Feast Day: August 11
Born: July 16, 1194, Assisi, Italy
Died: August 11, 1253, Assisi, Italy
Canonized: September 26, 1255, by Pope Alexander IV
Religious Order: Poor Clares / Order of Saint Clare
Patron Saint of: Television, television writers and broadcasters, embroiderers, laundry workers, goldsmiths, eye disease, and those seeking protection and spiritual strength
Symbols: Monstrance, Eucharistic host, cross, lily, lamp, and religious habit
“Love God, serve God; everything is in that.”
Saint Clare of Assisi was one of the great women saints of the Catholic Church and one of the closest companions in the spiritual movement inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, now commonly known as the Poor Clares, and devoted her entire life to Christ in poverty, prayer, contemplation, humility, and love.
Although she lived in medieval Italy, Clare’s message remains remarkably relevant. She teaches us that holiness does not depend upon wealth, fame, power, or worldly success. A heart completely surrendered to Christ can become a source of light for the entire Church.
The Early Life of Clare
Clare was born in Assisi in 1194 into a wealthy and noble family. Her father was Favarone di Offreduccio, and her mother was Ortolana.
From childhood, Clare demonstrated a deep love for prayer and charity. Although she belonged to a wealthy family, she was attracted to a life of simplicity and service.
She was particularly moved by the needs of the poor.
The society in which Clare lived valued wealth, family status, marriage alliances, and social position. As a young woman from a noble family, Clare would have been expected to marry and establish a family.
But God had another plan for her.
Her heart belonged to Christ.
Clare Meets Francis of Assisi
Clare’s life changed profoundly through the preaching and example of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Francis had renounced wealth and embraced the Gospel with extraordinary simplicity. He preached conversion, poverty, peace, humility, and love of Christ.
Clare was deeply inspired by his example.
She realized that she too wanted to give everything to Christ.
Francis recognized the sincerity of her vocation and became an important spiritual guide in the early stages of her religious life.
Their friendship was not merely a friendship between two people. It became a powerful spiritual partnership that helped transform the Church.
Clare Leaves Her Family
On the night of Palm Sunday in 1212, Clare made the decisive step in her vocation.
She secretly left her family home and went to the little church of Saint Mary of the Angels, known as the Portiuncula, where Francis and his companions were staying.
There Clare renounced the world.
Francis received her into the new way of life, cut her hair, and gave her a simple religious habit.
She had exchanged the clothing of a noblewoman for the humble garment of a religious sister.
She had exchanged worldly security for radical trust in God.
She had exchanged earthly wealth for the poverty of Christ.
Her family was deeply upset by her decision and attempted to bring her back.
But Clare remained firm.
She had found the treasure she had been seeking.
The Birth of the Poor Clares
After beginning her religious life, Clare eventually settled at the Church of San Damiano, just outside Assisi.
There she established a community of women dedicated to prayer, contemplation, poverty, and service.
The community became known initially as the Poor Ladies.
They later became known throughout the world as the Poor Clares.
The sisters lived a life of radical simplicity.
They prayed.
They worked.
They fasted.
They cared for one another.
They depended upon God’s providence.
They remained hidden from the world while offering their lives for the Church and the salvation of souls.
Clare became the spiritual mother of the community.
The “Poor Privilege”
One of the most remarkable aspects of Clare’s spirituality was her insistence on evangelical poverty.
She believed that the sisters should imitate Christ who, although rich in divinity, chose poverty in his earthly life.
Clare fought for the right of her community to live without property.
This became known as the Privilege of Poverty.
She wanted the sisters to depend upon God rather than accumulating wealth and possessions.
Clare’s desire was not simply to be poor for the sake of poverty.
Her poverty was an expression of love.
She wanted to possess Christ alone.
Clare’s Love for the Eucharist
Saint Clare had a profound devotion to the Holy Eucharist.
For Clare, Jesus Christ was not merely someone she remembered.
He was truly present.
Her love for the Eucharist became particularly evident during a time when San Damiano was threatened.
