Find what you’re looking for
Saint Clare of Assisi referred to herself as a little plant. In many ways, she was a strong oak. The first woman to write a Rule of Life for her sisters, she insisted on the privilege of poverty until her dying breath, getting papal approval of her Rule just days before she died.
We owe love to our neighbor because God loves us and calls us to share his love with others. We have no right to refuse forgiveness to our neighbor because forgiving is part of loving.
Much like a stone thrown into water extends ripples far and wide, Clare’s holiness helped spread the vision of Saint Francis.
Devotion to Saint Lawrence dates back to the earliest days of the Church. While we do not know many facts about him, his courageous witness to the faith is well known, as well as some interesting legends which may or may not be true. They show a fascination with Saint Lawrence and his testimony to the faith.
Most of us are not called to give up our lives for our faith. Martyrdom is not for everybody. Yet all of us are called to struggle as part of our life of faith.
Whenever Francis struggled with the direction of his mission and vocation, Clare provided him with insight and encouragement.
“Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus”—John 19:38a. The horror of the crucifixion was overwhelming. Joseph’s desire to properly bury Jesus overcame his desire for covertness.
After 60 years, Sister Marie is still working hard for justice and peace.
The story of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross begins with her life as Edith Stein, a noted philosopher raised in the Jewish faith. Her studies led Edith to the Catholic Church and to becoming a Carmelite nun. She died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz in 1942.
Jesus is the Father’s perfect image of a shepherd who actually laid down his life for his sheep. A person’s true value rests not on any external thing, but on his or her realizing that God made us all in his image and likeness.
