Well, friends, Welcome to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen. We started with 32 holy men and women and we're down to sixteen as the battle for the coveted Golden Halo marches on. Round One consisted of basic biographical information about the saints. Since there’s no need to rehash previously covered ground, the this round is made up of what we like to call "Quirks & Quotes." So prepare for some little known facts accompanied by quotes either by or about the saint in question.
In the final battle of the initial round, Paul of Tarsus handily defeated Theodore of Tarsus 61% to 39%. Check out the updated bracket to see the full slate of saints who made it to the next round.
We kick things off with the much-anticipated match-up between Joan of Arc and Mary Magdalene. This battle has been hyped so much that it would make even Don King blush. But the waiting is over; let the voting commence. Winner heads to the Round of the Elate Eight!
Joan of Arc (1412 - 1431), a French peasant, began to hear the voices of Saints Michael, Catherine, and Margaret at age thirteen. By seventeen, those voices urged her to become involved in the struggle for the contested French throne in the Hundred Years War. She convinced Charles the Dauphin to allow her to command an army, which she led to spectacular victory in Orleans, paving the way for him to be crowned king. She was later wounded in battle and then captured, sold to the English, and put on trial by the Inquisition. Tried as a witch and a heretic but finally convicted of cross-dressing, she was burned at the stake at nineteen.
Joan was led by her voices to find a sword buried behind the altar in a church in Tours. It had five crosses on it and was covered with easily removed rust. “I loved that sword,” she testified, “because it was found in the church of St. Catherine [of Fierbois], whom I loved.” She only actually used the sword, however, to whack the backs of trollops while running them out of the army camps; during battles, it resided in one of its three special sheaths, while her hands were busy with her horse and her banner. “I loved my banner forty times better than my sword. And when I went against the enemy, I carried my banner myself, lest I kill any. I have never killed anyone,” she said.
Joan inspired hundreds of books, plays, musical compositions, movies, and all kinds of art. Mark Twain, not normally known for his religious sentiments, declared that his biography of her was his best book and said of her: “Whatever thing men call great, look for it in Joan of Arc, and there you will find it.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle declared that “...next to the Christ, the highest spiritual being of whom we have any exact record on this earth is the girl Jeanne.” “She chose a path, and went down it like a thunderbolt,” said an admiring G.K. Chesterton.
Joan’s own voice comes through loud and clear in the trial transcript. When asked in what dialect her “voices” spoke to her, she replied, “In one better than yours.” Do you believe in God? she was asked. “Yes, better than you.”
“I am not afraid,” she said. “I was born to do this.”
-- Penny Nash
While we have no direct quotes from Mary Magdalene, we do have quite a few extraordinary stories about this beloved Apostle to the Apostles. As Jane Schaberg notes, “No other biblical figure—including Judas and perhaps even Jesus—has had such a vivid and bizarre post-biblical life in the human imagination, in legend, and in art.”
Best known, probably because it has been depicted for centuries, is the story explaining why Mary Magdalene is often shown in Western and Eastern artwork holding a red egg.
According to this legend, Mary Magdalene’s story about Jesus’ resurrection was challenged by the Roman emperor Tiberius. When he insisted that no one could rise from the dead any more than an egg could turn red, she picked an egg up from the table; it turned red. Today, Eastern Rite Christians honor the story by coloring Easter eggs bright red.
Other less known (perhaps suppressed?) legends have her traveling with John (the other beloved) after Mary, the mother of Jesus, died circa 54 CE. These legends not only have Mary and John on a road trip to Ephesus, visiting newly established churches along the way, but also have them living together for a while.
Such sacred cohabitation is extrapolated from the story about a thief named Cleophus breaking into their home at night while Mary and John were sleeping. John told Cleophus (“vision of glory”) to turn from doing evil and converted him to the faith. This story was widely shared among those in the first century church as another example of describing the second coming of Christ as a “thief in the night.”
Before deciding the prize for most incredible legend should go to the red egg story, consider these phantasmagorical ones about a cave in France and the Holy Grail.
Legends have Mary Magdalene traveling to Gaul after leaving Asia Minor. Once there, she is believed to have spent a period of time teaching and preaching in Marseilles. To recuperate from that gig, she turned to a more contemplative life of prayer and meditation in a cave in the Sainte-Baume mountains. But according to these legends, a band of angels transported her daily so she and Jesus could spend time together. Holy hoist!
Last but not least are stories about the Holy Grail, the cup from which Jesus drank during the Last Supper . . . or was it the cup held up at the foot of the Cross by Joseph of Arimathea to catch blood streaming from the wounds of our dying Lord? Both?
There’s some dispute about whether Joseph or Mary Magdalene held the cup at the foot of the Cross, but legend-weavers seem to agree that Mary brought the “sangraal” to the Southern coast of France circa 42 C.E.
In some instances, legends about the “sangraal” (Holy Grail) have morphed into legends about the “sang rall” (Holy Bloodline), which insist the “vessel” was not an actual cup, but Mary Magdalene herself, wife of Jesus and mother of royal offspring from the Davidic bloodline.
Here’s what’s not legend or myth: the Risen Christ first appeared to Mary Magdalene and entrusted her with the task of telling the disciples she had seen the Lord.
Vote!
[poll id="20"]
92 comments on “Joan of Arc vs. Mary Magdalene”
For an alternative view of Joan, consider the the English lords in Henry VI, Part I:
"Here, here she comes. I'll have a bout with thee;
Devil or devil's dam, I'll conjure thee:
Blood will I draw on thee, thou art a witch,
And straightway give thy soul to him thou servest." (Act I, Sc 5; Talbot)
" ... goodly prize, fit for the devil's grace!
See, how the ugly wench doth bend her brows,
As if with Circe she would change my shape!
...
