Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed." (Psalm 112: 1-2)

We are now about to complete these nine days of prayer in the company of St. Clare. 

We could meditate psalm 112 in its entirety, and try to recognize in it an expression of the life of Clare. She was delighted in the commandments of the Lord and her heritage is shared spread all over the world through the communities of Poor Clares, active on all five continents.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. ” sings the psalmist!

Very early on in her childhood, Clara cared for the poor, and she desired to live in a spirit of sharing. The conversion and testimony of Saint Francis inspired her, and she chose the “happiness of following Christ” above everything else.

Confronted with adversity and misunderstanding she firmly implemented her decision to live the Gospel with her sisters “in holy unity and very high poverty”.

Threatened by armies approaching her monastery, she still didn't "fear the tidings of a misfortune”; her heart didn't fail, because she relied on the Lord who is present in the Eucharist. “Guard Your servants, O Lord!” And the Lord, faithful to His word, protected His little flock: the enemies ran away and the city of Assisi was freed from its attackers.

Clara was the first woman to write a rule of life for women, and she stuck to it against all odds, inspired by the Lord.

The Church officially approved of her doctrine two days before she died! 

Clara passed away, not before exclaiming her gratitude: she did not fear death but rather saw it as a passing, a way of abandoning herself fully to the One who had always guarded and guided her:

“Go forth without fear, for God who created you has sanctified you, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, O God, for having created me.”

This was her own way to experience the abandonment of Jesus into the hands of His Father.

Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46)

Prayer

Blessed are you, Father, for the gift of my life! The odds of my existence were so slim! And yet I exist! To welcome this gift is to welcome my place in this world and the mission you entrusted me with. By praying Saint Clare, and through the action of Your Holy Ghost, allow me to know and accomplish what Your Love expects, for my joy, Your Glory, and for the life of the world! Let my life be a blessing to others, may it be accomplished in lovingly fulfilling Your Will. 

Allow me to say in truth at the end of my life: “ Father I did what You expected of me! Blessed are You, Lord, and thank You for having created me!”

Meditation of the Day

I am making this day a thanksgiving for the gift of my life

I am aware of the gift that was granted to me and of what I am called to accomplish. I meditate the path that has been traced for me in the course of those nine days: what calling(s) have I heard? What transformations have I noticed? In what direction does Saint Clare encourage me to go and keep paying attention to? Through Saint Clare the Lord has let a light shine into my heart: it is my responsibility to keep this light alive.

I will end this day (and the novena!) with an act of thankfulness and abandonment:

Blessed are You, Lord, for having created me! In Your hands I commend my life!”

Along with the life of all the Poor Clares Sisters on earth and everyone who took part in this novena! Lord, You are blessed for guiding us through prayer, and helping us discover the luminous life of Clara!

Guide us all with Your blessing!

Jesus, You promised to send Your Spirit to those who prayed to You. O God, to convey your Fire to world, receive the offering of our lives! 

 Now, it is time to discover the Clarisses of the Monastery of Arras, (Northern France), who composed the Novena to Saint Clare. These gracious sisters kindly gave their permission to translate their novena into English for your benefit.  The original novena can be found here, with its initial artwork/pictures. We thank them for their cooperation, and we look forward to a future collaboration to bring more outstanding spiritual content to our members!

United in prayer,

- Danielle, for Hozana.