Find what you’re looking for
Palm Sunday marks a profound moment in Clare’s life. It is on this day that, in the middle of the night and with the help of others, she left behind the life that she had known.
For most of us, Francis and Clare are intricately woven together in their desire to bring people to Christ. Many times, one is not mentioned without the other.
St. Clare was known to fast often, even before she left her family home. During the canonization process, one of her sisters said that Clare would fast three days a week.
When Clare left her home to join Francis and his brothers, her family immediately sought to bring her back, even using force to try to do so. But Clare held tight to both the altar and her conviction as they tried to drag her away.
Clare didn’t set out to be a model of faith. At the time, she was only living out what she saw as a call to serve God simply, humbly, and obediently.
Early biographies extol the piety and generosity Clare exhibited in her youngest years. While such praise was common in telling the stories of saints, the evidence of her early behavior contrasts sharply with that of Francis.
Beginning with Mother Mary, our faith is blessed with a long line of strong and holy women. Clare is definitely one of them. Just like Mary, it took great strength and courage to take the path that she did.
Clare’s holiness began while she was still a child. She was known for her mercy for others, often wore a hairshirt under her fine clothes, and vowed celibacy at a young age. Those stirrings were fueled by her mother’s staunch faith.
Clare’s incarnational spirituality is radical. It is not a “consumer spirituality” for curious seekers nor is it a spirituality for the ambivalent or weak of heart. It is a spirituality of participation in the mystical Body of Christ.
When Clare entered San Damiano, she came into possession of the beautiful Byzantine cross before which Francis had prayed. Now it was her “book” of prayer, her silent reminder each day: “Take up your cross and follow me.”
