«How powerful was the illumination of this light and how strong the brightness of this source of light. Truly this light was kept hidden in the cloistered life; and outside them shone with gleaming rays; Clare in fact lay hidden, but her life was revealed to all. Clare was silent, but her fame was shouted out» (FF, 3284).
As St. Clare of Assisi’s (1194-1253) feast day approaches on August 11, I’ve been reflecting on the relevance of her spirituality in this present time.
Clare of Assisi is one of the great women of the Christian and Franciscan tradition. Within the context of the medieval world of the 13th century, Clare lived and struggled with many of the issues that are present in our day. In the life, spirituality and work of Clare of Assisi we can still find an answer to many questions and challenges in today’s world.
In our day of so much fear, uncertainty, violence, sickness and death caused by the pandemic, selfish distinctions and hostility between rich and poor, political conflicts, war, and environmental crisis – Clare has much to teach us about living together on our planet earth as sisters and brothers, all children of the one God. As the first Franciscan woman, she led the way in giving us a shining example of the feminine response to the challenge of Gospel values. Placing all her unique gifts at the service of others, she modeled a stance of complementary – leadership. While St. Francis moved the world with his extroverted charismatic leadership, St. Clare quietly built “stronger structures” behind the walls of the cloister.
“On Palm Sunday, 1212, Clare took a bold step on her spiritual journey. She renounced her privileged position in the nobility and received the garb of the followers of Francis. Eventually, she made her home at San Damiano in a small church repaired by Francis, just below the city of Assisi. Under God’s guidance, Clare created a new path for women, embracing poverty, humility, and charity as companions on their journey”.
Clare’s life of absolute poverty cuts through all the lures of our consumerist culture. She knew the One in Whom she believed and that One was all-sufficient for her. “Clare’s sole desire was to ground herself as a branch to the Divine vine; to be the Mirror of Eternity in the way she lived her life with her sisters and in the depths of her prayer and contemplation of the Crucified Christ and the Risen Lord. In this way, she allowed herself to be transformed into the image — the mirror — of the Godhead Itself”.
She is also teaching us how it is to build a true community based on the obedience of love. Her example of servant-leadership was remarkably evident. In the Testament she wrote, the grace of sisterhood is being highlighted. She said: “careful attention must be given to the establishing of relationships, it is precisely because she envisioned a cloistered life that the dynamic of human relationships is of such importance. We create relationships by doing things together. Our relationships with other sisters must be one of support”. For Clare the “sister in office” (she did not use Abbess) must be a good listener, seeing in each person the one whom Jesus has looked at and called. She desired that her sisters will be nurtured, spiritually, emotionally and physically. For it is in the nature of motherhood to give life.
“The mirror image was a favourite image in Clare’s writings. The mirror is a vision and a symbol. She was talking about the depths of reality in Christ reflected in the human person. In her letter to Agnes she advised her to look into that mirror meaning Christ and behold therein the poverty, humility and, centrally, the sacrificial love of our Lord. This mirror is not only there to reflect the redeeming love of our Lord; but for her in the community there is no place for class distinctions or any other form of discrimination: everybody was accepted who felt called to her way of life. For according to her, acceptance of others is the first poverty. She admonished her sisters to show the love they bear for each other by their deeds so that the sisters are able to love God and each other with greater intensity”.
Today, we face such terrible consequences because of our lack of reverence for creation. The environmental crisis results from a lack of appreciation for the good things that our God has given us for our benefit. The very existence of the life of our planet needs new vision. We, human beings so often fail to realize our interconnectedness with our mother earth. We lose sight of our great responsibility to care for our common home. Clare saw the reflection of a loving Creator of all these created wonders. In the words of Clare herself: “Always and in all things God must be praised.”
Clare was a woman of prayer, strength and courage, of wisdom and insight. She is teaching us the primacy of God and the great importance of prayer. Her light beacons to the outside because her inner life was deeply anchored in God, her loving Father. As St. John Paul II said: “Her whole was a Eucharist because from her cloister she raised up a continual “thanksgiving” to God…”
Clare’s passionate spirituality continues to inspire us today: “We become what we love, and who we love shapes what we become”.
“Look into that mirror daily… and ever study your face therein”. (Clare, 4th Letter to Blessed Agnes of Prague, 1245)
Clare had a deep gratitude for the abundant kindness of God, she considered herself privileged to have been called to such a life. Profound gratitude that made her exclaim as her last words, “ Blessed be You, O God, for having created me. ”Francis himself called her ‘Cristiana’, the Christian woman. She is indeed true to her baptismal name. Clare – which means light, clear and Illustrious light-. A true Christian who gave a strong witness to the Light of Christ even from her cloister. Her shining light emanating from Christ Himself beacons and continues to shed rays of peace and hope to all corners of the world.
SR. Mapin M. Pineda, Tc