On 11th of August sisters
and we Franciscan brothers will celebrate Mother Clare’s feast day with joy and
gladness, gratitude and love. We believe that there cannot be Francis without
Clare and there cannot be Clare without Francis. Both these chosen ones complement
each other. They stand by each other and spiritually support each other in
their search of God. Franciscan spirituality shines out clearly with the
presence of St. Clare who stands true to her name. Clare. Clara. Chiara.
Clare’s life is full of clarity of light. For 60 year her light shone in
Assisi. She was born in Assisi in 1193 in knightly family. Her father’s name
was Favarone and Mother’s name Ortolana an extraordinary woman. As a child she
loved to pray and give alms to the poor, she was deeply moved by the pain of
the poor, especially the lepers whom she served with love. St. Francis entered
her life as a spiritual guide. She heard stories of rich Francis who had
renounced his father’s riches and walked Assisi’s streets dressed like a
beggar. Clare found a holy soul with whom she could confide her heart’s secret:
to follow in the footsteps of the Poor Christ.
The Franciscan sources speak a
lot about Mother Clare and her contribution in the development of Franciscan
movement. Clare, a strong and devout woman who gave up the pleasures and wealth
of the world to follow the Crucified Lord helped St. Francis spiritually to
form the Brothers. She was gentle, a great healer of souls about whom the
Franciscan Order records as a spiritual Mother to the early friars. Clare was
impressed deeply by the lifestyle of Francis and the impression was so deep and
lasting that she decided to join this serious and mysterious poor man of
Assisi. She ran away from her family, leaving the house through the back door
to indicate that she was dead to the family but alive for the Lord to serve Him
in the Society. The influence of her holiness and spirituality was so deep that
her mother and sister came to live with her at San Damiano. She demonstrated a
strong love for God, sisters and all people around in Assisi. Clare’s love for
Christ made her to accept extreme poverty in a society, which glorified
richness and wealth. She even went to the extent of asking the Bishops and pope
to have a privilege to live a poor and simple life. In that small town of
Assisi rose a great spiritual flower and light, which is still attracting
millions to her.
The very name of Clare makes
all those who visit Assisi to pause and wonder about her life and spirituality.
In order to understand her radical and strong commitment to the crucified
Christ, we need to read her life with faith and trust which leads to
transformation of one’s heart. She was totally devoted to Gospel poverty and
lived it out with her sisters in the convent. Clare’s desire to follow the poor
and crucified Lord was so strong that even some strong men sent by her father
to bring her back from the convent could not deter her.
Clare is full of light to all
her spiritual sons and daughters. She shone while living and even now after her
death as she is the Patroness of Television in Italy. She continues to be
shining example of Holy poverty because she embraced the poor crucified Christ.
She came from a wealthy and rich family. As a child she loved to pray and give
alms to the poor whose sight would make her to cry and move her to compassion.
Her father brought many proposals for marriage but she refused to marry as she
was already in Love with Christ whom she considered the greatest lover of
souls. She was influenced by Francis who begged and served the lepers. She
found an example to follow and do what her heart longed to do: to follow in the
footsteps of the Poor Christ. And finally she decided to commit herself totally
and beautiful Clare became a spouse of Jesus by offering her silky long hair as
a sign of her commitment to the Lord. And San Damiano, the Church which Francis
repaired became home of Clare betrothed to Christ.
The spirit of Clare was like a
flame that burned for the warmth of all and dispelled the darkness around
through her spirituality. Sacrifice was her daily bread and with the sacrifice
she was able to love God with all her heart and mind. Clare with her warm heart
and life full of divine light, she loved God with sacrificial love. She
expressed her love for God in devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. She would
spend hours and hours contemplating and meditating on the mysteries of the
lord. An incident is reported in her biography that shows her knightly
character. When the mercenary soldiers of the Emperor Frederick II were posted
outside the city of Assisi ready to begin their siege by first seizing the
monastery of San Damiano, Clare had the Blessed Sacrament brought to the opened
door of the dormitory. When the mercenary soldiers beheld the Eucharistic
Christ, they retreated, and Assisi was spared. It happened in September 1240
and she and her sisters acted like knights.
St. Clare died at San Damiano
in 1253 with her sisters and Brothers Juniper and Leo at her side. Her body was
brought from San Damiano to the Church of San Giorgio, where Francis’ body was
also kept until the erection his basilica. The Basilica of St. Clare was
constructed on the exact site of the Church of San Giorgio in 1257-60. Like
Francis’, Clare’s body rested in an unknown location beneath the church until
the nineteenth century. Today it is preserved in a crystal casket in the
crypt. May St. Clare intercede for us to
be light of the Lord in the world.
Fr. Michael Fernandes, OFM Cap
No comments:
Post a Comment