According to tradition, armed forces approached the monastery intending to attack it.
Clare, despite being seriously ill, took the Blessed Sacrament and went to meet the threat.
She prayed before the Eucharist, entrusting the sisters to Christ.
Tradition holds that the attackers withdrew.
This event became closely associated with Clare’s Eucharistic devotion and is one reason she is frequently represented holding a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament.
Whether considered through the lens of historical tradition or devotional memory, the episode beautifully expresses Clare’s central conviction:
Christ is our strength and our protection.
“Look Upon Him”
Clare’s spirituality was profoundly centered on contemplating Jesus Christ.
In one of her most beautiful spiritual teachings, she encouraged Saint Agnes of Prague to look upon Christ.
She wrote:
“Gaze upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him.”
For Clare, Christian life begins by looking at Christ.
When we look at Jesus, we discover who God is.
When we look at Jesus, we discover who we are.
When we look at Jesus, we learn how to love.
When we look at Jesus, worldly attractions lose their power.
When we look at Jesus, suffering can be transformed into an offering.
Clare and the Crucified Christ
The spirituality of Saint Clare was deeply marked by the Cross.
She understood that following Jesus means following him not only to the Resurrection but also to Calvary.
She contemplated the poverty of Bethlehem.
She contemplated the humility of Christ.
She contemplated the suffering of the Cross.
She contemplated the glory of the Resurrection.
Her spirituality was therefore both contemplative and profoundly Christ-centered.
She did not seek extraordinary experiences for their own sake.
She sought Christ.
Clare’s Friendship with Francis
Saint Clare and Saint Francis shared a remarkable spiritual friendship.
Francis was the great inspiration of Clare’s vocation, while Clare became one of the closest spiritual companions of Francis.
Their relationship demonstrates that Christian friendship can help two people become more faithful to Christ.
They encouraged one another in:
- Poverty
- Prayer
- Humility
- Simplicity
- Love for the Church
- Eucharistic devotion
- Service
- Fidelity to the Gospel
Francis and Clare did not seek to possess one another.
They helped one another belong more completely to Christ.
Clare as Abbess
Clare served as abbess of San Damiano for approximately forty years.
Her leadership was characterized by humility.
She did not place herself above her sisters.
She served them.
She cared for the sick.
She washed their feet.
She encouraged them in times of difficulty.
She prayed for them.
She corrected them with love.
Her authority came from holiness rather than domination.
Clare demonstrates an important Christian principle:
True leadership begins with service.
Her Life of Prayer
Clare spent long hours in prayer and contemplation.
Her prayer was centered on Christ.
She loved silence because silence created space for God.
She loved poverty because poverty freed her heart.
She loved the Eucharist because the Eucharist united her with Jesus.
She loved the Cross because the Cross revealed the depth of Christ’s love.
Her life reminds modern Christians that prayer is not wasted time.
Prayer changes the heart.
A person who spends time with God gradually begins to think, speak, forgive, and love differently.
Clare’s Suffering and Illness
For many years, Clare suffered from serious illness.
Her physical condition eventually became very poor.
She was frequently unable to walk and spent long periods confined to bed.
Yet she continued to pray and encourage her sisters.
Her physical weakness did not prevent her from becoming spiritually strong.
Her life teaches us that our usefulness in the eyes of God is not measured by physical strength, productivity, or worldly achievement.
Sometimes the most powerful apostolate is hidden prayer.
Clare and the Church
Clare remained deeply faithful to the Catholic Church.
She desired approval for the rule of life followed by her community.
Eventually, Pope Innocent IV approved the rule written by Clare shortly before her death.
She became the first woman in the Church to write a rule for religious women that received papal approval.
This was a significant achievement.
Clare had fought for the right of her sisters to live according to the poverty of the Gospel.
Her perseverance helped establish a spiritual tradition that would continue for centuries.
Clare’s Final Days
Clare’s health continued to deteriorate.
She knew that her earthly life was coming to an end.
