Feast of St. Clare of Assisi

 

O wondrous blessed clarity of Clare!
In life she shone to a few;
after death she shines on the whole world!
On earth she was a clear light;
Now in heaven she is a brilliant sun.

O how great the vehemence of the
brilliance of this clarity!
On earth this light was indeed kept
within cloistered walls,
yet shed abroad its shining rays;
It was confined within a convent cell,
yet spread itself through the wide world.

-Pope Innocent IV

 

 

The biography of St. Clare here.

 

 

Prayers to St. Clare of Assisi

O Glorious St. Clare! God has given you the power of working miracles continually, and the favor of answering the prayers of those who invoke your assistance in misfortune, anxiety, and distress.

 

We beseech you, obtain from Jesus through Mary His Blessed Mother, what we beg of you so fervently and hopefully, (mention your petition) if it be for the greater honor and glory of God and for the good of our souls.   Amen.

 

The incorrupt body of St.Clare is honored at the Basilica of St. Clare in Italy 

 

 

NOVENA TO SAINT CLARE

Dear St. Clare, as a young girl you imitated your mother’s love for the poor of your native Assisi. Inspired by the preaching of St. Francis, who sang enthusiastically of His Lord Jesus and Lady Poverty, you gave your life to Jesus at nineteen years of age, allowing St. Francis to cut off your beautiful hair and invest you with the Franciscan habit. All through your life you offered your great suffering for your Sisters, the Poor Clares, and the conversion of souls. You greatly aided St. Francis with his new order, carrying on his spirit in the Franciscans after his death. Most of all you had a deep love of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, which fueled your vocation to love and care for the poor. Please pray for me (mention your request) that I will seek to keep Jesus as my first love, as you did. Help me to grow in love of the Blessed Sacrament, to care for the poor, and to offer my whole life to God. Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of St. Clare. Through her intercession, please hear and answer my prayer, in the name of Jesus Your Son. Amen.

 

 

 

Life of St. Clare in a Nutshell

St. Clare was born in Assisi on July 16, 1194 and died on August 11, 1253. The close friend and spiritual student of St. Francis, she founded at his direction the Second Order of St. Francis,  also known as the Poor Clares.  Her devotion to Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist was profound, her trust in God's Providence complete. She is often often pictured in iconography bearing the Blessed Sacrament.  Once when her convent was about to be attacked, she displayed the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance at the convent gates, and praying before it, God worked a miracle, causing the attackers to depart.  Toward the end of her life, when St. Clare was too ill to leave her cell, an image of the Mass would display on the wall of her cell.  Because of this miracle, she is known as the patroness of television.  It's also believed that St. Clare's illness affected her eyes, which is why she is also the patron saint of sore eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

St. Clare, Pray For Us!