Daily Homily St. Clare of Assisi, Abbess Memorial Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday 11 August 2021 USCCB Daily Readings

The third saint for this week… St. Clare of Assisi.

She is shown in one of our new windows in church here and of course her sisters live close by on Rocky River Drive. She is the friend and contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi. Both lived in that medieval town of Assisi, both from nobility, prestige, and wealth. Both, however, also somewhat deflated by all of that. Clare heard of the conversion of Francis to live another way of life… the life of poverty and prayer. She was taken up by that and at the age of 15, under the guise of night, she fled to join Francis and his growing group. Her family was angered by this and tried to bring her back home, but they were eventually convinced of her seriousness in her new found vocation. Sixteen days later her sister, Agnes, joined her. After the death of her father, her mother, renouncing all of her worldly wealth, joined Clare as well.

The Poor Clares, as they would be known, lived a life of seclusion and much silence. They committed themselves to prayer and to any work that needed to be tended to that they could do. Their greatest commitment was to Gospel poverty. Really the only thing they owned would be the clothes on their back. Even their monastery and property, was owned by the Benedictines at the time. However, Clare especially became quite wealthy with wisdom and counsel, even popes and cardinals would come to consult with her.

A story that I think speaks well to our parish community since we have adoration here throughout the week… an invading army was about to besiege the town of Assisi. Clare’s convent was located outside the walls and was quite vulnerable. Her nuns of course were terrified. Clare went before the Blessed Sacrament and heard the words “My protection will never fail you.” In rather dramatic fashion, she placed the monstrance before the invaders, and they fled. All remained unharmed. It is why in the window in the back, she is shown holding a monstrance.

In this Eucharist may those words resonate with our lives: My protection will never fail you. May we also foster the same confidence and courage that Clare had in knowing that the Lord would never go back on his word.