VIVE LA FRANCE!

Reflections on Bastille Day

Today the Lindsay House Family is remembering our 

French roots and heritage.

On the mother's side was a French soldier named Jacob Michel. He came with the Marquis de Lafayette from France, to assist the cause of the Continental Patriots in their battle for freedom from the tyranny of England's King, George III.

On the father's side was the french-born musician, Serge de Gastyne. He was a career member of the United States Air Force Band and Symphony as a composer/arranger. One of his major musical works, entitled L'Ile Lumiere (Island of Light), ends with an exciting musical description of Serge's memories of French fireworks celebrations.

As a teenager, Serge had aided in the work of the French underground during the Nazi occupation of France in WWII. 

His mother wrote in her book entitled, Here I Am, about the day when the Allied Forces made their way through the French countryside after the invasion of Normandy. Serge and his mother were traveling by bicycle to the town where Serge's brother was being cared for by a kind family. As they approached the town, they saw Allied flags flying, and became very excited. As Louise, the mother dropped to her knees and prayed her thanksgiving, her son stood tall and sang, "La Marseillaise" the French national anthem. Soon they saw American jeeps and trucks with smiling G.I.s.

Allons enfants de la patrie, 

Le jour de gloire est arrivé 

Contre nous de la tyrannie 

L'étendard sanglant est levé 

Entendez vous dans les campagnes, 

Mugir ces féroces soldats? 

Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras 

Egorger nos fils, nos compagnes!  

Aux armes, citoyens! 

Formez vos bataillons! 

Marchons! Marchons! 

Qu'un sang impur 

Abreuve nos sillons! 

To hear a stirring rendition in French,  and see English (translation),

copy and paste this:     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dZedEXikg8

Bastille Day, le quatorze Juillet, is the French National Day which is celebrated on 14 July of each year. It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789.

We saw this announcement on a website:

This live feed is in Paris for the Bastille Day fireworks . . .

When Lindsay House Publishing's founder saw this today, she knew she had to watch the light show. And what a show it was - lasting for a full half an hour!

The accompanying photos are screen captures of the actual event, live-streamed on the internet.

About Bastille Day -  The French celebration of freedom from royal tyranny.

Festivities and official ceremonies are held all over France. The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, French officials and foreign guests.

On 17 May, 1789, Louis XVI convened the Estates-General to hear their grievances. The deputies of the Third Estate representing the common people (the two others were the Catholic Church and nobility) decided to break away and form a National Assembly. On 20 June the deputies of the Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath, swearing not to separate until a constitution had been established. They were gradually joined by delegates of the other estates; Louis XVI started to recognize their validity on 27 June. The assembly re-named itself the National Constituent Assembly on 9 July, and began to function as a legislature and to draft a constitution. 

In the wake of the 11 July dismissal of Jacques Necker, the people of Paris, fearful that they and their representatives would be attacked by the royal military, and seeking to gain ammunition and gunpowder for the general populace, stormed the Bastille, a fortress-prison in Paris which had often held people jailed on the basis of "lettres de cachet", arbitrary royal indictments that could not be appealed. Besides holding a large cache of ammunition and gunpowder, the Bastille had been known for holding political prisoners whose writings had displeased the royal government, and was thus a symbol of the absolutism of the monarchy. . .

From time to time, a different  kind of ruler would appear upon the stage.

Such was Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre. She was the mother of the great Henri Quatre, (Henry IV) who signed the Edict of Nantes, granting religious toleration to the Huguenots (Protestants) of France.

Jeanne championed those who took refuge in the fortress city of La Rochelle when it was beseiged by the infamous Cardinal Richelieu. She died there of a disease, while praying for the people.

We believe the strong, faithful spirit of Jeanne d'Albret can inspire the people of France even today, as they search for answers to their personal and national problems.

 As we celebrate France today, we pray as did Jeanne d'Albret:

Lord, Your Kingdom come!

Your will be done in France as it is in heaven,

in Jesus' holy and mighty Name, amen.

      Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre, 

        Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, France