Today is the Feast Day of St Clare of Assisi.
Clare di Ofreduccio was about 18 when Francis of Assisi accepted her vows and received her into the Franciscan Order on Palm Sunday, 1212. She later founded the Franciscan order of the Poor Clares.
Fresco in the Church of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, Koh Roka, Kompong Cham, Cambodia. Thanks to Willuconquer under Creative Commons.
The order was for women who felt called by God to live a simple life, making Franciscan vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Both Clare and Francis were drawn to their way of life through their experience of Divine Love. It is wrong to assume that was a very pious and reserved experience: it was, rather, an overwhelming and sensual love.
It is expressed in these passionate verses of poetry from the Hebrew Scriptures, which are offered on Christian feast days remembering those called to live a life set apart, a religious life:
“Set me as a seal upon your heart, a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.
If one offered for love all the wealth of one’s house,
it would be utterly scorned.”
How do you feel, reading this as if God or a Higher Power was speaking it to you? Try reading it out loud, saying your own name first.
Can you believe you are invited to set the Divine as ‘a seal upon your heart?’ What might that mean, in practise?
Can you address God with these same words, as a response? You might find this very difficult and that is fine!
Sit with your feelings: of shyness; of cynicism; or of mutual love. Speak to the One who loves you about those feelings, as you might a friend.
Going Further
Few of us are called to choose an alternative, perhaps extreme, way of life as did Clare. Her story might invite us to consider the ways in which we are called to live simply, tread lightly, conserve resources and review priorities.
This can reduce stress and help us identify with those on the edge of society.
In his book Freedom of Simplicity, Richard Foster describes two forms of simplicity:
Inward – learning to continually invite the Divine to be at the heart of all your experiences and to walk moment by moment with the Divine. This follows the invitation from Jesus to ‘Love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with your strength and with all your mind.’
Outward - the practise of prayerfully considering the use of resources you own, earn, spend in order to better ‘love your neighbour as yourself’.
Foster uses this quote:
“ There are two ways to get enough: one is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.”
Pray for the gift of simple living.
You may wish to listen to The Shaker Song’s Tis a Gift to be Simple - here.
Or read some of its words:
‘Tis a gift to be simple, ’tis a gift to be free
‘Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we get to the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.