Good morning. I pray that your weekend was restful. I know from experience that weekends wind up being time to catch up with all that you were not able to do during the week.
Today we celebrate the feast of the “co” founder of the Franciscan Order. Clare was a resident of Assisi and a member of one of the more noble families. Clare knew Francis. She knew him when he was the “toast of the town” and was inspired after his conversion.
As the story goes, Clare left here home in the middle of the night, as to be able to follow Francis and engage in his works of mercy to the poor. In those days a woman was not able to decide their future which was in the hands of her father or the oldest brother. So, it was not easy for her to just walk out of her home to follow this “fool for Christ”. But you can read her life story at another time.
St. Clare tells us today, “We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing. Imitation is not a literal mimicking of Christ, rather it means becoming the image of the beloved, an image disclosed through transformation. This means we are to become vessels of God’s compassionate love for others.”
Clare’s response to the call of the Lord to “follow Me” was one that was one that was very clear and commanding. She did not allow anything to stop her from answering the call.
Here again, we have a person who stands before us as an example of what we are called to do. Hear the call of the Lord, follow where He leads and with all our hearts answer YES and be steadfast in that YES.
Peace and All Good,
Fr. Vinnie, fcm and the
Bros and Srs of the
Franciscan House of Prayer.