Chris Kenny
St Clare
Construction with found twig
£365.00 (framed)
14cm x 19cm
August 12th
After hearing St Francis preach, the young Clare Offreduccio was changed forever. She went against her father's wishes, rejected conventional family life and set up a holy community at the Portiuncula Chapel near Assisi.
A number of women joined her - they cut off their hair and wore coarse brown wool habits; their lifestyle attracted many more followers and they became known as the Poor Clares. They practised penance, cultivated spiritual joy and shunned all revenues, depending solely on charity. They went barefoot, slept on the ground, ate no meat and lived in almost complete silence.
Clare celebrated the beauty of the world; she meditated on the Passion and experienced mysterious tortures that filled her eyes with blood and tears.
When Saracen soldiers came to attack Assisi, Clare brought out the Sacrament in a monstrance - the assailants were suddenly frightened and ran away.
When Clare was very ill and could not attend mass, she was miraculously able to see and hear the service on the wall of her room - consequently she is the patron saint of television.
When St Francis died, Clare, his "little spiritual plant", fell upon his body washing it with her tears and covering his sacred stigmata with her soft kisses. On August 11th 1253, St Francis returned the compliment by coming back to guide Clare's soul to heaven.
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