Noble Liturgy, Notable Land

Appreciating how the saints see land and liturgy

08/20/2025

John 17:20-26 Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: "Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them."

My summer reading has consisted of several books, one of which was (and still is because I’m not finished yet) Joan of Arc by Mark Twain. You know the story, at least its rough contours. Joan lived in the 1400’s, was an uneducated peasant girl from Ars, France, led the armies of France against the occupying English – I can sympathize with Joan being an Indian who wanted to oust the English, too – defeated them, and crowned Charles VII the true king of France.

Let me share one beautiful quote from Twain’s playful pen. He wrote: “Consider this unique and imposing distinction. Since the writing of human history began, Joan of Arc is the only person, of either sex, who has ever held the supreme command of the military forces of a nation at the age of seventeen.” And incidentally, what were you and I doing at the age of 17? Our highest ambition was probably “cruising Grand Avenue” and winning the state football championship.

And yet for all her innocence, sanctity, and single-minded purpose, something always bothered and bugged me about Joan of Arc. Why would a saint be so consumed – maybe obsessed? – with real estate and politics? Shouldn’t a saint’s primary preoccupation be prayer and the moral virtues? Who controls the country and who owns the land is the business of politicians not priests. But in Joan’s mind the two – church and state – were inseparable. Why?

Well, because of an ancient maxim that will sound absurd in the ears of modern American Catholics, namely, “cuius regio, eius religio,” literally rendered, “whose realm, his religion.” That is, whatever religion the king practiced automatically became the religion of all his subjects.

And if you belonged to another faith, your choices were simple: convert, leave the land, or be executed. Ah, the good old days! So, Joan’s main motivation was not so much the land but rather the liturgy, that is, greater freedom for the Church to expand the Kingdom of God, under a Catholic king. That is why she is a canonized saint.

All this rather lengthy introduction was a necessary prelude to understand the saint we venerate today, St. Bernard of Clairvaux. St. Bernard lived from 1090 to 1153 and died on August 20, hence today is his feast day. He initiated a reform of the Benedictine Order called the Cistercians.

Bernard felt the Benedictines had become soft in their religious zeal and believed the Cistercians would better reflect the original ideals of St. Benedict. He was the abbot of Clairvaux (hence his name, Bernard of Clairvaux), founded 163 monasteries, and was declared a doctor of the Church.

But what I want to highlight about St. Bernard is that he preached the Second Crusade to rescue the Holy Land from the Seljuk Turks, that is, the Muslims. In fact, St. Bernard wrote the constitution for the Knights Templars, whose primary purpose was to protect pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. Of course being knights, they would also fight to defend the Holy Land from would-be occupiers, like the Muslims.

In this sense, St. Bernard in the 12th century had the same spirit that filled the heart of St. Joan of Arc in the 15th century. How so? They both perceived a deep connection between land and liturgy. Bernard wanted to protect and preserve the Holy Land so the faith could be practiced there, just like Joan of Arc wanted to free France from English tyranny so the faith could be freely practiced in France, long called “the eldest daughter of the Church.” In other words, both saints’ primary concern was not political but pastoral, to advance the needs of the Kingdom of God on earth.

Fast-forward to modern times, have you noticed how Catholics have always had a keen eye for land and the liturgy? Think of where Subiaco Abbey is located: perched atop a small mountain overlooking the swaying River Valley. St. Scholastica Monastery is built on the highest land in Fort Smith. And naturally, our own beloved Church of the Immaculate Conception is situated at the head of Garrison Avenue, praying for all the denizens of our fair city.

But never forget that our chief concern is not about retail value or resale value, when Catholics invest in land. We don’t care about the “ROI” – the “return on the investment” – but rather about the “Roi” (which is French for “king”). We invest in the Roi, the earthly king, so we get a better ROI, for the heavenly King, Jesus. And it is an undeniable fact that there can be no celebration of the liturgy without land upon which to erect a church. And the most noble liturgy should always stand on the most notable land.

Praised be Jesus Christ!