Following in the Footsteps of the Poor Lady: Reflections on St. Clare
This post is written in Easy English. Easy English uses short sentences and simple words. It is easier to read and understand. It can help people who find reading hard. It can help people who are learning English. It can help anyone who wants a quick, clear read. I hope you enjoy it.
2 Corinthians 8:9:
"You know that our Lord Jesus Christ is very kind. He was rich, but he made himself poor to help you. So then, because he became poor, you could become rich." (Easy English Bible)
Today, some of us who follow Jesus remember a woman named Clare of Assisi. She lived a long time ago. She looked at the wealth and power around her. And she chose something different. She chose a simple life. She chose humility. She loved Christ with her whole heart.
I try to follow Jesus in this same way. I try to live gently, with peace, and with others by my side. Clare and Francis touch something deep in me. I fail often. I know this about myself. Clare was not perfect either — no saint ever is. We all see God's truth only in part, like looking through cloudy glass. But even so, I feel drawn to the light that lived in her.
Clare knew something our busy world forgets. Following Jesus was never about power. It was never about building something big for ourselves. It is about gently letting go. It is about holding our things with open hands. Our true riches are found somewhere else — in God's love, and in the warmth of living life together with others.
Clare fought for something she called the "Privilege of Poverty." She wanted her sisters, the Poor Clares, to lean fully on God. They chose not to own land. They chose not to save up money for safety. Instead, they worked with their own hands. Each day, they trusted God to provide.
This still speaks gently to us today. It invites us to trust God for our daily bread. It invites us to let go of fear, and to stop letting fear steer our choices.
Today is Clare's feast day. Let's slow down for a moment and ask ourselves:
Where might God be inviting me to loosen my grip?
What am I holding onto too tightly?
How can I find a little quiet, even in a noisy world?
May Clare's courage stir something in us too. May we walk gently on the road of radical love. And may we hold nothing back from the One who first gave everything for us.
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