Clare was the first woman who followed St. Francis and his way of life. St. Francis appointed Clare as the women’s superior of the first convent they founded in 1215. Her community would soon be known as the Poor Clares. Wearing no shoes, fasting often, perpetually abstaining from meat and sleeping on the hard wood floors the sisters radically embraced a life of poverty and penance. Their embrace of poverty was only equaled by their embrace of prayer. Taking a vow of silence they rarely spoke except to sing God’s praises in the psalms and in prayer. As tough and extreme as their lives were, it did not stop the community from growing in numbers. Some in turn returned home and founded convents of Poor Clares in their own towns and cities.
One story of the power of St. Clare’s prayer regards the invasion of the Saracens in 1240. As the invading forces surrounded and attacked Assisi, they made their way to the city where the Poor Clares’ convent was located. As the warriors approached, Clare’s sisters panicked and roused Clare from her sick bed. She in turn led them in prayer. As the invaders started coming over the convent walls, she took the monstrance from the chapel with the consecrated Host and showed it to the Saracens. Upon seeing Clare hold the Blessed Sacrament, the enemy first froze in their tracks and then gripped with a feeling of terror began to retreat.
In 1252, Clare was not well enough to go to the Christmas Midnight Mass at the Church of St. Francis with her sisters and the friars. She became very lonely and began to cry. Then realizing that her lonely cell was better lodging than that of Mary and Joseph, she began to meditate on the Christmas Mystery. Suddenly her cell burst into light, her cell walls were shaken by the sound of a great organ and she was able to see the Church of St. Francis ablaze with candles. She watched the Celebrant ascend the Altar and participated at Mass listening to the beautiful chants. God in His loving tenderness had brought Church to her.
Because of her renowned sanctity of life, the Church opened her process to becoming a canonized saint just over two months after her death on October 18, 1253. Pope Alexander IV finally proclaimed her a saint on August 15, 1255.
Fr. John O’Connor. “St. Claire of Assisi.” Diocese of Brooklyn, https://stclare-queens.org/st-clare-of-assisi
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