Throughout
the last few weeks of the course St. Francis of Assisi kept popping up, as he
often does, as an important figure. While I in no way deny the importance of
St. Francis I feel it is important to also acknowledge his friend, St. Clare as
well. She was a strong and persistent person, very close to God, and someone whom we should try to model our lives after.
Clare
was born in 1194, to a rather wealthy Italian family. Apart from the knowledge
that her mother cared for the less fortunate, there is not much known about
Clare’s early years, or her family life. When she was around eighteen she
attended a Lenten course at a local church. It was preached by St. Francis,
roughly five years after his conversion, and it was this that struck Clare’s
heart.
Clare
and Francis quickly became friends; he led her into a deeper relationship with
God. One story that kept cropping up throughout my research of the saint was
the story of how she came to choose the life of a religious. One year, on Palm
Sunday, Clare chose to attend the mass at the Cathedral in Assisi, everyone
went up to the alter rail to receive their palms, and Clare remained behind,
feeling unworthy. The Bishop noticed that she did not go up, so he left the
alter and went to her. It was that same night that Clare left her father’s
house and went to the Portiuncula where Francis and his friars were living.
Francis cut her hair, and presented her with a robe made of sackcloth. He
quickly connected Clare to a convent of Benedictines where she first began to
live the life of a nun.
It
was believed that Clare was going to marry, and live a life of wealth and
prosperity; at least that was the plan of her family. Upon her leaving and
joining the convent there was great distress, the family came after her, trying
to convince her to return home and marry, but Clare quite obviously had other
plans. In the end several of her family members, including her mother, her
sister Agnes, and one of her aunts, joined the Order of the Poor Ladies
throughout the years.
Francis
requested that Clare become the abbess of the Poor Ladies, and out of obedience
she obliged, though it was not something she desired. The Order was moved to San
Damiano, and it was here that they stayed and developed rules. After much
perseverance Clare succeeded in convincing Pope Gregory IX that she and her
ladies wished to live a life of complete poverty, never owning anything, as
Francis had also insisted. The Pope finally consented presenting the ladies
with this letter
It
is evident that the desire of consecrating yourselves to God alone
has led you to abandon every wish for temporal things. Wherefore, after having
sold all your goods and having distributed them among
the poor,
you propose to have absolutely no possessions, in order to follow in all things
the example of Him Who became poor and Who is the way, the truth,
and the life. Neither does the want of necessary things deter you from such a
proposal, for the left arm of your Celestial Spouse is beneath your head to sustain the
infirmity of your body, which, according to the order of charity,
you have subjected to the law of the spirit.
Finally, He who feeds the birds of the air and who gives the lilies of the
field their raiment and their nourishment, will not leave you in want of
clothing or of food until He shall come Himself to minister to you in eternity when, namely, the right hand of His consolations shall
embrace you in the plenitude of the Beatific Vision.
Since, therefore, you have asked for it, we confirm by Apostolic favour your
resolution of the loftiest poverty and by the authority of these
present letters grant that you may not be
constrained by anyone to receive possessions. To no one, therefore, be it
allowed to infringe upon this page of our concession or to oppose it with rash
temerity. But if anyone shall presume to attempt this, be it known to him that he shall incur the
wrath of Almighty God and his Blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul.[1]
Over
the years St. Clare had many discussions with the Bishops and the Popes. The
Popes would somtimes attempt to pass a rule with which Clare did not agree. Through
her stubbornness and perseverance, she would lead them to see why it went
against how the order was supposed to run. Apparently, after St. Francis passed
away, the Pope told the friars that none of them were to enter the convent.
Clare began to refuse the food which they were bringing because she felt no
need for the things of the earth when “they were not providing spiritual food
as Francis had promised they would do. The pope soon relented.”[2]
These
were not the only circumstance in which Clare persevered, on the other
occasions she not only protected her Ladies, but the city of Assisi as well.
During two separate occasions, Assisi was under attack and Clare and the Poor
Ladies conquered through prayer. The first assault occurred late one evening,
the convent was under attack. Clare rose from her bed and returned with the
monstrance from the chapel. The invasion stopped, the men left rather
“dazzled.” Weeks later a second invasion occurred, this one larger. Clare and
the Poor Ladies began to pray, asking God to protect their city, and their
home. As a result of their prayers, a large storm began, preventing the attack
and sending the troops on their way. During both of these situations, it is
said that Clare and the protection God granted due to her prayer, performed
miracles.
Clare
died in 1253 in San Damiano. In 1255 Clare was canonized a saint by Pope
Alexander IV. A church, Santa Chiara, was erected in her name. Centuries later
St. Clare’s coffin was excavated. It turns out that her bones remained whole,
complete, and unblemished. She now resides for all to see in the crypt of Santa
Chiara, in Assisi.
Sources Used –
Baker-Johnson,
Sharon. 2012. “Saint Clare: The Anchored Soul.” Priscilla Papers26, no. 2: 16-18. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost
(accessed June 27, 2014).
Butler, Alban. Butler's
Lives of the Saints. concise ed. Edited by Michael J. Walsh. San Francisco:
Harper & Row, 1985.
[2] Baker-Johnson,
Sharon. 2012. “Saint Clare: The Anchored Soul.” Priscilla Papers26, no. 2: 16-18. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost
(accessed June 27, 2014).
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