Fell banning hag, enchantress, hold thy tongue!" (Act 5, Sc 3; York)
"Break thou in pieces and consume to ashes,
Thou foul accursed minister of hell!" (Act 5, Sc 4; York)
I think it's fair to say, however, that overall Shakespeare presents her in a much more appealing light than one would expect!
But Shakespeare does say that one day she will be the saint of France!
Well, Shakespeare has Charles, Dauphin of France, say that. Those French boys, such flatterers!
All the way with Ma-ray! The Golden Halo will be her compensation for all the centuries of bad press.
I didn't get mine either - is this a plot to keep me from voting?!
I have actually read a lot of Mark Twain's book on Joan [it was a past life, I was a grad student]. I cannot describe how awful it is. She deserved better (and got it, from others), but for inspiring that book, I have to go with Mary.
[...] an opinion? Head on over and show Mary Magdalene some love (yeah, I’m really careful about hiding my biases. Although [...]
Ghost of St. Nicholas? Ghost??? Please don't tell the children. Gotta go with Joan. Burned at the stake, people.
Also, as someone who remembers when it was slightly scandalous to wear a pants suit to church, I feel for someone who was executed for "cross-dressing.''
Mary stayed with Jesus until the end. She faithfully visited his tomb every morning (BEFORE sunrise, even!), instead of being "hidden in the house, afraid". She refused to leave until she actually heard and saw her Lord again. And then she did exactly what Jesus asked her to do, being the first person entrusted with the Great Commission. 'Nuff said.
Didn't get my email today!
I'm sorry to have to vote for one or the other - I've been disappointed throughout that the bracket seems to have fewer saintly women than men, and then pits the women against each other to ensure they knock each other out of the running. Let's see more of our spiritual sisters in next year's bracket, please!
Well...I had to ruminate on this one...but finally decided to go with Mary Magdalene (despite one of my childhood memories that features a tattered WWI-era sheet music edition of "Jeanne d'Arc, they are calling you...") -- "Apostle to the Apostles" has always gotten me, and the Johannine account is stunning. Mary Mag, it is!
No fair! Jeanne d'Arc has been a favorite of mine ever since I was a little girl, but how could I not vote for Mary Magdalene? Was strongly tempted to cast a vote for each, but honor won out at last. At least it seems I voted for the underdog.... 🙂
My email arrived at 12:10 PDT. Just sayin. . .
Well, our household did go for Mary Magdalene, despite an impassioned defense of Joan from my seven year old which almost swayed me. "She did everything she was supposed to. She did what she thought Jesus wanted her to do. She probably didn't want to dress like a boy and go do battle but she did it anyway."
Love Jeanne, but had to go with Mary. This is getting tough.
Fill out your brackets today! Post your picks in a Facebook note! Wagers are up to your own informed consciences and devising.
I put off voting in hope of hearing voices in guidance but no name have I heard other than those above. Maybe another hour.
I love Joan's quotes! Mary stood in the presence of the Risen Lord Jesus. She saw him, she heard him speak. She was not allowed to touch him. Both women obeyed instructions from God. I vote for Mary, standing in the Presence.
Sorry, Joan....Mary rocks!
I love Joan's saucy attitude "I was born to do this" and "in one better than yours!" two circles and a snap!!
I decided to put aside all the silly stories about Mary and just look at her as a faithful follower of Jesus.
I did a quiet day for some folks a couple of years ago and I used this icon of Mary. It was a total hit. Gotta go with Mary.
Golden Girl with a trusty rusty sword or Magical Egg Lady who might have lived in a cave for awhile? The kids followed Father Goldacker's advice and voted for the Easter Egg Lady.
WOW! Tough decision!
"Joan Of Arc" by Leonard Cohen
Now the flames they followed joan of arc
As she came riding through the dark;
No moon to keep her armour bright,
No man to get her through this very smoky night.
She said, I’m tired of the war,
I want the kind of work I had before,
A wedding dress or something white
To wear upon my swollen appetite.
Well, I’m glad to hear you talk this way,
You know I’ve watched you riding every day
And something in me yearns to win
Such a cold and lonesome heroine.
And who are you? she sternly spoke
To the one beneath the smoke.
Why, I’m fire, he replied,
And I love your solitude, I love your pride.
Then fire, make your body cold,
I’m going to give you mine to hold,
Saying this she climbed inside
To be his one, to be his only bride.
And deep into his fiery heart
He took the dust of joan of arc,
And high above the wedding guests
He hung the ashes of her wedding dress.
It was deep into his fiery heart
He took the dust of joan of arc,
And then she clearly understood
If he was fire, oh then she must be wood.
I saw her wince, I saw her cry,
I saw the glory in her eye.
Myself I long for love and light,
But must it come so cruel, and oh so bright?
Oooh, one of my favorite songs! Thanks for quoting it!!!
"It was deep, deep into his fiery heart
He took the dust of our precious Joan of Arc,
Then she clearly, she clearly understood
If, if he was fire, woah she must be wood,
I saw her wince, I saw her cry,
Saw the glory in her eye.
Myself I long, I long for love and light,
But must it come so cruel, and must it, must it be so very bright?"
Jeanne d'Arc, Mystic Martyr
Thank you, Barbara
I thank Leonard Cohen for this song of pathos (and so many more); I voted for Mary Magdalene.
I didn't get my email today either. Did you just let the boys vote?
In Christ, there is neither male nor female. So it is with internet glitches too. See above. It seems that internet gremlins (possibly sent at the behest of humorless Christians) ate all or most of the emails. Sorry!
Best idea is to visit http://www.lentmadness.org every day just after 8:00 a.m. EDT and cast your vote, whether or not you get an email.
Amen. No contest today!
I vote for Mary, you go girl! She is a bigtime favorite of mine!