Saint of the day, August 11
St. Clare of Assisi embraced a life of poverty, prayer, and devotion to Christ, leaving behind a religious family shaped by the simplicity of the Gospel.
Aug. 11: St. Clare of Assisi
Born: 1194
Died: Aug. 11, 1253
Nationality: Italian
Vocation: Religious, Foundress
Attributes: Monstrance or pyx, religious habit
Patronage: Television, protection from eye disorders
Canonization: 1255 by Pope Alexander IV
St. Clare of Assisi desired above all to belong completely to Christ. Drawn by the example of St. Francis of Assisi, she gave up the security of a privileged upbringing to pursue a life of poverty, prayer, and wholehearted devotion to God.
At 18, Clare left her family home and joined Francis at the Portiuncula, where she exchanged her former way of life for the simplicity of a religious vocation. Her example soon drew other women, including members of her own family, and a new community began to take shape.
Clare and her sisters settled at San Damiano, where their days were centered on prayer and a simple life rooted in the Gospel. She remained firmly committed to poverty as a way of following Christ more closely, while caring personally for the sisters entrusted to her, particularly those who were ill.
Clare's deep devotion to the Eucharist became especially evident when her convent faced an attack. Though already ill, she turned to the Blessed Sacrament and prayed for the protection of her sisters, and the attackers eventually withdrew. Prayer remained at the heart of her life throughout nearly three decades of serious illness.
St. Clare spent her life seeking the freedom that comes from placing Christ above everything else. Her joyful simplicity continues to encourage the faithful to loosen their hold on what passes away and treasure more deeply the One who never does.
St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us!
