St. Francis of Assisi "Poor Clares", Clare's father was Count Favorino Scifi. At the age of 18, after turning down two marriage offers, Clare joined a Benedictine order. She became a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi and, with her sister, St. Agnes, she founded the Poor Ladies of San Damiano. Her mother and another sister joined them in the religious community later.
In 1215, Clare became abbess of the house at San Damiano. The women in the house lived on alms and focused on prayer and penitence. The order opened houses throughout Europe.
Clare worked for many years to have an austere "Primitive Rule" for the order approved by the Pope. She was notified of his approval of the Rule two days before her death in 1253.
Clare was canonized in 1255, only two years after her death.
“The Son of God became for us the Way which our blessed Father Francis, his true and ardent lover and imitator has shown and taught us by word and example”-Testament of St. Clare 1253- St. Francis and St. Clare showed and taught us the Way, Christ, Who:
-Prayed in the hill alone the whole night (Luke 6:12) before taking an important decision, like choosing his Apostles.
-Went up the mountain with the three Apostles to pray, (Luke 9: 28).
-Always went off to some place where he could be alone to pray his Father (Luke5:16).
St. Clare of Assisi was a bright light in the thirteenth century. She was the Co-Worker of St. Francis in the fresh and strong movement to make the Gospel come alive with a new vigor.
Clare Favarone di Affreduccio was born to a noble patrimony in Assisi, Italy, in 1194. She was reared in a family that had seven Knights “all powerful and noble”! Clare did not shine alone in her city; there was Francis of Assisi. Clare was twelve years younger than Francis.
Francis was a rich merchant’s son, an ambitious young man with dreams of adventure.
In the young years of his life he was tied with the bright things of the world and had dreams of becoming a knight. But he broke out on a great spiritual adventure when in a bold movement of surrender to the Gospel, he made his public renunciation in Assisi.
Clare at the age of eighteen, heard Francis speak as he gave the Lenten course in the Cathedral of San Rufino. She understood well what the Gospel life meant and she knew in her heart what she would do.
She struck out by leaving her father’s house at midnight on a Palm Sunday, 1212. To her and to St. Francis it seemed clear that for complete self- surrender to the Gospel life a total dedication to God in a place apart would be the most effective step. Thus she would be absolutely committed to God in prayer and in sacrifice. So St. Francis led her apart; finally settled her at the little church of San Damian, which he had repaired, after the Crucifix, in this same church had asked him to do so, some years before. Amazingly, when repairing its walls, he called out in a loud voice to some poor people lingering nearby:
“Come and help me to repair the Monastery of Saint Damien, for in this place later on will be ladies by whose renowned and holy way of living, our heavenly Father will be glorified throughout all his holy Church”.( Testament of St. Clare.)
The flower of the young womanhood of Assisi came to join Clare. Soon they were spreading out in choirs of praise through the whole Church. Three Popes came to visit Clare. ‛& . This “Little Plant” of St. Francis died on 11 August 1253, having never left her Monastery for 40 years. The whole Papal Curia was present for her last days and for her burial. She was canonized two years later.
St. Clare is a Saint who lives today. Her ideal is preserved today by the Poor Clares who follow in her footsteps. Their prayer of praises continues to lift up the day and to bless the night. They try to live in continual prayer and sacrifice. Their prayers help to support the whole Church.The Jesus, Mary, Joseph Monastery of the Poor Clares in Windhoek
It is one of the many of the same Order that are scattered all over the world in the Church of Christ. The main aim or work of the Sisters is to continue the prayer of Christ to his Father, in silence and solitude, for his Church and the whole mankind.
What is a Monastery?
The Monastery in the local Church: “It is the dwelling place of His (God’s) unique presence, like the tent of meeting where He is met day after day, where the thrice holy God fills the entire space and is recognized and honored as the only LORD”, (Verbi Sponsa: Teaching of the Church about the Enclosed Monastic Life). Representing the prayerful face of the Church, a Monastery makes the Church’s presence more complete and more meaningful in the local Community. Without the presence of Contemplatives, a local Church is missing something very important -i.e. the whole dimension of the witness of the Primacy of God’s presence. Where it is present, the Monastery represents, the very heart of the local Church. (“ Fr. Aidan McGrath, OFM, a Canonist, commenting on “Verbi Sponsa”, and “Ad Gentes: Vatican 11 Documents.)
No matter how urgent may be the needs of the active apostolate, Contemplatives will always have an eminent part to play in Christ’s mystical body (Vatican 11).
The Monastery of Poor Clares in Namibia was founded in 1996, at the request of the late Archbishop Boniface Haushiku, Archbishop of Windhoek, by a group of Nuns from the Monastery of Lilongwe, Malawi.
The Sisters follow the first Rule of St. Clare and the Constitutions of St. Colette. Their Form of life can be traced back to St. Clare of Assisi: MALAWI: Lilongwe; ALGERIA: Algiers; FRANCE: Azille, Orthez, Beziers which was founded by some Nuns coming from Assisi while St. Clare was still alive.
The form of life of the Order of the Poor Sisters is this: to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in Obedience, without anything of one’s own, in Chastity, and in Enclosure. St. Clare wants her followers to lead a life of Prayer, Poverty and Penance, Simplicity and Joy, and strong loving Community.Her Feast Day became August 11.
