Saint Clare

​Today is the Feast of Saint Clare who was a friend of Saint Francis. She was so inspired by the preaching of Francis she decided to join him or rather founded a new order for women and received her habit one night in the little chapel of Portiuncula. The most popular story about Saint Clare occurred during the crusades when the Saracen soldiers attacked and destroyed many convents and monasteries. As they were approaching the convent of Saint Clare and her sisters, the sisters urged Saint Clare to abandon the convent and flee. However Saint Clare refused and instead she took the monstrance with the Holy Eucharist and raised it in front of the Saracens. When the soldiers saw the Blessed Sacrament they fled in fear. No one knows what they saw and why they fled but through her complete trust in her Lord the sisters were spared from destruction. We can say that the success of Saint Francis as a peacemaker to the sultan of the Muslims during the crusades was supported by the prayers of Saint Clare. Today we see our Pope Francis also reaching out with his message of peace to all people.
​My children and I had a blessing of visiting the convent of Saint Clare in Assisi and we participated in the evening prayers which was prayed by the sister in the room where the relic of her body is venerated in Assisi. Today I pray for the various orders of sisters of Saint Clare and all the Franciscans.