Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin
August 11
This Monday we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Clare of Assisi, a woman of deep faith, courage, and simplicity. Born into a noble family in 1193, Clare was moved by the radical witness of Saint Francis and sought to follow Christ in a life of poverty, prayer, and seclusion. Despite strong opposition from her family, she left everything behind to embrace a new way of life rooted in the Gospel.
Clare founded the Order of Poor Ladies, later known as the Poor Clares, and lived a life of prayer and penance within the walls of the convent of San Damiano. Her way of life reflected the crucified Christ: she embraced poverty not as deprivation, but as a total dependence on the providence of God. She wrote a Rule for her sisters, becoming the first woman in the Church to have a Rule approved by the pope.
One of the most well-known stories of Saint Clare recalls the time when Assisi was under attack. Clare, too ill to leave her bed, had the Blessed Sacrament brought to her and prayed before it with unwavering trust. The invading soldiers fled, and the city was spared. For this reason, she is often depicted holding a monstrance and is considered a patroness of Eucharistic Adoration.
Saint Clare reminds us that holiness is not reserved for the strong or the powerful—it is the fruit of fidelity to Christ in daily life. Her gentle strength, hidden in the cloister yet powerful in prayer, speaks to us today: to seek Christ above all things, to find joy in simplicity, and to trust in God's providence no matter what may come.
Saint Clare, pray for us!
In Christ,
Fr. Joe Connelly