Apostleship of Prayer - Saints
August 11 - St ClareClare was born in Assisi in 1194. When she was fifteen she refused to marry. She was deeply moved by the preaching of Francis who became her life long friend. She determine to live a life of Gospel poverty. On the eve of Passion Sunday, she decided to leave her home and go to the monastery where Francis lived to become a nun. On the way she was met by a group of friars who led her to the chapel called Portiuncula where she received the rough habit of the Franciscans from Francis. Then she went to live in a nearby Benedictine convent. Her father and her uncles immediately attacked the convent and Clare had to cling to the altar. She showed them that her hair had been cut off. They then left.
About fortnight later, she was joined by her sister Agnes. Soon they were joined by others and a small community was formed. They then moved to San Damiano, near Assisi. Then they were joined by her mother and another of her sisters, called Beatrice. Such was their austerity that they lived without shoes, slept on the ground and never ate meat. They live the simple rule of seclusion as given to them by Francis and became known as the Second Order or Poor Clares. At the age of twenty-one, in obedience to Francis, Clare accepted the position of Abbess which she held to when she died in 1253.
The Gospel poverty that the sisters practised consisted of having no property, no money and that they lived from day to day on the contributions they were given to them. Her influence was such that Popes, Cardinals and bishops came to visit her for her advice. She never left the wall of San Damiano.
Francis always remained her great friend and she was always obedient to his will and to the life of Gospel poverty.
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