Pio's Proverb 77: The golden locks of St. Clare of Assisi

In the year 1212, little 19-year-old Clare came to St. Francis of Assisi to be accepted as a new nun who would follow the rule of St. Francis and his spirituality. She became the first Mother Clare of her new order of nuns called the Poor Clares. She was a noble woman [daugher of a noble knight and very religous mother]; she was rich, very beautiful and very sought after by the noblemen of her day. It is held that she did fall in love with Francis who bravely went to war in the Crusades but came back to give up all his possessions and devoted his life to poor. It was known that he loved Clare as any man could love a woman. But strangely enough, it was Francis who consistently persuaded Clare to embrace not him but enter into a marriage with Jesus Christ.

When she finally came to Francis to meet him in his church/cloister he built with his own hands, she was wearing a beautiful noble gown and had long golden hair. She had to exchange her dress for the Franciscan habit. Still today, her dress is hanging in the Cathedral Church of Assisi. But is even more wonderful is that when entering the convent, Francis had to cut off all her hair so she could show that she was renouncing the world and all its pleasures. All her golden curly locks are in a glass case to be seen by all in the same church he gown now hangs in the side niche. I have seen this hair, it is hard to imagine that it has lasted over 800 years and still looks so beautiful. Has she kept her hair and not given it up to follow the Lord, her Savior and Spouse, her hair would be lost completely. But giving it up has retained it for all to see. Jesus said, "Who who finds his life will lose it; but he who loses it [for my sake] will find it." These words seem to apply even to Clare's beautiful hair.

Clare's example soon spread to the surrounding regions. A woman name Agnes, Princess of Bohemia, who was engaged to a Duke, heard about Clare and her sacrifice to follow Jesus. Agnes broke her engagement and entered Clare's convent. These two were the true beginnings of the "Poor Clares". Eventhough these women were confined to a convent in cloister, still they became missionaries to the poor. Her hidden life bore much fruit. Agnes became St. Agnes of Prague. Saints beget Saints in the spiritual relm.

How does such two beautiful, marriageable, rich, and noble women give up marriage to go and live in a cloister, thus giving up all that life has to  offer. These two women really gave it all up because they could have had kingdoms, husbands, children, riches and a full life. What could possibly "recklessly" cause them to abandon their lives in the world for something that they perceived as "better"?  The answer lies in the fact they both DID get married - to Jesus. This is not just a pious saying. They both had a "spousal" relationship with Christ. Based on what? Based on Isaish and on Jesus' own words: Isaiah said:

"I will espouse you to Me forever in justice........For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hostis is his name: the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. ...For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, like the wife of a man's yourth when she is cast off,...but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer."

"You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be terned Forsaken, and your land Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you."

Jesus said in Matthew: "While they have the bridegroom, they do not fast." And "For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by ohters, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs [renounced marriage] for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

Jesus is clearing saying that there are those who do renounce marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven as surely St. Paul did. A call to celibate love to serve Jesus is real. Isaiah tells us the basically, God love for us is an espousal love because there is no greater intimacy on earth then marital love.  Jesus says: "And the two shall become one flesh."  God has used marriage as the sign of His covenantal love and marriage of us to Himself. Does God delight in us as a husband delights in his bride? Yes, He does. The Bible in Genesis begins with the marriage of Adam and Eve and ends with the Book of Revelation's Marriage Feast of the Lamb."  Even St. Paul said: "Husbands love your wives as Christ loves His Church." Jesus clearly has a spousal relationship with His Church just as Isaiah said His Father has with the children of Israel.

With all of the above, you can see that St. Clare and St. Agnes were seeking marriage with the Lord and gave up marriage here on earth to belong totally to Jesus. Every nun today does that. We are made for love and for marriage. All nuns were asked by Blessed Pope John Paul II to wear their habits faithfully because their habits are their wedding gowns; their veil is a sign of their perpetual virginity. Thus they witness to the Resurrection in their very person because "in heaven they neither marry or are given in marriage. They are like angels." 

Jesus knows human nature well. He says, "Let him accept  this who can."  Not every one can be celibate. St. Paul says, "It is better to marry than to burn."  But for those who hear Jesus's proposal of marriage, let them respond and become completely His - let their Maker marry them. Let them rest in the loving embrace of Jesus in Holy Communion.  In a sense we are all the brides of Christ; but these special nun and brothers and priests are His completely and more freely devote themselves to the Body of Christ, the Church.

What happened to St. Clare for leaving the world?

St. Clare was born in 1193 and died in 1253. She was canonized just two years later in 1255 by Pope Alexander IV.  St. Francis had to leave his love for the hidden life to go and preach to others in the world. Clare had to leave her public life for the hidden life with Christ. But both followed their call faithfully and both were canonized. Both came from the same town and now are in heaven together. They both now can love each other in Christ and for Christ. Heaven is a place of great spiritual love. All in heaven love God and each other forever. St. Clare has her family that has grown. The Poor Clares are devoted to Perpetual Adoration of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist within their convents and especially to the poor who are the Body of Christ.
Lord, Jesus, please give us to not love this world or its vanity but rather to give all we have to Your service as spouses, as parents, as single or married people, as ministers or volunteers, as just ordinary folk who love and serve in our daily lives. Let St. Clare and St. Francis pray for us to follow you with generosity and love. In Your Name, we pray. Amen.

Love, Pio