According to tradition, she received the Eucharist and the final sacraments with profound faith.
She died peacefully on August 11, 1253, at the monastery of San Damiano.
She was approximately 59 years old.
Her death did not mark the end of her mission.
Her spiritual family continued to grow.
Canonization
Saint Clare was canonized only two years after her death.
Pope Alexander IV canonized her on September 26, 1255.
The rapid recognition of her holiness reflects the profound impact she had already made on the Church.
Her example spread throughout Europe and eventually across the entire world.
Today, communities of Poor Clares continue to live her charism of prayer, contemplation, poverty, and devotion to Christ.
Saint Clare’s Writings
Saint Clare left several important spiritual writings.
Among them are:
- The Rule of Saint Clare
- Letters to Saint Agnes of Prague
- The Testament of Saint Clare
- The Blessing of Saint Clare
Her letters to Agnes of Prague are especially beautiful.
Clare repeatedly encourages Agnes to keep her eyes fixed upon Christ.
She teaches her to contemplate Jesus as the true Bridegroom and treasure of the soul.
Clare’s Spirituality: Christ Above Everything
At the center of Clare’s life was a simple but radical conviction:
Jesus is enough.
She did not need wealth.
She did not need status.
She did not need worldly recognition.
She did not need possessions.
She did not need power.
She wanted Christ.
This is perhaps her most important message for our modern world.
We live in a culture that constantly tells us:
“You need more.”
More money.
More possessions.
More followers.
More recognition.
More comfort.
More success.
Saint Clare whispers another message:
You need Christ.
Saint Clare and Simplicity
Clare’s life challenges the culture of excessive consumption.
She chose simplicity not because material things are inherently evil, but because possessions can easily possess us.
The more we accumulate, the more difficult it can become to surrender.
Clare wanted a heart that was free.
A heart that is free can love.
A heart that is attached to possessions can become afraid of losing them.
Clare’s poverty was therefore a form of spiritual freedom.
What Saint Clare Teaches Families
Saint Clare also has a message for families.
She teaches parents to respect God’s call in their children.
Clare’s family initially struggled to accept her vocation.
Yet her life became a blessing to countless generations.
Parents naturally want security and success for their children.
But Christian parents must also ask:
“What does God want for my child?”
A child’s vocation is ultimately God’s gift.
Parents are called to accompany, encourage, and discern—not simply to impose their own dreams.
What Saint Clare Teaches Young People
Young people today face enormous pressure.
They are often told that their value depends upon appearance, popularity, academic achievement, career success, money, or social media recognition.
Saint Clare offers another identity.
Your worth comes from being loved by God.
You do not have to become famous to become holy.
You do not have to become rich to become successful.
You do not have to impress the world to have meaning.
You only need to discover God’s call and respond with love.
Saint Clare and the Eucharist
Clare’s Eucharistic devotion should inspire every Catholic.
The Eucharist is not simply a religious ceremony.
It is Christ.
At Mass, we encounter the Lord who gives himself for us.
Saint Clare teaches us to approach the Blessed Sacrament with faith, reverence, love, and gratitude.
When we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, we should allow him to transform us.
The Eucharist should lead us to:
- Greater love
- Greater forgiveness
- Greater humility
- Greater charity
- Greater purity of heart
- Greater concern for the poor
- Greater desire for holiness
Why Is Saint Clare the Patron Saint of Television?
One of the more unusual patronages of Saint Clare is television.
The tradition is connected with an episode from the end of her life.
When Clare was too ill to attend Mass, she is said to have experienced a miraculous vision in which she could see and hear the Mass celebrated at the church.
Because of this association with seeing a sacred event from a distance, Pope Pius XII proclaimed Saint Clare the patron saint of television in 1958.
Her patronage is an interesting reminder that modern technology can also become a means of bringing truth, beauty, education, and faith into people’s homes.
Saint Clare’s Message for the Digital Age
Saint Clare lived eight centuries ago, but her message speaks powerfully to the digital age.
