Date August, 2021 ITE MISSA EST

A Newsletter from the Missions Office/Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States Catholic Diocese of Columbus, Ohio

St. Clare of Assisi

To monthly mission donors: She placed the Jesus said, "I am the living bread Thank you for your support! on the wall where the invaders that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will On behalf of His Excellency live forever; he who eats my flesh Robert J. Brennan, the of and drinks my blood has eternal life Columbus, and Very Rev. Father and ...abides in me, and I in Andrew Small, OMI, the National Director of the Pontifical Mission him" (Jn 6:51, 54, 56). St. Clare of Societies in the United States, I Assisi firmly believed and trusted would like to thank you for your on this spiritual truth. She is model prayers, sacrifices and financial for all religious who are consecrat- support for the missions. ed their life to God, to follow Christ closely. Let us meditate upon her **************************** quotes which will help us to deep August 11th is the feast day of St. into her intimate love for Jesus. It Clare of Assisi who was the first will help us to know how to love woman to practice the life of entire Him deeply and intimately. poverty as taught by St. Francis. • “Love Him totally, who gave She and her sisters have known as Himself totally for your love.” the Order of Poor Clares. Their Rule included austerities life and • “We become what we love and they lived in barefoot, slept on the who we love shapes what we become.” ground, kept abstinence and made poverty the basis of their lives. • “Love that cannot suffer is not worthy of that name.” St. Clare died on August 11, 1253, St. Clare shared her insights about and was canonized two years after the spiritual life with her own sister her death. St. Clare and the nuns Agnes, who followed her path as a were veiled from the world in the enclosure of the monastery, where member of Poor Clares: “When you they sustained the work of the have loved Him, you shall be Franciscans through their hidden chaste; when you have touched life of poverty and prayer. Him, you shall become pure; when you have accepted Him, you shall be a virgin. Whose power is strong- In 1224, an army of soldiers on er, whose generosity is more abun- errand from Frederick II arrived to dant, Whose appearance more attack Assisi. St. Clare lived in Assisi with the sisters of her newly could see it. She then fell to her beautiful, Whose love more tender, formed religious order at the time. knees and begged God to save her Whose courtesy more gracious”. In response to the coming invasion, sisters. The attackers were then These interior gems of her very sig- St. Clare—while very ill—went out filled with fear and fled from the nificant in our lives, as we are the to meet the soldiers with the town as fast as they could without followers of Christ whom we are Blessed Sacrament in her hands. hurting anyone in the process. loved and cherished. forth, we beseech you, laborers into Prayer of St. Clare of Assisi your harvest and grant them with all confidence to preach the Word; I come, O Lord, unto Thy that everywhere your may to see the life and food of be heard and glorified, and that all my soul. As I hope in Thee, O nations may know you, the one Lord, inspire me with that confi- True God, and Him whom you have dence which brings me to Thy holy sent, Jesus Christ, your Son, our mountain. Permit me, Divine Jesus, Lord. Amen. to come closer to Thee, that my whole soul may do homage to the Queen of the Apostles, greatness of Thy majesty; that my and all you angels and saints of heart, with its tenderest affections, God, pray the Lord of the harvest to may acknowledge Thine infinite send laborers into the harvest and to love; that my memory may dwell spare His people, that we may all on the admirable mysteries here rejoice with Him and the Father and The advises of renewed every day, and that the the Holy Spirit forever and ever. sacrifice of my whole being may Amen St. Mother Teresa accompany Thine.

• Speak as little as possible Christ is in you! about oneself

• Take care of one’s personal St. Paul, who is the greatest and matters earliest missionary of Jesus Christ who encountered Christ while per- • Avoid curiosity secuting the Church of Christ. Ac- cording to Vatican Decree on Mis- • Do not interfere in the affairs sionary Activity of the Church: of others “The whole Church is missionary Pope and each individual; member is Francis’ Prayer Intention: • Do not focus on the faults of missionary with a duty of carrying others on the work of evangelization ad • Be courteous and sensitive planting the Church (Ad Gen- August: tes,35). • Accept insults and think of As we read in the : “Saul who Let us pray for the Church, Passion of Christ became Paul, went to Jerusalem to that She may receive from the consult with Peter (Galatians 1: 18). • Do not try to be admired and After his first missionary journeys, Holy Spirit the grace and loved Paul was called by Jesus to pro- strength to reform herself in claim the Gospel to the Gentiles. the light of the Gospel. • Always choose what is more “to whom God chose to make difficult known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it September: ” is Christ in you, the hope for glory Colosians:1:27). We pray that we all will make courageous choices for a

simple and environmentally Prayer for Missionary ************************ sustainable lifestyle, rejoicing **** Vocations in our young people who are Sr. Zephrina Mary Gracykutty, Missions Office Director O God, who would have all His resolutely committed to this. K. Colston-Woodruff, Program children to be saved and to come to Coordinator the knowledge of the truth, send