Clare of Assisi

11 August -- Lesser Festival -- Religious -- White

Born in 1193 in Assisi of a wealthy family, Clare caught the joy of a new vision of the gospel from Francis' preaching. Escaping from home, first to the Benedictines and then to a Béguine-style group, she chose a contemplative way of life when she founded her own community, which lived in corporate poverty understood as dependence on God, with a fresh, democratic lifestyle. Clare became the first woman to write a religious Rule for women, and in it showed great liberty of spirit in dealing with earlier prescriptions. During the long years after Francis' death, she supported his earlier companions in their desire to remain faithful to his vision, as she did. Some of her last words were: "Blessèd be God, for having created me."

Collect

God of peace,
who in the poverty of the blessèd Clare
gave us a clear light to shine in the darkness of this world:
give us grace so to follow in her footsteps
that we may, at the last, rejoice with her
   in your eternal glory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

A reading from the prophecy of Hosea.

I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. From there I will give her her vineyards, and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she shall respond as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. And I will take you for my spouse forever; I will take you for my spouse in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will take you for my spouse in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord.

This is the word of the Lord.         Hosea 2. 14-15 & 19-20

Responsorial Psalm

RFor God alone my soul in silence waits;
[from him comes my salvation].
God alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.
For God alone my soul in silence waits;
truly, my hope is in him. R

He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
In God is my safety and my honour;
God is my strong rock and my refuge. R

Put your trust in him always, O people,
pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
God has spoken once, twice have I heard it,
that power belongs to God alone. R         From Psalm 62

A reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians.

It is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.

This is the word of the Lord.         2 Corinthians 4. 6-10

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

Jesus said to his disciples, "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love."

This is the gospel of Christ.         John 15. 4-10

Post Communion

Merciful God,
who gave such grace to your servant Clare
that she served you with singleness of heart
and loved you above all things:
help us, whose communion with you
   has been renewed in this sacrament,
to forsake all that holds us back from following Christ
and to grow into his likeness from glory to glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.