Because she wrote of seeing a worship service for which she was not present, Clare was designated in 1958 by Pope Pius XII as the patron saint of television. She is known as the patron of needlework; Assisi embroidery is named for her.
In 1215, Clare became abbess of the house at San Damiano. The women in the house lived on alms and focused on prayer and penitence. The order opened houses throughout Europe.
Clare worked for many years to have an austere "Primitive Rule" for the order approved by the Pope. She was notified of his approval of the Rule two days before her death in 1253.
Clare was canonized in 1255, only two years after her death.
“The Son of God became for us the Way which our blessed Father Francis, his true and ardent lover and imitator has shown and taught us by word and example”-Testament of St. Clare 1253- St. Francis and St. Clare showed and taught us the Way, Christ, Who:
-Prayed in the hill alone the whole night (Luke 6:12) before taking an important decision, like choosing his Apostles.
-Went up the mountain with the three Apostles to pray, (Luke 9: 28).
-Always went off to some place where he could be alone to pray his Father (Luke5:16).
St. Clare of Assisi was a bright light in the thirteenth century. She was the Co-Worker of St. Francis in the fresh and strong movement to make the Gospel come alive with a new vigor.
Clare Favarone di Affreduccio was born to a noble patrimony in Assisi, Italy, in 1194. She was reared in a family that had seven Knights “all powerful and noble”! Clare did not shine alone in her city; there was Francis of Assisi. Clare was twelve years younger than Francis.
Francis was a rich merchant’s son, an ambitious young man with dreams of adventure.
In the young years of his life he was tied with the bright things of the world and had dreams of becoming a knight. But he broke out on a great spiritual adventure when in a bold movement of surrender to the Gospel, he made his public renunciation in Assisi.
Clare at the age of eighteen, heard Francis speak as he gave the Lenten course in the Cathedral of San Rufino. She understood well what the Gospel life meant and she knew in her heart what she would do.
She struck out by leaving her father’s house at midnight on a Palm Sunday, 1212. To her and to St. Francis it seemed clear that for complete self- surrender to the Gospel life a total dedication to God in a place apart would be the most effective step. Thus she would be absolutely committed to God in prayer and in sacrifice. So St. Francis led her apart; finally settled her at the little church of San Damian, which he had repaired, after the Crucifix, in this same church had asked him to do so, some years before. Amazingly, when repairing its walls, he called out in a loud voice to some poor people lingering nearby:
“Come and help me to repair the Monastery of Saint Damien, for in this place later on will be ladies by whose renowned and holy way of living, our heavenly Father will be glorified throughout all his holy Church”.( Testament of St. Clare.)
The flower of the young womanhood of Assisi came to join Clare. Soon they were spreading out in choirs of praise through the whole Church. Three Popes came to visit Clare. ‛& . This “Little Plant” of St. Francis died on 11 August 1253, having never left her Monastery for 40 years. The whole Papal Curia was present for her last days and for her burial. She was canonized two years later.
St. Clare is a Saint who lives today. Her ideal is preserved today by the Poor Clares who follow in her footsteps. Their prayer of praises continues to lift up the day and to bless the night. They try to live in continual prayer and sacrifice. Their prayers help to support the whole Church.The Jesus, Mary, Joseph Monastery of the Poor Clares in Windhoek
It is one of the many of the same Order that are scattered all over the world in the Church of Christ. The main aim or work of the Sisters is to continue the prayer of Christ to his Father, in silence and solitude, for his Church and the whole mankind.
What is a Monastery?
The Monastery in the local Church: “It is the dwelling place of His (God’s) unique presence, like the tent of meeting where He is met day after day, where the thrice holy God fills the entire space and is recognized and honored as the only LORD”, (Verbi Sponsa: Teaching of the Church about the Enclosed Monastic Life). Representing the prayerful face of the Church, a Monastery makes the Church’s presence more complete and more meaningful in the local Community. Without the presence of Contemplatives, a local Church is missing something very important -i.e. the whole dimension of the witness of the Primacy of God’s presence. Where it is present, the Monastery represents, the very heart of the local Church. (“ Fr. Aidan McGrath, OFM, a Canonist, commenting on “Verbi Sponsa”, and “Ad Gentes: Vatican 11 Documents.)
No matter how urgent may be the needs of the active apostolate, Contemplatives will always have an eminent part to play in Christ’s mystical body (Vatican 11).
The Monastery of Poor Clares in Namibia was founded in 1996, at the request of the late Archbishop Boniface Haushiku, Archbishop of Windhoek, by a group of Nuns from the Monastery of Lilongwe, Malawi.
The Sisters follow the first Rule of St. Clare and the Constitutions of St. Colette. Their Form of life can be traced back to St. Clare of Assisi: MALAWI: Lilongwe; ALGERIA: Algiers; FRANCE: Azille, Orthez, Beziers which was founded by some Nuns coming from Assisi while St. Clare was still alive.
The form of life of the Order of the Poor Sisters is this: to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in Obedience, without anything of one’s own, in Chastity, and in Enclosure. St. Clare wants her followers to lead a life of Prayer, Poverty and Penance, Simplicity and Joy, and strong loving Community.Her Feast Day became August 11.
Because she wrote of seeing a worship service for which she was not present, Clare was designated in 1958 by Pope Pius XII as the patron saint of television. She is known as the patron of needlework; Assisi embroidery is named for her.
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