In her book, The Science of the Cross, Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) wrote the following which describes well, and far more eloquently than I myself have described, what Le Royaume represents in my own life:
“The example of the saints demonstrates to them how things should actually be: where there is genuine, lively faith, there the doctrine of faith and the ‘tremendous deeds’ of God are the content of life. All else steps aside for it and is determined by it.
This is holy realism: the original inner receptivity of the soul reborn in the Holy Spirit. Whatever the soul encounters is received in an appropriate manner and with corresponding depth, and finds in the soul a living, mobile, docile energy that allows itself to be easily and joyfully led and molded by that which it has received, unhampered by any mistaken inhibitions and rigidity. Such realism, when it leads a holy soul to accept the truths of faith, becomes the science of the saints. If the mystery of the cross becomes its inner form, it turns into a science of the cross.
Holy realism has a certain affinity with the realism of the child who receives and responds to impressions with unimpaired vigor and vitality, and with uninhibited simplicity…
…But the Crucified One demands from the artist more than a mere portrayal of the image. He demands that the artist, just as every other person, follow him: that he both make himself and allow himself to be made into an image of the one who carries the cross and is crucified.
Expressing the image externally can be a hindrance to doing so internally, but by no means must this be so; actually, it can serve the process of interior transformation because only with the production of the external expression will the inner image be fully formed and interiorly adopted.
In this manner, when no obstacle is placed in its path, it becomes an interior representation that urges the artist to effectively reproduce it in action, that is, by way of imitation, externally.
And yes, the external image, one’s own artistic creation, can always serve to spur one on to transform oneself interiorly according to its meaning.”
Le Royaume is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work of “Holy Realism” in my own life through the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the saintly, sisterly care of St. Joan of Arc and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. It is the “external image” and my “own artistic creation” which “the Crucified One demands” from me to follow Him. It serves as “the process of interior transformation” urging me “to effectively reproduce it in action, that is, by way of imitation, externally.”
Being, therefore, the artistic creation of this Holy Realism, Le Royaume reflects my worldview and guides my every intention. I believe it to be thoroughly orthodox in its Catholicism. If there are errors here in matters of faith and morals, they are purely material and do not reflect an obstinate desire to stray from the truth. This rule has brought me to new life through the Holy Catholic Church and in particular through True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the friendship and sisterly care of St. Joan of Arc and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. “To Jesus through Mary in the friendship and sisterly care of St. Joan and St. Thérèse!” “Vérité, Beauté, Bonté!”
Le Royaume is a comprehensive mission to inspire and restore the influence of Catholic and Royal France in America. Its objective is to support the Catholic Church in her mission of praying for the Father’s kingdom “on earth as it is in Heaven” and to save souls for eternity by inspiring them to a repentant, dogmatic confession of Catholic faith through the pedagogical influence of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Catholic and Royal France under the co-patronage of Ste. Jehanne d’Arc and Ste. Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus.
Le Royaume’s over-arching Vision established by Jesus Christ for the universal Church:
“Set your hearts on his Kingdom first, and on God’s saving justice, and all these other things will be given you as well.” (Mt 6:33) “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mt 6:9-10).
Le Royaume’s particular Vision Statement born of the traditional mystical relationship between the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joan of Arc, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and the Kingdom of France:
“The sovereign establishment on earth as it is in Heaven of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Kingdom of France bathed in the mystically beautiful light of the combined spirituality of Sts. Joan of Arc and Thérèse of Lisieux.”
Le Royaume’s Motto:
“Seek the Kingdom, Love the Kingdom, Defend the Kingdom!”
Le Royaume’s Mission Statement:
“Le Royaume’s mission is to inspire souls through Truth, Beauty, and Goodness to seek the application of the subjective fruits of Christ’s Redemption in sanctifying grace by a repentant, dogmatic confession of Catholic faith and to develop a spiritual Vision that will open their hearts to efficacious actual graces that will aid them in growing and persevering in that sanctifying grace and in developing a Catholic worldview in social, cultural, and political affairs.
Le Royaume primarily fulfills her mission by inspiring souls to engage in a contemplative Eucharistic journey in total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary and through the holy, beautiful combined spirituality of St. Joan of Arc and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Through the influence of the primary means, Le Royaume fulfills her mission secondarily by evangelically advocating God’s love through the beautiful spiritual pedagogy of Traditional French Catholicism and devotion to the Renaissance of Catholic France.”
In short, “To Jesus through Mary in the friendship and sisterly care of Sts. Joan and Thérèse!”
In addition to the book, which is an organized collection of blog postings with additional insights, Le Royaume has a three-fold online presence that supports its related three-fold program of “Seek the Kingdom, Love the Kingdom, Defend the Kingdom.”
