Friday, July 26, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
St Clare of Assisi - consecration to Christ
The Church in western Europe was not in such good shape at the end of
the 12th century. But it was at this time that the Holy Spirit stirred
the hearts of two young people in central Italy, giving rise to the
remarkable Franciscan movement.
Clare was born Chiara Offreduccio in 1193 or 1194, the daughter of a
wealthy and highly educated family in Assisi. When Francis began to
preach the Gospel in the squares of Assisi in 1210 Clare was 16 years
old, 11 years younger than him. Even as a child her heart was turned
towards the Lord, and she would share her food with the poor and needy
people of the town. She had already refused several offers of marriage.
At the age of 18, she was captivated by Francis' Lenten preaching of a
Christ-centred simple gospel life, and especially his emphasis on
poverty as a special vocation. She had several secret meetings with him,
accompanied only by a friend, Bona, and made up her mind to join him.
On Palm Sunday 1212 Clare left her parents' house secretly. She had
already sold her dowry and given the money to the poor. At the little
church of St Mary of the Angels, just below Assisi, she met Francis and a
few of his brothers. She changed her dress for a simple habit, and took
off her jewellery. Francis cut her hair, and she made a vow of
obedience to him. At first she lived with a nearby Benedictine community
of nuns, doing simple menial tasks.
Not surprisingly, Clare's family were outraged at what she had done.
They sent armed men to bring her back, without success. When Clare's
younger sister, Catherine, followed her only a fortnight later, the
family made even more violent attempts to force her to return home. They
were in fact carrying Catherine away physically, but Clare prayed, and
Catherine became so heavy that they could not lift her. Defeated, they
returned home.
Francis received Catherine, too, as a sister, and gave her the name
Agnes. Then Clare, Agnes and several friends moved to San Damiano, the
church where Francis had heard Jesus speak to him from the crucifix,
charging him to "rebuild" the Church. Here the first community of Poor
Clares came into being. Clare's widowed mother joined as well.
It was said that the followers of Clare were the most beautiful young
girls from the best families of Assisi. The community grew rapidly, and
in 1215, very much against her will, Clare was made Abbess.
The women devoted themselves to prayer, nursing the sick, and works of
mercy for the poor and neglected. The order came to be called the "Poor
Clares." They wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a house that was
unsatisfactory even by the standards of that era. They also kept silent
most of the time. They had no beds, but slept on twigs with patched hemp
for blankets. Whatever they ate was food they begged for. Clare made
sure she fasted more than anyone else.
Clare Remained in charge until her death in 1253. In spite of long years
of sickness, we know the depth of her love for the Lord by the letters
she wrote. Two years after her death, in 1255, she was declared a saint
by the church.
In the early years of the movement Francis visited Clare often, but as
his own community grew his visits decreased and she had to find within
herself the inspiration she had received from him. Their relationship
grew more equal, and Francis would consult her on important decisions.
In his last illness he came to San Damiano and Clare cared for him.
Although she called herself “the little plant of Francis” Clare was in
fact a powerful and innovative woman, the first woman to write a Rule (a
guide to a way of life) for a religious community. She struggled with
the institutional church for most of her life, as Popes and Cardinals
resisted the renewal movement and sought to draw her away from the
poverty which was at the heart of her following of Jesus. But she
remained firm and her Rule was finally approved by the Pope himself just
a few days before her death. By that time there were more than 150
communities which followed her way of life, mainly in Italy, southern
France and Spain, but spreading as far east as Prague, and as far west
as Bruges.
God of peace,
who in the poverty of the blessed Clare
gave us a clear light
to shine in the darkness of this world:
give us grace so to follow in her footsteps
that we may, at the last,
rejoice with her in your eternal glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(above from http://www.fministry.com/2012/08/st-clare-of-assisi-consecration-to.html)
Clare at the Feet of the Crucified
Clare at the Feet of the Crucified
The theme of Jesus Crucified occurs frequently in the writings of Clare, and there is evidence that her devotion included a daily recitation of the prayer of the Five Wounds. Furthermore, she recommends in a letter to Sister Ermentrude that she consider herself the spouse of Jesus Christ and “meditate frequently on the mysteries of the His Passion and the sorrows of His Blessed Mother at the foot of the cross.” (Letter to Ermentrude of Bruges)
Our Mother Saint Clare focused her meditation on the God-man, the poor Christ who became the most vile of men: rejected, whipped, beaten mercilessly in his entire body, dying the bitter pains of the cross. (Second Letter of Clare to Saint Agnes of Prague)
Saint Clare, in the silence of her convent, as a worthy spouse of Christ, carried with Him the cross of suffering. Many were her penances and many her sorrows, but like Mary the Mother of Jesus, she guarded all this agony in the silence of her heart.
When she writes: “Observe, consider and contemplate [Him]with the desire to imitate” (Process of Canonization, 10), she is referring to the mystery of the passion and also to the mystery of the Total Christ. She becomes an imitator of Christ in the enclosure of San Damiano. Like the Virgin Mary and Saint John, Clare remains at the feet of Christ Crucified.
The sisters who commit themselves to observe the Holy Gospel are, for Clare, collaborators with God Himself and with the weak members of his ineffable Body. Therefore Clare herself becomes for them and example and a mirror, so that her sisters might see in her the way to love the cross out of love. (Process of Canonization, 10).
In the temptations, in the painful events, in the difficulties, in the sufferings that besiege the soul and in the trials that accompany the entirety of life, Clare who has lived them all exhorts us to remain firm in God with faithfulness and joy.
Like Clare we must begin again, reserving nothing for ourselves, leaving all for the Lord, dying to ourselves in order to give spiritual nourishment to the world by our sacrifices, trusting in God and His promise.
