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St. Francis
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-Sister Mary Clare Brown, OSC St. Francis received the gift of prayer with the grace of conversion; this is the source of our Franciscan prayer tradition. He was called to open himself up to the action of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the temple of our persons. Francis acknowledged at the end of his life that he had done what was given him to do. He prayed that his followers would have the grace to do as the Lord inspired them. Francis Bernardone was born in 1181 when the commercial revolution was beginning to change the society of that time. There was no spirituality as yet for the new cities and the business which was engrossing the mind and leaving God out of the picture. Most religious persons at the time were from noble families and they entered the monasteries. Many groups were splintering from the Church because they saw the need for reform. Francis was to inspire people from all walks of life to follow the life of prayer and service which he came to teach by his life. Francis considered the first twenty-five years of his life as the period when he was "in sin." God found him here, immersed in the values of his family and his society. These were courtly love, pleasure, wealth and honor. Here was the honor-shame society where your birth placed you in whatever class you were for your life span. Francis had two dreams; he misinterpreted the first one to mean that there was worldly glory in store for him and his knights, so he prepared for war. Before he reached his destination, he was asked in another dream: "Who could do better for you, the servant or the Lord?" Francis replied, "The Lord." Francis was asked, "Why then are you seeking the servant in place of the Lord?" Francis said, "Lord, what would you have me do?" |
 From: Francis of Assisi: Innovator of a New Society pg. 158 |
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Francis learned not to judge anyone by their external appearance when God led him among lepers. It had nauseated Francis to see these outcasts of society but when he dismounted from his horse and kissed the hand of a certain leper, God turned what had been so bitter into sweetness for Francis. He then began to minister to Christ in these suffering brothers.
Francis went to solitary places to pray; he wept over the sinfulness of his past life and there took the Scriptures to heart. He met Jesus and saw how he walked here on earth as a poor suffering servant of God; this Jesus who was the Lord of Glory! Francis prayed to know what he should do with his life. God answered his prayer when the crucifix at the Church of San Damiano spoke to him with great tenderness, "Francis, go repair my house which you see is falling to ruins." From that time on he had a deep compassion for his crucified Lord and wished to know the Savior's love and his sufferings. He repaired this Church and prophesied that some holy virgins would dwell here and glorify God through his holy Church. Francis found a little chapel in the woods which was in great need of repair. It was well known to the people that the angels came there to sing Mary's praises. Francis repaired the chapel of Our Lady of Angels; this chapel was given to him later by the Benedictines. This chapel of the Portiuncula became the cradle of the Order. It was in this chapel that Clare consecrated her life to the service of the poor Christ with Francis and his first followers there to witness this event. Francis was inspired to ask for some special favor. He asked for the grace of full pardon for those who were contrite, would confess their sins to a priest and would pay a visit to this chapel of the Portiuncula. The indulgence was approved by the Holy Father who designated August 2nd as the day on which it could be gained. At a later date one could gain the indulgence on any day of the year. This privilege was extended many years later to all Franciscan Churches throughout the world on August 2nd. When Francis' father, Peter Bernardone, disowned him, Francis saw that the enticements of this world held and enslaved him. He said before the Bishop of Assisi that he would no longer call Peter Bernardone his father but would say, "Our Father, who are in heaven." When God inspired Bernard of Quintavelle and Peter of Catania to join Francis it was revealed to them what they were to do. They attended Mass and after Mass the Scriptures were opened three times. They were to go and sell what they possessed, distribute it to the poor, take nothing for their journey, and take up their cross every day and follow Jesus. Francis wanted his gospel way of life approved by Christ's Vicar on earth. Francis and his eleven companions went to Rome to obtain this approval. After some difficulty the approval was granted. Francis loved Jesus in the Eucharist and encouraged his followers to adore this God of love. This prayer was recited even if they saw a Church at a distance: "We adore you, O most holy Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all your Churches throughout the whole world." Francis loved solitary prayer where he could pour out his heart to God and listen to his "God and his All." At one time he wondered if he should give himself entirely to prayer. Clare and Sylvester received an answer to their prayer on his behalf that he was to preach the "Good News of Salvation" after the example of Jesus and the Apostles. Some of Francis' writings which flowed from his prayer include the Rules of 1221 and 1223: To a Minister, To the Superiors of the Friars Minor, To the Rulers of People, To Brother Leo and his Testament. He wrote twenty-eight rather short exhortations to the early friars concerning various points of ascetical life which are replete with the knowledge of human nature and with practical good sense. At the end of his life he wrote the Praises of God which illustrate the mystical heights to which he attained after he received the stigmata. The Canticle of Brother Sun was written during the last few months of his life when his physical sufferings had become acute, and he was almost blind. Before his conversion the beauty of Umbria had drawn him to itself; after his conversion all creation spoke to him of their Father and Creator. |
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| Clare was attracted to this man Francis who used to wear fine clothing and was the leader of youth and who now was following the way of life that Jesus walked while on this earth. Our Poor Clare prayer tradition flows from this initial meeting of Clare with Francis for spiritual direction in which he unraveled Christ's beauty to her and inspired her to give the gift of herself to the Triune God forever by following Jesus. Clare opened a new form of religious living for the needs of her times by opening her heart to women of all classes who were led by divine inspiration to live the life of the Poor Ladies as they were first called. God sent members of her own family to begin this new life. Clare learned from Francis to always pray with a pure heart and to lead a life hidden with Christ.
In Clare's writings we see the fruit of her prayer. In her Fourth Letter to Blessed Agnes of Prague she uses the image of the mirror to show how Jesus is the revelation of the Father. She told Agnes to look into that mirror daily and study her face so that she may adorn herself with all manner of virtue.
In Bonaventure's Major Life of St. Francis he speaks of Francis' devotion to prayer in these words:
Francis, our Holy Father, by his life, his love, his prayer, led him to communion and union with the Holy Trinity and to great mystical heights. May St. Francis pray for us always; and may peace and all good be ours. |
 Icon of St. Clare and scenes from her life, Bastilica of Saint Clare" From: "Saint Clare" pg. 12 |
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The Blessing of St. Clare May Almighty God bless you. May he look upon you with the eyes of his mercy and give you his peace. May
he pour forth his graces on you abundantly, |
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