RoyaumeFrance.com
(Seek the Kingdom)
RoyaumeFrance Béni des Ste. Jehanne et Ste. Thérèse is “The Kingdom Blessed of St. Joan and St. Thérèse” shown to me by these two magnificent saints as if opening royal gates to an astonishingly beautiful Castle sitting majestically on the peak of a panoramic mountain.
RoyaumeFrance is an integral Catholic worldview imbued with the traditional French Catholic spirit. Inspired by Our Lady the Virgin Mary, with Ste. Jehanne d’Arc and Ste. Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus, I evolved over the years through three profound steps to a renewed, mission-driven, life-giving worldview grounded in the Catholic Church and the Social Kingship of Christ through the reign of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That worldview is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Kingdom of Catholic France bathed in the beautiful light of the combined spirituality of Ste. Jehanne and Ste. Thérèse. That mission and those steps that inspired me and gave me hope are outlined below and throughout this site, all integrally devoted to “seeking, loving, and defending” the Kingdom through Vérité, Beauté, Bonté (Truth, Beauty, Goodness).
JoanandTherese.us
(Love the Kingdom)
Loving the kingdom in the saintly and sisterly care of Ste. Jehanne and Ste. Thérèse, to whom we affectionately refer as “The Dove and Rose,” requires relationships in the communion of saints who are our fellow citizens in the kingdom of God. Ste. Jehanne and Ste. Thérèse are prepared to help you, guide you, and walk with you on the Trail of the Dogmatic Creed to the Kingdom. The book Le Royaume describes my own inspirations in this regard, and JoanandTherese.us acts as a study guide (in progress) to aid in reflections.
JoanandTherese.us is a discussion guide site for the book Le Royaume and the site RoyaumeFrance.com. This site can be used effectively by individuals or in groups and should be accompanied by your Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and any other approved source on Church teaching (e.g., Dr. Ludwig Ott’s, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma).
RoyalHearts.us
(Defend the Kingdom)
Just as we read scripture with both the literal and spiritual meanings in mind, those of us with Royal Hearts see well beyond the mere literal and historical context of the Catholic Monarchy to its Allegorical, Moral, and Anagogical purpose. The Catholic Monarchy can be understood by its significance to the Social Kingship of Christ (Allegorical); by its morally just way in defending the Church (Moral); and by its Form which points to the proper Divine Order leading us to Heaven (Anagogical). Our devotion to the Catholic Monarchy is not simply socio-political; it is spiritual.
The CRAA is a Catholic contemplative based, counterrevolutionary initiative dedicated to the reign of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Social Kingship of Christ in the friendship and sisterly care of Ste. Jehanne d’Arc and Ste. Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus.
The CRAA is under the patronage of Queen St. Clotilda, mother of Christendom, and inspired by the Armée Catholique et Royale, an eighteenth century counterrevolutionary movement from the Vendée region of western France during the French Revolution.
The CRAA is the spiritual counterrevolutionary arm of the the Dove and Rose, which is a sister initiative devoted to Ste. Jehanne d’Arc and Ste. Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus that seeks to help us grow in sanctifying grace. Together, The CRAA and the Dove and Rose Devotees seek to expand the Kingdom of God on earth (the seed of which is the Catholic Church), where Jesus Christ is worshiped and honored as our mighty King, the most holy and immaculate Virgin Mary is rightfully honored as our glorious Queen, and the Saints are honored as our noble sisters and brothers. Is this not what we were taught to pray by our Master? “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
The “heart” of The CRAA is a desire to work under the motherly care of Queen St. Clotilda in the friendship and sisterly care of Ste. Jehanne d’Arc and Ste. Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus for the institution of the Social Kingship of Christ and the reign of the Immaculate Heart of Mary through the political and cultural form of the Catholic Monarchy. We emphasize devotion to the Renaissance of Catholic France, the restoration of the French Catholic Monarchy along with all Catholic Monarchies of Christendom, and even the establishment of a Catholic Monarchy in the United States.
All three: Seek the Kingdom, Love the Kingdom, Defend the Kingdom, are intended to inspire in us through faith the flame of hope leading to God’s love.
This Kingdom of Sts. Joan and Thérèse is “La France Mystique,” the mystical Kingdom of France, which Kingdom, through the consecration of France to the Virgin Mary in 1638 by King Louis XIII and by the later decrees of Popes Pius XI (proclaiming St. Joan of Arc as secondary patroness of France) and Pius XII (proclaiming St. Thérèse as secondary co-patroness of France), belongs to the Virgin Mary with our saintly sisters. It uniquely emanates with what I describe as “the most beautiful color in the heavens,” that is, the combined spirituality of St. Joan of Arc and St. Thérèse of Lisieux as they guide us in their saintly and sisterly care on the Trail of the Dogmatic Creed to the center of the Immaculate Heart of Mary where Jesus Christ is enthroned in all of His glory.
