In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The life of Saint Clare of Assisi is one of the most exciting in Catholic hagiography.
Pope Alexander IV, in the bull of her canonization, defines her as a vessel of humility, a jeweler
of chastity, ardor of charity, sweetness of kindness, vigor of patience, bond of peace,
communion of family life, affable in treatment, peaceful in everything and always friendly.
The four general ministers of the four Franciscan families, on the occasion of the eighth centenary
of the birth of Saint Clare of Assisi, define her as having a strong, courageous, creative,
fascinating personality, endowed with extraordinary human and maternal affectivity, open to everything
good and beautiful love, both towards God and towards men and all other creatures.
Saint Clare of Assisi will be the one who gives the Church and humanity a family of
poor sisters that today has more than eighteen thousand members.
She will be the only one to write her own Rule and she will have the courage to ask
the astonished and moved Pope Innocent III for the privilege of poverty.
On the other hand, to manifest her spiritual greatness, let us remember that she was the
first little plant in the garden, planted by Saint Francis of Assisi on earth.
She is the patron saint of television by Pope Venerable Pius XII's apostolic brief.
She is considered the patron saint of those who suffer assaults from pirates, since she
attained the protection of God for her convent and city, attacked by the bands of Emperor
Frederick II.
She is also the patron saint of lighthouse keepers, fishermen, and sailors, for the saving
clarity of her wondrous light.
Her gift of performing miracles with the sign of the cross was extraordinary, so many sick
people were brought to her for healing.
For this and much more we are proud of our sister and spiritual mother Saint Clare of Assisi.
The devil was not happy with so much love in the convent of San Damiano.
The living presence of the Lord was felt there.
That is why, with God's permission, the devil tries to tempt Saint Clare of Assisi in different
ways, until he hits her.
On one occasion, during the ninth hour while she was praying in her cell, the devil, hitting
her on the cheek, injected blood in her eye and left her eyelid swollen.
A witness, a nun, declared that on another occasion, a very heavy door of the monastery
fell on Saint Clare of Assisi.
A sister called Angeluccia screamed, fearing that the door had killed her, because she
alone could not lift that door, which completely crushed Saint Clare of Assisi.
And the witness and other sisters ran.
The witness saw that the door was still on top of her, so heavy that only three friars
could lift it and place it in its place.
In spite of everything, Saint Clare of Assisi said that the door had not done any harm to
her, but that she had had it on top of her as if it were a small cloak.
Once, while she was crying in the depths of the night, the angel of darkness appeared
to her in the form of a black child, telling her: "Don't cry so much that you will go blind."
And Saint Clare of Assisi answered immediately: "The one who sees God will not be blind."
The devil, confused, disappeared.
That same night the deceitful counselor approached: “You shouldn't cry so much, so it doesn't
happen that in the end, your brain melts, it's going to drain out of your nose; because
you will also be left with a crooked nose”.
Saint Clare of Assisi answered the devil point-blank: "He who serves the Lord does not suffer any
torture."
In this way Saint Clare of Assisi put the devil on the run and he disappeared.
After Saint Clare of Assisi died, a boy from Perugia named Jacobin seemed to be more than
ill, possessed by a terrible demon.
Sometimes he threw himself desperately into the fire, other times he hit the ground; and,
lastly, he bit stones until his teeth broke, miserably injuring his head and tearing his
bloodied body.
With his mouth twisted, sticking his tongue out and with such strange skill, he frequently
contorted his limbs into a ball, so that he placed his knee on his neck.
Twice a day the demon attacked the boy with this madness; and not even between two people
could they prevent him from taking off his clothes.
The help of competent doctors is sought, but no one can be found who can solve his situation.
His father, not having found any remedy among men for this problem, resorts to the support
of Saint Clare of Assisi.
“O most holy virgin! –he exclaims–; Oh Clare!, worthy of veneration by the whole
world, to you I offer my son, from you I implore with all requests his health”.
Full of faith, he rushes to the tomb of the saint, and placing the boy on the tomb of
the virgin, he obtains the favor at the very moment he asks for it.
In effect, the boy is instantly free from that disease and is never bothered with such
evil again.
Mr. Valentine was so undermined by epilepsy that six times a day he fell to the ground
wherever he was.
He also suffered from contraction of one leg, so he could not walk quickly.
Mounted on a donkey, they lead him to the tomb of Saint Clare of Assisi, where he remains
lying down for two days and three nights; On the third day, without anyone touching
him, his leg made a great noise and immediately he was cured of both diseases.
Mr. James, sick with blindness for twelve years, needed a guide to get around, otherwise
he would walk lost.
Already on a certain occasion abandoned by his guide, he fell, breaking his arm and injuring
his head.
One night, while he was sleeping near the Narni bridge in Italy, a lady appeared to
him in a dream and said: "James, why don't you come to Assisi to see me and you would
be cured?"
When he gets up in the morning, shaking, he tells this vision to two other blind men.
They reply: "We recently heard of a lady who has died in the city of Assisi, and it is
said that the power of the Lord honors her sepulcher with healing graces and many miracles."
Hearing this, he sets off with great diligence and, staying that night in Spoleto, the same
vision repeats itself.
He hurries even more, it seems that he flies with the desire to regain his sight.
Arriving in Assisi, he finds that there are so many who crowd around the mausoleum of
the virgin, that in no way can he approach her tomb.
Full of faith and even more sorrow that he can't get through, he rests his head on a
rock and falls asleep outside.
And behold, for the third time he hears the same voice that tells him: "James, the Lord
will grant you a favor if you manage to enter."
Waking up, he asks the crowd through tears, shouting and redoubling his prayers, that,
for God's sake, to allow him to pass.
Having made way for him, he throws off his shoes, strips off his clothes, puts a belt
around his neck and, touching the tomb, in this humble attitude, lulls into a light sleep.
"Get up," Saint Clare of Assisi tells him, "get up, you're already cured."
Sitting up suddenly, all his blindness dissipated, all darkness gone from his eyes, he sees clearly,
thanks to Saint Clare of Assisi, the clarity of the light; and he glorifies the Lord by
praising Him and invites everyone to bless God for such a wonderful portent.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.