Saint Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) was the first woman to practice the life of radical poverty as taught by Saint Francis. Placed by him at the head of a few companions in the small convent of San Damiano, she governed her community for forty-two years thus founding at the gates of Assisi the Order of Poor Clares.
Saint Clare feast day is ordinarily celebrated upon August 11. This year that date falls upon the Lord's Day and, thus, Saint Clare's feast day is superseded by the Sunday liturgy across most of the Western Church. But why celebrate Saint Clare in the first place? Pictured below is one young woman who can help to prayerfully answer that question. She is Sister Amaris Salata of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. Sister Amaris hails from the parish of Christ the King in Ann Arbor. She writes:
We cannot think of Clare without considering Francis, and vice versa, so integral was each to the other's call and sanctity. Francis loved praying in solitude in the mountains, so much so that he asked his trusted friend Clare to discern if contemplative life, instead of preaching, was his vocation. As we know, the response was no. Clare confirmed that Francis' Call was to be among the people, preaching and serving, that many would come to know God.
What has been meaningful to me in this anecdote is the importance of friendship, complementarity, and our real need for others in our journey to God. We do not become holy in isolation. God has given us brothers and sisters to help shape us according to who He has made us to be, not just for ourselves but for the Church. This demands the risk to trust and surrender our lives into God's hands through relationship with others. Saint Clare, pray for us!
