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Reflections The Sisters have an article in each
issue of the
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Clare's Letters
When was the last time you wrote a letter? I mean longhand
with pen and ink, not e-mail, texting, or facebook. St. Clare of Assisi
wrote letters to a woman whom she loved dearly, though they had never
met in person. Because the only way to send a letter in the 13th century
was with someone who was traveling to that place, the time between letters
was lengthy and it was very rare to receive a letter. We have only four
of Clare’s letters to Agnes. Living in Prague, then a part of Bohemia,
Agnes had heard the Franciscan missionaries preaching and befriended
them. Daughter of the King of Bohemia, she had refused marriage to Emperor
Frederick II because she chose to found a monastery according to St.
Clare’s way of life.
Clare’s letters to Agnes are truly a treasure for Poor Clares and all
Franciscans. Because we will celebrate the feast of St. Clare on August
11th, I want to share some special gems from those letters so that you
can savor their beauty. I invite you to spend some time reflecting on
them so that you can come to know more about St. Clare of Assisi’s spirituality
and perhaps make it your own.
Be strengthened in the holy service which you have
undertaken out of a burning desire for the oor Crucified.”“
“What you hold, may you always hold, may you always do and
never abandon. But with swift pace, light step, unswerving feet, so
that even your steps stir up no dust, may you go forward securely, joyfully,
and swiftly on the path of prudent happiness.”
“..Gaze upon Him (Christ), consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire
to imitate Him. If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him. If
you weep with Him, you shall rejoice with Him; If you die with Him on
the cross of tribulation you shall possess heavenly mansions in the
splendor of he saints…”
“…the heavens and the rest of creation cannot contain their
Creator and only the faithful soul is His dwelling place and throne…”
“Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the
brilliance of glory! Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance!
And transform your entire being into the image the Godhead Itself through
contemplation”
(Clare’s letters are found in their entirety in Clare of Assisi, Early Documents, revised and expanded by Regis Armstrong OFM.)
Sister Maryalice Pierce, OSC
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