But St. Clare rightly discerned that there is something more than the world has to offer. Clare was raised in an aristocratic Italian family, she lived in a castle, she wore rich clothing and jewels, and was to marry a noble prince.
However, she met the son of a cloth merchant, who had left behind the trappings of the world in order to follow Christ in radical poverty and charity, St. Francis of Assisi. Francis, radiated a profound joy, that attracted of thousands and thousands of followers in the first few years of his ministry. Clare desired that joy, and so determined to dedicate her life to pursuing the joy that the world cannot give, the joy that comes from radical discipleship, on Palm Sunday in the year 1212, Clare left her family home, to consecrate herself to Christ. At the altar of Our Lady, Clare traded her rich clothing for the rough brown woolen habit of the Franciscans; she exchanged her jeweled belt for a common rope with three knots to symbolize poverty, chastity, and obedience, and caught off her long golden tresses. Thus she became espoused to Christ. Her sister Agnes, 14 years old, soon joined her, as did several other women, in the following weeks.
They lived a simple life of poverty, austerity, and seclusion from the world. Clare and her consecrated religious sisters went barefoot, slept on the ground, ate no meat, and observed almost complete silence. This was the beginning of the cloistered order of Franciscan nuns known as the Poor Clares, thus the Virgin Clare was made the mother of countless virgins consecrated to Christ.
It took a lot of courage for clare to leave behind her old life, just as it takes a lot of courage for young people today to discern a religious vocation. But it’s a vocation the Church needs, that humanity needs, to remind us that there is something beyond the gold and fame and power of the world, something that all of us should do everything in our power to obtain.
Not all of us are called to religious life, but all of us are called to pursue holiness as much as we possibly can. Christ tells us to love God with our whole, heart, mind, soul, and strength. And St. Clare challenges us. Am I seeking to love God as much as I can? Am I seeking to serve God as much as I can?
The Lord promises in the Gospel “everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more”. Why am I so slow to trust him? What would I give up if I trusted God a little a bit more? What is God inviting me to give up in order to love Him and serve Him for deeply?
May we, like Clare, trust God enough, love God enough, may we have the courage enough to follow him out of the luxury of the world, away from the empty promises of our culture, to pursue the promises of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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For an increase in vocations to the consecrated religious life, that young people may hear the Lord calling them to radical holiness, and for the Poor Clares and all those consecrated religious under St. Clare’s patronage, for their sanctification, and that they may be a witness to the whole Church to seek the holiness for which we were made.
That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests, deacons and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
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