Our world is filled with images.
Screens are everywhere.
Information never stops.
Notifications constantly compete for our attention.
Saint Clare teaches us the importance of looking at the right thing.
Her spiritual advice could be expressed for our time:
Do not allow every image to capture your attention.
Do not allow every voice to shape your heart.
Do not allow social media to determine your worth.
Do not allow the noise of the world to drown out God’s voice.
Instead:
Look upon Christ.
A Reflection: What Are You Looking At?
Saint Clare tells us to gaze upon Christ.
This raises a simple question:
What occupies most of our attention?
What do we look at when we wake up?
What do we think about before going to sleep?
What fills our minds during the day?
What do we desire?
What do we fear losing?
Our answers reveal the direction of our hearts.
Saint Clare teaches us to turn our gaze toward Jesus.
When Christ becomes the center, everything else finds its proper place.
Lessons from Saint Clare
1. Put Christ First
Nothing should occupy the place that belongs to God.
2. Choose Simplicity
A simpler life can create greater freedom for God.
3. Love the Eucharist
Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament is the heart of the Christian life.
4. Serve Humbly
True greatness comes through service.
5. Remain Faithful
Clare persevered even through illness, opposition, and uncertainty.
6. Pray in Silence
The heart needs silence to hear God.
7. Respect Vocations
Every person has a unique calling from God.
8. Look at Christ
The direction of our gaze determines the direction of our hearts.
A Prayer to Saint Clare of Assisi
O glorious Saint Clare,
faithful disciple of Christ
and spiritual daughter of Saint Francis,
you chose Jesus as your greatest treasure.
Teach us to love Christ above everything else.
Free our hearts from excessive attachment
to wealth, possessions, popularity and worldly success.
Help us to discover the beauty of simplicity,
the power of prayer,
and the joy of serving others.
Saint Clare,
lover of the Eucharistic Lord,
increase in us a deep love
for Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament.
When we are afraid, strengthen us.
When we are discouraged, encourage us.
When we are tempted, protect us.
When we are suffering, remain near us.
Teach us to gaze upon Christ,
to contemplate his Cross,
to imitate his humility,
and to follow his Gospel faithfully.
Pray for our families,
young people, priests, religious,
the poor and suffering,
and all those who seek God sincerely.
May our lives become a reflection
of the love and peace of Christ.
Saint Clare of Assisi,
Bride of Christ and lover of poverty,
pray for us.
Amen.
A Short Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament
Jesus, my Lord and my God,
like Saint Clare,
teach me to gaze upon You
with a loving heart.
Take away everything
that keeps me from You.
Be my treasure,
my strength,
my peace,
and my joy.
May I never seek anything
more than I seek You.
Amen.
Saint Clare’s Message in One Sentence
“Look upon Christ, choose Christ, love Christ, and let Christ be enough.”
Feast Day Message
On the feast of Saint Clare of Assisi, may we learn from this great woman saint to place Christ above everything.
May she teach us the beauty of prayer, the freedom of simplicity, the power of Eucharistic faith, and the joy of serving others.
May our eyes be turned away from the distractions of the world and toward Jesus, the true treasure of our hearts.
Saint Clare of Assisi, Bride of Christ, lover of the Eucharist and mother of the Poor Clares, pray for us!
Saint Clare of Assisi — Feast Day at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Saint Clare of Assisi |
| Birth | July 16, 1194 |
| Birthplace | Assisi, Italy |
| Died | August 11, 1253 |
| Feast Day | August 11 |
| Founder | Order of Poor Ladies / Poor Clares |
| Spiritual Father | Saint Francis of Assisi |
| Canonized | September 26, 1255 |
| Canonizer | Pope Alexander IV |
| Patronage | Television, broadcasters, embroiderers, laundry workers, goldsmiths, and others |
| Main Virtues | Poverty, prayer, contemplation, humility, charity and fidelity |
| Major Symbol | Monstrance / Eucharistic Host |
Suggested Scripture
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
— Matthew 6:21
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