Clare of Assisi, for the Cathedral of St John the
Evangelist, Spokane, WA Wednesday Eucharist 10 am, by Annette Fricke
In order that you may understand the
culture in which Clare was immersed, think of the world in which she lived as
being one of begging. Martin Luther,
although from a slightly later place in time said this, “We are all beggars
before God.” Perhaps this could also be
stretched to include before each other.
Women had fewer choices in that time period. You would get married to someone not of your
choosing and falling in love with a future mate was not even thought
about. Clare begged her parents to not
marry. She begged Francis to join his
order. Her story is really about equal
rights and a feminine view of spirituality.
In consulting five different sources,
I have compiled a biographical sketch of the person known as St. Clare of
Assisi, Italy. The sources do not agree as to the birth date of Clare, as is
quite common for someone who was born during that era. One source claims an exact date of birth as
July 16, 1194, but another person’s research only gives an approximation of
1193 or 1194, still another as around 1194.
We do know that she lived in the same place and time, roughly, as St
Francis and adopted him as her spiritual guide and mentor. It can also be inferred from my readings that
he also saw her as a great source of inspiration. It seems that they admired each other to a
great degree. Francis remained a type of soul mate of hers until his
death. Clare took care of him at the end
of his life and was there when he died.
She outlived him by 27 years.
Similar to
Francis, Clare was born to a wealthy family.
She lived in a palace and apparently was taught by her parents to read
and write, spin yarn and do needlework.
She learned devotion to God from her mother. We have only her “Rule” and “Testament” plus five letters.
Of the five letters, four of them were written to the same person,
Blessed Agnes of Prague. Although her
sister, Agnes joined her at a later date, and possibly also her widowed mother,
this Agnes was born to royalty, her brother being King Wenceslaus I of the
present day Czech Republic. Agnes and Clare both managed to avoid being married
off by their parents as was customary in those days. Agnes actually established a Franciscan
Friary before becoming an Abbess and establishing a Poor Clare Convent in 1234.
It seems that Clare was a mentor and spiritual director of Agnes even though
separated by several miles.
At the age
of 18, she heard a Lenten sermon preached by Francis, the first gathering of
the Franciscan Order, at which point she decided to “leave the world.” As was commonly done in that day, she placed
her jewelry and fine outer garments on the altar as an offering to prove her
serious commitment to the order. She
officially made vows on Palm Sunday, March 19, 1212 clothed in the habit of
poverty at St. Mary of the Angels. And, because there was no such thing as a
coed order, she left her home secretly whereupon Francis took her to a
Benedictine nuns’ convent at Bastia. After
her temporary stay there, she went to the church of San Damiano where she
continued to live the rest of her life. Even though her family begged her to
return home, she never did. She became the Abbess in 1216.
During this
time period, there were many people forming religious orders and each one
wanted their own “Rule” to follow.
Francis drew up a “way of life” for them that was likely based on the
Rule of Benedict. They followed this
rule of absolute poverty which included begging and works of mercy for the poor
and neglected. Clare fought this for
many years with the Pope, but was not allowed to have her own Rule until just a
few days before her death in 1253.
The name of
the first order was the Order of San Damiano, but ten years after Clare’s
death, it was re-named the Order of St Clare.
Today the Order of St Clare numbers over 20,000 and is located in over
70 countries.[i]
God has
blessed the religious orders with people who are dedicated to the gospel of
Jesus Christ throughout the years. We
should support them in their work and pray for them. Many of us may see from
the outside that this way of life is too difficult. It requires diligence in study, in prayer, and
in works of mercy. We see the
materialism all around us in the junk mail and on the TV. We are surrounded to the point that we
sometimes find it difficult to really discern what is ‘needed’ as opposed to
what is wanted. Yet we continue our search and yearn for healing and salvation
from God. The religious orders in Clare and Francis’ day were an answer to the lack
of Christian witness. That may or may not be where God is calling us to be, but
I think the point of their lives is that we are to seek justice where the world
is unjust and to make that a way of life. We are to live for the betterment of
those around us, both near and far. We
can continue to live in Spokane just like Clare lived only in Assisi, yet like
her; we also have the potential of affecting those not a part of our Spokane
community. God gives us the kingdom as a gift, freely in the cleansing waters
of baptism and the food and drink of the Eucharist. Let us resolve to continue to celebrate the
transformative power of the sacraments that renew and refresh us daily. God grant that we may walk as Francis and
Clare, never looking back to our former lives, but ever stretching forward, the
gospel in our hands, our hearts and minds, and the very core of our beings. May we seek, with eyes wide open, to live out
that gospel in all our words and actions, ever faithful, just as God is always
faithful. If we remember nothing else from Clare, let’s remember this bit of
inspiration that she uttered on her death bed, “Go forth without fear, for he
that created you has sanctified you, has always protected you, and loves you as
a mother.” Clare’s legacy can live on not just in the order which she, along
with Francis helped establish, but in us as well. Thank God for Clare. Thank
God that she did not retreat or give up, but lived her faith in such a way as to
truly inspire all of us to work together, both men and women to be the Church
in the world.
"St. Clare of Assisi." Bio. A&E
Television Networks, 2015. Web. 08 Aug. 2015.
“Clare: Abbess at Assisi, 1253.” Holy Women, Holy Men:
Celebrating the Saints. Church Pension Fund, 2010.
“Clare, Abbess at Assisi, 1253.” New Book of Festivals and
Commemorations, Philip H. Pfatteicher, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 2008.
“St Clare of Assisi” Christian Spirituality: High Middle
Ages and Reformation, ed. Jill Raitt, Crossroad, New York, 1987.
