On Palm Sunday in the year 1212, a young girl from an aristocratic Umbrian family dramatically fled her family home to join Francis of Assisi and his brothers. In the valley below the town of Assisi, in the tiny church Francis had repaired after his conversion, she met them. She was ritually welcomed into this family of brothers, and promised herself, that very night, to God. Her hair was cut and she was clothed in the simple tunic that identified her as part of the group, the minores – the “little ones.”
Later known simply as Clare of Assisi, this young woman risked everything to respond to the compelling call to seek God, to leave everything behind – status, security, family name, home, wealth – for the one thing necessary. She easily could have had a comfortable and prosperous lifestyle, but Clare chose the rigors of radical poverty and enclosed convent living. Her decision seemed irrational to her family, but Clare understood that God had a different vision for her life, one with real costs, but filled with innumerable graces as well. As Jesus promised, she “lost” her life but “found” it in Him. (Matthew 10,39) Immersed in Christ’s love, we too can find ourselves in the life that God offers.
For a video testimony: https://youtu.be/6vqn1JFGe0M
For some quiet meditations on St. Clare’s life: https://youtu.be/IV__g7CTnSc
