the 1948 movie about St. Joan with Ingrid Bergman a number of times, (and by the way, it’s a very accurate portrayal of her life) but I never fully appreciated quite how incredible this Saint was. She was an illiterate peasant girl, and yet led the armies of France to victory where experienced generals had failed, and finally she was burned as a heretic because she refused to deny what she knew to be true. The facts of her story are fascinating, and we have so much detail from her own lips, recorded in the complete transcripts from her trial. It gives an incredible insight into her as a person, and as a Saint.

Inspiration from St. Joan

St. Joan of Arc

By Albert Lynch.

Getting ready for a post about St. Joan on Thursday, in honor of her feast day, which is on Monday, May 30.

A Prayer to St. Joseph to Know One's Vocation in Life

O great St. Joseph, so docile to the guidance of the Holy Ghost, obtain for me the grace to know what state of life Divine Providence destines for me.  Do not allow me to be deceived with regard to so important a choice, upon which depends my happiness in this world, and even my eternal salvation.  Obtain for me that, being enlightened to know the Divine Will and being faithful in accomplishing it, I may embrace that state of live which God has destined for me and which will lead me to a happy eternity. Amen.

A Verse for Ember Friday

And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee. Matthew 6: 16-18

Valiant Vignette

I've got a couple of larger projects going right now, so this week I'm just going to give you a quick look at a valiant woman. Her name is Leopoldine von Tegetthoff and she lived in Austria during the 1800s. Her husband was a military man, and a very strict disciplinarian. One of her five sons went on to be the greatest naval hero Austria had even known.

In the biography of her son, we are given of glimpse of this lady, who had to manage her household with her husband's very small income, but still keep of the appearances of being wealthy for the sake of his military rank, in addition to keeping her home a peaceful and cheerful place, in spite of her husband's temper and bad moods. We are told that she "loved fulfilling the duties of her household with deft hands, in order to be able to dedicate herself entirely to her children in her free hours."

Just a beautiful little look into the life of an everyday valiant woman!

Courage

The Reading Woman

Mary Stevenson Cassatt, Mrs. Duffee Seated on a Striped Sofa, Reading

A little bit different art today, but it's along the theme of Reading Women.

Prayer for the Right Partner in Life

Dear Jesus, I know that You are calling me to serve You in the married state. I know, too, that it calls for self-sacrifice courage and guidance of the Holy Ghost. It will not be easy to live as a true Catholic parent, to put the interests of You and Your Church before those of my sometimes selfish heart. But, Lord, I know You will give me all the graces to live as a holy and happily married Catholic. Of all these graces, Lord, the greatest for which I ask is the right partner who will share with me all I have, all I am, and all I will be. Guide me in the choice, Jesus. Help me fall in love with the one person who will strengthen me through life's tears and inspire me to see all the goodness and happiness of two people living together with You, their dear God, in their midst. Amen.

Feedback Friday!

Dear Readers,

You may have noticed that I added a "Contact" page this morning.  So now you have the option of publishing a comment on individual blog posts, or sending me an email directly.  Exciting, isn't it?

I'd love to hear from you!  What do you like about the blog, what don't you like, what would you like to see more/less of?  Are there any Valiant Women you want to read about?  Maybe you don't like the font I use.  Whatever it is, I want to get your feedback!

Don't worry; I can handle constructive criticism.  And if I can't, well, that's what the chocolate ice cream in the freezer is for.

I'm very excited because this blog has had over 650 page views, so thanks for reading, and spreading the word about the Valiant Woman Project!

God bless and have a great weekend!

Little Molly Gibson

Caution: Contains SPOILERS!

The heroine of Wives and Daughters is Molly Gibson, who loves those around her with such a selfless love that she is willing to risk all and suffer all for their sakes. The main recipients of her love are her father, her step-sister Cynthia, and the Hamley family, particularly, the second son- Roger. Throughout the novel, Molly puts the comfort and happiness of these characters before her own, even when she must suffer because of it. Unlike Dicken’s angelic heroines, Molly still has her flaws, such as her temper, which she occasionally displays, but this just serves to make her a more realistic character.

"Undramatic Things"

The essence of a romantic heroine is that she asks herself an intense question; but the essence of a sensible wife is that she is much too sensible to ask herself any questions at all. All the things that make monogamy a success are in their nature undramatic things, the silent growth of an instinctive confidence, the common wounds and victories, the accumulation of customs, the rich maturing of old jokes.

G.K. Chesterton

A lovely thought about marriage.  My new goal for the week is to be sensible. 

Sally

By Edmund Blair Leighton

Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

O Holy Virgin, in the midst of your days of glory,
do not forget the sorrows of this earth.
Cast a merciful glance upon those who are suffering,
struggling against difficulties, with their lips constantly
pressed against life's bitter cup.
Have pity on those who love each other and are separated.
Have pity on our rebellious hearts.
Have pity on our weak faith.
Have pity on those we love.
Have pity on those who weep, on those who pray,
on those who fear.
Grant hope and peace to all.
Amen.

(Abbe Perreyve)

A Psalm for Friday

In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped:
I said, Thou art my God;
my times are in Thy hands.

Ps. 30. 15-16
From the Offertory of the Nuptial Mass

Such a beautiful, comforting prayer for resignation to God's Will!

Mrs. Gaskell

Note: This week’s post is a bit different.  Elizabeth Gaskell certainly created many valiant characters in her novels, and she herself was a remarkable woman, even if not necessarily a valiant one. Because Elizabeth Gaskell is not as well-known as Jane Austen probably is to most of us, I want to give a little bit more biographical information about her.  (It’s also interesting if you are familiar with her works, because of the many autobiographical aspects that she incorporates into them.) 

I recently re-watched my favorite movie, BBC’s adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s final novel, Wives and Daughters.  And much like the mouse who can’t just have a cookie and leave the rest alone, after watching the movie, I’m drawn back to the book.  You’ll notice I made the bold statement of calling this my favorite movie, and that is because the screenplay writer and director did such a fantastic job of recreating the characters, keeping true to the dialog and the characters, and much of the complete plot, as much as possible in a film adaptation of a novel.  If you haven’t seen it yet, you really must add it to your list, and familiarize yourself with some of the other works of dear Mrs. Gaskell!

Find something to do!

"Edith, dear, you're a woman with a brain and reasonable ability. Stop whining and find something to do."- The Dowager Countess

I can't give an unqualified recommendation of Downton Abbey, but this is a great line from the Dowager Countess.  It's like the Valiant Woman's equivalent of the "You should be studying" meme. I need to remember this more often.

Straying Thoughts

By Edmund Blair Leighton

For the Students

Prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas
Angel of Schools, at the bidding of Peter,
Thousands today are saluting thee thus.
We, too, are claiming thy care and thy counsel;
Angel of Schools, be an angel to us.
Come to our aid when thou hearest us calling.
Light up the dark; make the rough places plain.
Bring to our thoughts the unknown or forgotten.
Give us the words that we seek for in vain.
Amen.