St Clare’s Legacy – August Clergy Reflection
St. Clare of Assisi, whose saints day we commemorate on 11th August, is one of our inspirational examples of radical spiritual commitment.
Born into Italian nobility, she abandoned wealth and privilege at eighteen to follow St. Francis of Assisi’s path of evangelical poverty. Their spiritual friendship was foundational in the life of the Church. Francis served as her mentor while Clare became his most faithful follower and guardian of his vision. Together, they embodied a new form of Christian discipleship emphasising poverty, joy, and service to those on the margins of society. She went on to found the Poor Clares, an order that continues inspiring contemplatives worldwide even today.
Clare’s spiritual journey offers deep lessons for modern seekers of faith and the spiritual life. Her unwavering dedication to prayer reveals the power of contemplation to transform lives. She spent countless hours in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, not to escape from the world but to unlock deeper engagement with God’s love. This invites us to consider: what would change if we approached prayer not as obligation but as intimate encounter?
With her embrace of voluntary poverty she challenges our contemporary materialism. Clare understood that true freedom comes from releasing our attachment to possessions. As she wrote, “We must love nothing in this world more than we love Jesus Christ.” She discovered that simplicity creates space for what matters most: relationship with God and others. Perhaps we might ask: what do we cling to that prevents us from experiencing Clare’s freedom?
Most inspiring is Clare’s courage to live authentically despite the social expectations of her time. She defied family pressure and cultural norms to pursue her calling, reminding us that spiritual growth often requires difficult choices. Her example challenges us to reflect: are we living according to God’s call, or are we shaped more by others’ expectations of us?
For Blackburn Cathedral’s congregation, Clare’s legacy offers a particularly relevant inspiration. Like Archbishop William Temple, who I am sure we will hear more about in our centenary year, who emphasised that Christianity must transform both our personal and social life, Clare understood that authentic spirituality cannot remain purely private. Her contemplative life fuelled her care for her sisters and concern for the poor.
Perhaps we might ask: what are we willing to abandon today to follow Christ more closely?
A Blessing attributed to St Clare:
What you hold may you always hold.
What you do, may you always do and never abandon.
But with swift pace, light step and unwavering feet,
so that even your steps stir up no dust,
Go forward, the spirit of our God has called you.
