And the hymn in the Office for St Jeanne d'Arc continues:
Virgo, patrona Galliae
Tormenta dira sustinens
Christi refers imaginem.
Voces supernas audiens
Jesu repleta lumine
Dum fata pandis patriae
Silent paventque judices.
Oppressa flammis clamitas
Jesum crucemque fortiter
Amplexa, ad ipsum simplicis
Instar columbae pervolas.
Chorus beatis Virginum
Ascripta cives adjuva
Te deprecante singulis
Detur corona gloriae.
Sit laus Patri, sit Filio
Sancto decus Paraclito
Qui corda amore sauciat
Vires et auget languidis. Amen.
From Wikipeda, one learns that today is 'the national celebration' in France 'of Jeanne d'Arc and of patriotism' (notice that she is refused her status as saint of God) while her proper feast day is the 30th; Catholics will of course celebrate both days la sainte Pucelle but I had no idea of this. The laicité of the French state is a tricky and confounding concept.
I ought to be able to find the video recording of this morning's solemn Mass at Saint Eugène in Paris.
Two songs I would point out. Concordent nostris caelica, with the chorus Ave Puella, ave Johanna, was sung after the antiphon as the altar was incensed at the offertory; it begins at approximately 1:12:35. It was composed by Mgr Pierre-Alphonse-Gabriel Foucault, bishop of Saint-Dié (Domrémy-la-Pucelle is in the diocese of Saint-Dié). The final song, the recessional, A l'étendard (Canon Marcel Laurent composed the music, Mgr Gustave Vié, later bishop of Monaco, the lyrics), is quite rousing; it begins at approximately 1:49: Vive Jeanne, vive la France! A different recording:
There is annual ceremony in Orléans in which the mayor presents the bishop with the Standard of St Jeanne.
And, late in the afternoon, I saw this at Le Salon Beige: Mgr le Duc d'Anjou's message for the fête nationale.
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