Clare of Assisi: Mirror of Hope for the Jubilee Pilgrims

August 11, 2025: "She was a mirror of Christ, a garden enclosed, a light shining in the darkness of the world." – Pope Gregory IX

As we journey through the Jubilee Year 2025 as Pilgrims of Hope, St Clare of Assisi emerges as a luminous guide whose radical commitment to evangelical poverty and contemplative prayer offers profound wisdom for our contemporary search for authentic Christian living. Her feast on 11 August invites us to rediscover the transformative power of hope rooted in complete surrender to God.

I. Historical Background

Noble Origins to Radical Conversion (1194–1212): Born into the noble Offreduccio family in Assisi, Chiara di Favarone experienced a dramatic conversion at the age of 18, inspired by Francis of Assisi’s preaching and example of evangelical life.

Founding of the Poor Clares (1212): On Palm Sunday in 1212, Clare fled her family home to embrace religious life, establishing what would become the Order of Poor Ladies (later the Poor Clares) at San Damiano, making her the first woman to write a religious rule approved by the Church.

Papal Recognition and Protection: In 1216, Pope Innocent III granted Clare the “Privilege of Poverty”, allowing her community to live without any form of material security except divine providence — a revolutionary concept that challenged medieval ecclesiastical norms.

Lifetime of Leadership (1212–1253): For over 40 years, Clare governed her community with wisdom, nurturing vocations across Europe and defending her ideal of absolute poverty against papal attempts to modify it.

II. Spirituality of Saint Clare

Evangelical Poverty as Liberation: Clare understood poverty not as deprivation, but as radical freedom, echoing Christ’s words: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours” (Lk 6:20). Her poverty was christological — a concrete imitation of the poor Christ.

Contemplative Vision: Clare developed a distinctive spirituality of “gazing upon Christ”, instructing her sisters to “look upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him.” This reflects 2 Cor 3:18: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image.”

Eucharistic Devotion: Her profound love for the Eucharist was demonstrated dramatically in 1240, when she exposed the Blessed Sacrament to repel Saracen invaders, showing her belief in Christ’s real presence as ultimate protection and hope.

Sisterly Communion: Clare fostered a spirituality of fraternal love, creating a community where noble and peasant women lived as equals, reflecting Paul’s teaching: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28).

III. Contribution to the Church

Feminine Franciscan Charism: Clare adapted Francis’s vision for women, creating the first specifically feminine expression of Franciscan spirituality while maintaining its essential characteristics of poverty, prayer, and penance.

Ecclesiastical Innovation: Her insistence on writing her own Rule — approved by Pope Innocent IV in 1253 — established precedent for women’s active participation in shaping their communities’ governance and spiritual direction.

Mystical Theology: Clare’s letters, particularly to Agnes of Prague, constitute significant contributions to medieval mystical literature, offering theological insights into contemplative union with Christ through poverty and prayer.

Intercessory Ministry: Her reputation for miraculous healings and prophetic insights established her as a powerful intercessor, extending the Church’s healing ministry through contemplative prayer.

IV. Significance for Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

Hope Embodied in Radical Trust: Pope Francis, in proclaiming the Jubilee theme, emphasised hope as “the virtue of those who, experiencing the struggle and contradictions of history, believe in the Resurrection.” Clare’s unwavering trust in divine providence amid material insecurity exemplifies this theological virtue.

Ecological Conversion: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle notes that Clare’s relationship with creation, following Francis’s Canticle of the Creatures, prefigures contemporary ecological spirituality essential for addressing climate change — a central concern of Pope Francis’s pontificate.

Feminine Discipleship: Theologian Elizabeth Johnson observes that Clare’s autonomous religious leadership challenges contemporary questions about women’s roles in Church governance, offering hope for expanded feminine participation in ecclesial life.

Contemplative Renewal: The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life highlights that Clare’s contemplative charism addresses modern society’s need for authentic spiritual grounding amid technological acceleration and social fragmentation.

Option for the Poor: Clare’s “Privilege of Poverty” anticipates Pope Francis’s call for a “poor Church for the poor”, making her spirituality particularly relevant for addressing global inequality and a materialistic culture.

Eucharistic Revival: As the Church emphasises Eucharistic renewal, Clare’s extraordinary devotion to the Blessed Sacrament provides inspiration for deeper liturgical participation and adoration practices.

Saint Clare of Assisi stands as a beacon of hope for 21st-century pilgrims seeking authentic Christian living. Her radical embrace of evangelical poverty, profound contemplative prayer, and courageous ecclesiastical leadership offer timeless wisdom for navigating contemporary challenges. As we journey through this Jubilee Year, Clare invites us to discover that true hope emerges not from material security, but from complete abandonment to God’s loving providence. Her witness reminds us that the Gospel’s transformative power remains as revolutionary today as it was eight centuries ago.

Questions for Reflection

Personal Poverty: How might St Clare’s understanding of evangelical poverty as spiritual freedom challenge my relationship with material possessions and consumer culture in contemporary society?

Contemplative Living: In what ways can Clare’s practice of “gazing upon Christ” through prayer and Eucharistic devotion deepen my spiritual life amid the distractions and rapid pace of modern living?

Hopeful Discipleship: How does Clare’s unwavering trust in divine providence during times of uncertainty inspire my own journey as a Pilgrim of Hope in facing personal and global challenges?

By Fr. Valerian Lobo

Jamshedpur Diocese