WELCOME! Mystic Moment: St. Clare of Assisi July 16, 1194 – August 11, 1253
Meeting ID: 815 0755 1772
To connect by phone dial: +1 646 558 8656
OPENING SONG: Become What We Love by Carmel Boyle
https://youtu.be/98erkb5g88c?si=n5hU9ezoJkh-aSmW
OPENING PRAYER
Holy One, we thank you for the continual flow of spiritual models we celebrate in the communion of saints. Help us slow down daily distractions and approach the thin place in the veil between us and mystics who have transitioned to the other side as we listen, watch, and draw spiritual energy from them for our journey.
St. Clare, we are grateful for your extraordinary lessons that affect our everyday life. We ask for the strength, courage, and fortitude you showed by inspiring the Church hierarchy to trust women’s judgement and spirituality in the transformation of ideas and attitudes in the Church and throughout the world. By your determination and unending perseverance, you highlighted and jump-started the power of women’s work in bringing the Kin-Dom of Christ Jesus. By your words, deeds, and example, St. Clare, you taught us to reflect the good in ourselves, unlock what is already within us, and shine the light of Love to all creation.
ST. CLARE’S QUIET REVOLUTION Sr. Margaret Carney, OSF
https://youtu.be/VahdSq4B34Q?si=6ewsToO2KDmxp6zNb
FIRST MEDITATION
PRAYER
Faith. Trust. Courage. O precious Saint Clare, you mirrored these virtue lights to us. We come asking you to show us how to be a mirror of the Holy One’s Love to everyone we meet. Through your life of hope, peace, and poverty of spirit, point out to us every day opportunities to express love of our neighbor. You and your beloved friend St. Francis taught us “love your neighbor” means to put into action a burning desire to care for all of Mother Earth with our earthly goods, words, and actions. It means taking action on behalf of the little ones whose voices are not heard, whether they be trees or bees, two leggers, four leggers, flyers, swimmers, and humans of every description. We are all sisters and brothers; love everyone, no exceptions. Thank you, St. Clare, we see the brilliant Light you reflect among us.
ST. CLARE POEM
LIGHT By: Ilia Delio, OSF
Shining in the universe, pervading every corner of creation,
Invisible presence, Uncreated essence.
Light from Light radiating, diffusing, energizing.
Making all things alive, inwardly, outwardly uniting all things
Together along the galaxies of this visible universe.
Bending back time and space,
Filling black holes with hidden gladness,
To burst forth with energy, goodness love, New Creation.
Light from Light
In whom we live and move and have our being.
Diffusing through the stars into our hearts.
Sun beams, moon beams, star beams,
All join in the cosmic light-filled dance of praise to the
Overflowing source of light, the trinity of beaming love
Spilling over with delight on the Lovers of creation.
Clare is among them. She shines brilliantly.
On earth her shining deeds set her apart,
On high the fullness of the Divine light shines upon her.
O the wonderful brilliance of blessed Clare!
This woman grew bright in the world, radiated in her religious life,
Shone like the sun in her home,
Like a burst of lightning in the enclosure.
She gave light in life,
She is radiant after death, she was brilliant on earth, she is resplendent in Heaven.
~ O how great is the power of this light
And how intense is the brilliance of its illumination!
She shines on us now - Enlightens our hearts -
And shows us the way
To be Light
To Join with her
In Light
For the life of the world. Illia Delio, O.S.F.
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM ST. CLARE
Susan Hines-Brigger August 2022, St. Anthony Messenger
When I traveled to Assisi for pilgrimage 10 years ago, I thought I was going mostly to immerse myself in the life of St. Francis. I knew we would also be learning about St. Clare, source of inspiration and spiritual energy, but I didn’t feel as drawn to her. At the time, I knew very little of her story, other than she was connected to St. Francis.
Once I arrived, though, and began to also walk in Clare’s footsteps, I found myself drawn to her. I saw a strong woman who held fast in her beliefs, despite the many challenges she faced along her journey. Her resilience inspired me, her role modeling of bravery and courage in the face of crisis, and bold actions to convince the Vatican to sanction her way of life.
How did Clare, who lived tucked away at San Damiano, make an overwhelming, immense impact on people outside of her monastery, and still does to this day? She couldn’t spread her message through traveling and preaching, as Francis and his brothers did. Instead, she did it through her words and everyday examples of humility and courageous life choices which demonstrate how we must speak up and speak out and act on injustices and toward making things right.
Clare’s use of a mirror as a metaphor and example is famous. Just as I suspect, most people do, when I look into a mirror, I see my flaws. Unfortunately, given the standards of the society we live in, we have been conditioned to do just that. I focus on the gray hairs that I want to get rid of, the COVID-19 weight I’ve gained but not yet taken off, and the wrinkles I want to cover up. I also use it to help put on the products that I use to mask the things that I find troubling. What I don’t see reflected back at me, though, is what lies beyond that mirror. In her writing and leadership at San Damiano, Clare uses the mirror as a tool to show others how to live out their faith. One of Clare’s great gifts was to explain ways to follow our faith in a very accessible way. It is a gift that still guides us today.
