St. Clare, Virgin & Abbess (12 August): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

St. Clare of Assisi gave up wealth, status, comfort, and the life the world expected of her—all because she wanted Jesus Christ above everything else. In this powerful account from The Lives of the Saints by Fr. Alban Butler, discover the extraordinary life of St. Clare of Assisi, virgin, abbess, spiritual daughter of St. Francis of Assisi, and founder of the community that would become known as the Poor Clares. Born into a wealthy and prominent family in Assisi, Clare could have pursued a comfortable life and advantageous marriage. Instead, inspired by St. Francis, she made the radical decision to renounce the world and consecrate herself completely to Jesus Christ. Her departure from home began a life marked by poverty, humility, obedience, sacrifice, prayer, and extraordinary love for God. Her family tried to bring her back—but Clare refused to abandon her vocation. Even persecution could not shake the young woman's determination to belong completely to Christ. Her sister Agnes eventually joined her, and Clare's example drew other women into the same radical way of life. St. Clare embraced holy poverty with remarkable intensity. When her inheritance came to her after her father's death, she gave it to the poor rather than reserving it for her monastery. She even petitioned the pope to preserve her community's extraordinary commitment to poverty. Yet her life was not merely one of exterior sacrifice. It was a life consumed by prayer and love of Jesus Christ. Clare possessed profound devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. One of the most dramatic episodes of her life occurred when attackers threatened her monastery. Though seriously ill, Clare had herself carried to the monastery gate with the Blessed Sacrament and prayed for God's protection. According to the account, terror seized the attackers and they fled. Her life challenges Catholics today with a difficult question: What are we still unwilling to surrender to Jesus Christ? Most of us will never be called to imitate every austerity practiced by St. Clare. But every Christian is called to self-denial, prayer, detachment from the world, obedience to God, humility, and love. St. Clare reminds us that holiness does not come from accumulating more. Sometimes it begins by letting go. St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us. 00:00 – The Life of St. Clare of Assisi 00:47 – St. Clare's Childhood and Desire for Christ 01:27 – Clare Meets St. Francis of Assisi 01:53 – Palm Sunday and Her Decision to Leave Everything 02:16 – Clare Leaves Home for St. Francis 02:41 – St. Francis Gives Clare the Religious Habit 03:04 – Her Family Tries to Bring Her Back 03:59 – St. Agnes Joins Her Sister Clare 04:32 – St. Clare Becomes Superior 04:58 – The Growth of the Poor Clares 05:23 – St. Clare's Extraordinary Austerities 06:56 – Why St. Clare Loved Holy Poverty 08:10 – Clare Gives Her Entire Fortune to the Poor 08:25 – The Pope and Clare's Privilege of Poverty 09:02 – St. Clare's Radical Humility 10:04 – Her Extraordinary Life of Prayer 10:45 – St. Clare's Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament 11:09 – The Miracle That Protected Her Monastery 12:30 – St. Clare Prays for the Deliverance of Assisi 13:11 – St. Francis, Christmas and the Passion of Christ 14:03 – 28 Years of Sickness and Suffering 15:07 – St. Clare Approaches Death 15:49 – The Passion Is Read at Her Deathbed 15:58 – The Death of St. Clare of Assisi 16:19 – St. Clare Is Canonized 17:05 – What St. Clare's Life Teaches Us Today 18:20 – Poverty, Humility, Prayer and Divine Love https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/august/st-clare/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 #StClare #StClareOfAssisi #CatholicSaints #CatholicFaith #Catholic #StClareOfAssisi #StClare #SaintClare #CatholicSaints #LivesOfTheSaints #StFrancisOfAssisi #PoorClares #CatholicFaith #CatholicChurch #Catholicism #Eucharist #BlessedSacrament #JesusChrist #CatholicHistory #CatholicSpirituality