The last song or our Mother ´s life ends with a canticle that is a blessing for us: Clare invites us to praise God, to give Him thanks for all the benefits he has bestowed upon us. This blessing is a shout of gratitude for the love that God has for all of us.
- By sister Luz Maria Leyva, president of the Federation of Our Lady of the Angeles, Capuchin Poor Clares, http://capuchinpoorclares.org/jubilee/?p=252
St. Clare's Love
"The love of Jesus Crucified was at the heart of Clare's existence. This is what gave her life direction, unity, dynamism and splendor."
- Fr. Rene Charles Dhont, OFM
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Today, July 24th - Feast day of Bl. Louise of Savoy, Poor Clare nun 1461-1503
On the feast of the Holy Innocents in the year 1461, a daughter was born to Blessed Amadeus, duke of Savoy. She was to become more distinguished in the world for her innocence and sanctity than for the nobility of her birth. This daughter was Blessed Louise.
From childhood she showed a marked love for prayer and retirement. On the vigils of the feasts of our Lady she fasted on bread and water. In compliance with the wish of her mother, a sister of King Louis IX of France, Louise wore costly garments and jewelry as was becoming her princely rank; but underneath them she wore a garment of haircloth, and she always looked upon her external finery as a reminder to adorn her soul with virtues.
Louise possessed such innocent simplicity that pride and vanity were wholly foreign to her. Still with the simplicity of a dove she also combined great prudence in evading the dangers of a life at court, to which she was exposed.
She had already decided to consecrate herself to God in the state of virginity, when her uncle and guardian, the king of France, desired her to marry the prince of Chalon. Louise believed that God was thus manifesting His will in her regard; and so she gave her hand to the virtuous young prince.
He was pleased to note how her example and authority checked the excessive luxury and the frivolous customs prevailing at court. Not only did she reform the habits of the ladies of the court, but even the men were won over to a Christian life. If anyone of them was caught cursing or using unbecoming language, she required him to do penance by giving alms for the poor. She and her husband attended the dances and plays that were given, but never took part in them themselves. They went there only to prevent anything disorderly. She is reported to have said what St. Frances de Sales said at a later date: "Dances and plays are like mushrooms, of which the best are not worth much."
When she was but 27 years old, Louise lost her devoted husband. She declined all offers of a second marriage, even those coming from the most honorable suitors. She wished now to live in retirement and very simply, and to devote herself to works of penance, piety, and Christian charity. She used her great wealth in carrying out an extensive program of charity.
There were no children to claim her maternal care; and since she desired to live in close union with God, she entered the convent of the Poor Clares at Orbe after overcoming great obstacles. Here the princess was a model to all in humility, poverty, and self-abnegation. She observed all the precepts of the rule and of obedience most conscientiously, and was always very grateful for any reprimands she received. She fostered a tender devotion to the sufferings of Christ and to our Blessed Lady, from whom she sometimes received special favors.
A serious illness seized Louise when she was 42 years old. After she had received the last sacraments with great devotion, her death agony began, but she was still able to pronounce the words from the Office of Our Lady:
O Fount of Mercy, Mother mine,Then she surrendered her pure soul into the hands of her Creator on July 24, 1503. God glorified her by many miracles, and so Pope Gregory XVI confirmed her veneration in 1839.
Through whom God sends us grace divine,
Free me from sin, and lend thy aid
When death's dark hour makes me afraid.
ON FAITHFUL FULFILLMENT OF THE DUTIES OF OUR STATE
1. In every station in life, as daughter, wife, widow, and religious, Blessed Louise distinguished herself as a model of virtue. That is why she merits such great praise. In the sight of God the true worth of a man depends on the fidelity he manifests in fulfilling the duties of his state of life, and God's judgement will also be in accordance with that standard. It is related of a confessor of Emperor Charles V that, after the latter had confessed his personal sins, the confessor said to him: "That was the confession of Charles; not let the emperor confess." The Eternal Judge will surely require an accounting of you also in accordance with your vocation; and when He says, "Give an account of your stewardship" (Luke 16:3), it will, without doubt, mean an account of your vocation, your work, the office you help while here on earth. May you then stand the test as Blessed Louise did. -- Examine yourself now in these matters.
2. Consider that each station in life has its peculiar dangers, and that many a vocation involves greater hardships than the one you have embraced.
Innocence and simplicity alone are not always sufficient, but we must add to these virtues prudence, foresight, and constancy. But no matter how great the hardships, a Christian may never despair. Where human strength seems insufficient, God will come to the assistance of him who does what he is able to do. "He is faithful who has called you, who also will do it" (1 Thes 5:24). In His wisdom God lets storms come upon us in order to test our fidelity, but He never tries us beyond measure. He "will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Cor 10:13). -- Was perhaps lack of trust in God the reason why you have become weak and unfaithful in the past?
3. Consider the means that must be employed in every state of life for the faithful fulfillment of our duties. To know our duties well and to have the necessary strength to fulfill them, we must apply the religious means at our disposal: daily prayer, listening to the Word of God, and the frequent reception of the sacraments. To overcome our own personal indolence and the opposition of fallen nature, we must deny ourselves, according to the words of our Lord: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily" (Luke 9:23). Finally, it is necessary that we keep before our eyes the first and greatest commandment: To love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. This will help you to be faithful to your duty in every station in life, like Blessed Louise, so that you, too, may one day hear the words of the Lord: "Because you have been faithful over a few things, I will place you over many things; enter you into the joy of your Lord" (Matt 25:23).
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O God, who didst raise up in Blessed Louise a remarkable model of virtue in every position of life, grant us, that in every state to which Thou dost call us, we may follow her example and may deserve to attain to Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
from: The Franciscan Book of Saints, ed. by Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan Herald Press
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)