The challenge, Clare told her, was to not only look into the mirror and see ourselves, but to also think of how the mirror is reflecting us to others. She once again used this reference with her sisters in her Testament, saying: “For the Holy One himself has placed us not only as a form for others in being an example and mirror, but even for our sisters whom the Holy One has called to our way of life as well, that they in turn might be a mirror and example to those living in the world. She told us: “Our body is not made of iron. Our strength is not that of stone. Live and have Faith, Trust, and Courage.”
MEDITATION
At that time in history, the Benedictine Rule was the one that both religious men and women were given by the Vatican to live by. Clare longed to have vows and a holy rule that reflected the “Franciscan” way, based on poverty, not owning property, money, or valuables and depending solely on the work of their hands and the generosity of those who knew their work. She became abbess at San Damiano in 1216, and although she did not traverse the cities and towns of Italy preaching as Francis did, her flame of love of the Holy One was felt because of her prayers and her bold actions to protect the city and people she loved. Two days before her death at age 59, the Pope approved her Rule. Approximately 20,000 Poor Clare nuns around the world follow this Rule or adaptations of it today.
PRAYER
Beloved St. Clare, you gave us the image of a mirror as a powerful metaphor and symbol to remember who we are and what we are here to be. What matters is that God sees you reflecting Him in your life, both your tiny sacrifices and your huge efforts at reflecting His love to the world. Give us strength to see the poverty of Christ mirrored back in our own actions. Help us to see in our self-consciousness the image of the Holy One, that we may grow in ability to see the needs of others and find ways to help them on their journey.
MEDITATION
We have examples of women whose courageous actions, powered by Faith and Love of the Holy One, to guide us today. That was not the case in medieval Europe! Even women of wealth and status had very little ability to change the patriarchy of the Church and social order. Mother Clare dedicated much of her time to changing the governing rule (established by the pope) of the order from the Benedictine spirit to one of the newly established Franciscan rule. She was a powerhouse of service to all, and is credited with miracles during her life and afterward. Her loving spirit spilled out to her sisters at San Damiano and through her prayer, cured community members, the poor and sick from her Assisi town, and those brought to her from a distance. St. Clare’s mystic union with the Holy One reverberated from the monastery walls to the city center halls. She gives us an example and encouragement to live our lives in service of one another as the true life of a follower of the Gospels.
QUOTES OF ST. CLARE
“Let the love you have in your hearts be shown outwardly in your deeds.”
“We become what we love, and who we love shapes what we become”
“Let the Holy One be your best consoler in your sadness and sorrow.”
St. Clare of Assisi is the Patron Saint of computers and television. One Christmas near the end of her life she was too ill to attend Christmas Mass. The images and sounds of the entire Mass appeared on the wall of her room. This story would have been well-known to Italian native Pope Pius XII, who in 1957 named her the patroness of this new invention—television—that, in his words, “is a wonderful instrument… which can be the source of very great wealth, but also of deep troubles.” This may be why he chose a saint steeped in humility, poverty, and love of God as its patroness. St. Clare is also the patron saint of sore eyes and embroidery, so let us invoke her prayers on our behalf as we learn to teach and work online and perhaps cultivate new hobbies as we shelter in place. St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us! From website of University of Portland, Garaventa
Closing Song: Music by Cathy Tisel Nelson, sung by Wheaton Franciscan Sisters
(13) Blessing of St. Clare - YouTube
Monastery and Basilica of St. Clare, Assisi, Italy
REFERENCES
Bodo, M. (2010) A Light in the Garden. Phoenix, AZ.
Carney, M. (2021). Light of Assisi: The Story of Saint Claire. Franciscan Media. Cincinnati, O.
Delio, I. (2007). Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love. Franciscan Media. Cincinnati, O.
Mary Magdalen, G. (2021). Visions and Revelations in the Spiritual Life. Sophia Institute. Rome.
Hugo, W.R.; Schatzlein, J. (2019). Studying the Life of St. Clare of Assisi: A Beginner’s Workbook. New City Press, Hyde Park, NY.
Starr, M. (2019) Wild Mercy: Living the fierce and tender wisdom of the women mystics. Sounds True. Boulder, CO.
Thoman, B. (2017). St. Clare of Assisi: Light from the Cloister. Tan. Gastonia, N.C.
MEDIA RESOURCES
https://ancroi.ie/an-croi-beguines. An Croi Beguines. The An Croi Beguines are a contemporary re-founding of a medieval beguine movement that emerged between the 13th and 16th century in Northern Europe. St. Clare Song is sung by Carmel Boyle, An Croi Beguines.
(Slideshow) A pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Clare - Page 11 (aleteia.org)
https://www.franciscanmedia.org
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/holy-quotes-from-st-clare-of-assisi/
An Croi Beguines. The An Croi Beguines are a contemporary re-founding of a medieval beguine movement that emerged between the 13th and 16th century in Northern Europe.
https://ancroi.ie/an-croi-beguines/
Starr, M. (2019) Wild Mercy: Living the fierce and tender wisdom of the women mystics. Sounds True. Boulder, CO.
https://carmelboyle.bandcamp.com/track/we-become-what-we-love
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