By: Margaret Magee OSF
Clare of Assisi: A Woman of Common Sense
I believe that Clare of Assisi was a woman of deep contemplation, love of God and of all people. Her desire to gaze, consider, contemplate and imitate Christ in poverty and evangelical gospel living was not out of a rigid, formal or structured mindset. I imagine, like that of Francis, Clare’s desire to embrace Christ and all of life was much more realistic and relational. She encountered and embraced life, the people and all creation around her.
This image of Clare speaks to me of a woman who is realistic. Living, pondering, imagining with eyes wide open. A woman of deep faith and purpose and a lot of common sense.
This image also reminds me of one of my favorite quotes of Clare of Assisi. “We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing. Imitation is not a literal mimicking of Christ, rather it means becoming the image of the Beloved, an image disclosed through transformation. This means we are to become vessels of God's compassionate love for others.”