Sunday, August 9, 2015

ST. CLARE OF ASSISI – FEMININE SIDE OF FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY




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

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