Clare of Assisi was a close friend of Saint Francis of Assisi and the foundress of the Poor Clares. She was born in Assisi in 1194 and at age 18 was so moved by the Lenten sermons of Francis that she renounced all of her possessions and entered a convent, much to the dissatisfaction of her family and friends, who tried very hard to dissuade her and bring her home. She was formed in the religious life at Benedictine monasteries and then accepted Francis’ offer of a small house for herself and her companions adjacent to the church of San Damiano in Assisi. At age 21, she was appointed by Francis to lead the community, much against her will. She would lead the community for the next forty years and would never leave the San Damiano convent. The community would eventually include her mother and two sisters. The way of life in the new community was marked by poverty and austerity, and sustained itself entirely from charitable contributions. The Poor Clares observed almost complete silence unless spoken to or in order to perform a work of charity. They went barefoot, slept on the ground and ate no meat. In later years, Clare urged her nuns to moderate their own austerities and offer Christ “reasonable service and sacrifice seasoned with the salt of prudence.” The greatest emphasis, of course, was on gospel poverty. They owned no property. Clare served the sick and washed the feet of the begging nuns. She was devoted to a life of prayer and celebration of the Eucharist. She was first up in the morning to ring the choir bell and light the candles. Clare sought to imitate Francis’ virtues and way of life so much so that she was sometimes called “another Francis.” She played a significant role in encouraging and aiding Francis, whom she saw as a spiritual father figure. She took care of him during his final illness. From the time Francis died in 1226 until her own death 27 years later, Clare suffered various illnesses and was often bedridden. All the while, she lived a simple but dedicated religious life, performing such menial tasks as sewing altar linens for local parishes. Twice when the town of Assisi was under attack, Clare prayed before the Blessed Sacrament and the armies were said to have ended their siege and fled. Clare’s nuns soon spread to other countries in Europe, including Spain, Italy, Germany, France and England. Today, they are also established in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. She passed away on August 11, 1253 and was canonized two years later. Her feast day is August 11.

Weekend of June 25/26, 2022

Today’s Gospel reveals to us the beginning of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. We will journey with Jesus for many Sundays to come, and along the way he will teach us about the demands of discipleship. His instructions may seem harsh and unreasonable to our ears. His response to legitimate requests to postpone the journey reminds us that there are always justifiable excuses to defer the journey or put off the responsibilities of discipleship. Other important matters compete for our attention. Some of us must make heart-wrenching choices, but there is urgency about Jesus’ mission to bring forth God’s kingdom. His demand is that we proclaim the Kingdom of God now. Is this our first priority, or do we have other priorities?

For many individuals and families alike, summer means travel. And summer travel may mean new visitors to our parish for weekend liturgies. How we greet and provide hospitality for our guests says a lot about our practice of good stewardship. Providing hospitality to strangers is a hallmark of Christian stewardship. In the Gospel of Matthew good stewards were commended for their hospitality: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matt. 25:35). Saint Benedict directed his followers to receive guests and travelers as if they were Christ. Extending hospitality is especially important when it comes to welcoming visitors who may be attending Mass at our parish for the first time. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting that the ability of a firsttime visitor to have a meaningful experience of Christ in the liturgy is directly impacted by the warmth of the welcome extended by the local worshipping community. When people say hello, the worship experience is enhanced. A warm welcome is part of evangelization, work necessary in a church’s mission to help people discover or renew their faith in Christ. How do we treat the unknown person who walks by us in church, or who sits next to us at Mass? Do we ignore them? Talk around them? Look at them and say nothing? Do we take the initiative to greet them, smile, extend a warm handshake? Remember, we are Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Our actions and reactions toward visitors at Mass communicate who we are and who we represent. Let us take time to welcome visitors to our parish this summer. Welcoming gestures, however small, will not only have a positive impact on visitors, they will make us more hospitable ambassadors of Christ.

Weekend of June 18/19, 2022

From the rich Eucharistic themes to be drawn from today’s second reading, one stewardship theme stands out: The Eucharist is Christ’s gift to us. Good stewards are grateful for this gift and realize that no matter their station in life, they are welcome to come to the table and receive the body and blood of Christ. If Jesus could break bread with his betrayer, Judas, his denier, Peter, and the other ten who deserted him, then he will welcome us. Do we truly appreciate what a tremendous gift it is to approach the Lord’s table? Do we realize that the Holy Spirit means to transform us by the gift of Christ’s body and blood?

Please join our Procession at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 19.

Father’s Day reminds us that fathers are a tremendous source of love, strength and protection for a child. Notwithstanding the faithful and heroic efforts of single moms bringing up children in today’s society, children still need to be around Christian men who are positive role models; men who are actively involved in their life of faith, possess spiritual passion, and are faithful fathers and husbands. Undoubtedly, parishes need more men to be involved in the spiritual development of young people. Males bring a unique contribution that cannot be successfully substituted by females. Only men can serve as male role models and communicate the model of God as a loving father to children. In today’s society, for a number of reasons, many children grow up in single-parent homes, nurtured by their mothers. The parish or school may be the only place where these children have an opportunity to interact with men who model the loving, caring, and nurturing values of Christian manhood. Children can benefit from having a positive and responsible male role model in their lives. It is said of young males that they are naturally more attentive to men when being taught good manners and respect for others. Men are generally better able to get young males unhooked from video games and involved in athletic competitions and outdoor activities so they can experience a wider world, and do things that are physically demanding; thus realizing a host of virtues. Adolescent males appear to develop emotional literacy, social skills, and Christian values more readily from men. And the presence of a Christian man helps reduce the possibility of a young male becoming disaffected, socially isolated, and more prone to embracing at-risk behaviors. Of course, much of the above can be said for the importance of men in the lives of young women as well. But men can offer a unique Christian witness to young women in a culture that is so focused on young females as sex objects. It is important for girls to experience positive male role models; Christian men who see young women as children of God and are interested in what they say, think and feel as they grow in their spiritual lives. Young people need both male and female role models. But adult males are fewer to be found. Let Father’s Day remind us to find ways to connect with fathers and invite other positive male role models into the faith formation of our young people. Let’s encourage men to get more involved in the parish as mentors, tutors, catechists and other ministries. Let’s help young people see first-hand how Christian men follow Jesus Christ and live as his disciples in today’s world.

Stewardship leaders know that forming people to share their many gifts includes stewardship of financial and material resources. Treasure. We cannot run away from this dimension of the stewardship way of life, and in fact, it is a necessary component of comprehensive stewardship formation. The U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, captures this poignantly: “But a person can say no to Christ. Consider the wealthy and good young man who approaches Jesus asking how to lead an even better life. Sell your goods, Jesus tells him; give to the poor, and follow me. ‘When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions’ (Mt 19:22). Teaching people to be good stewards of their money and possessions is a great gift to them and to our faith communities. When our people develop the ability to separate wants from needs, to see money as a blessing, and to understand that their giving is an expression of their faith and trust in God, they benefit, as does the parish and diocese. Of course, many immediately equate the word “stewardship” with requests for financial giving. Here, we draw on the wisdom of the pastoral letter. Immediately following the reference to attachment to possessions, we are asked to reflect again on Christ’s call: “Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ leads naturally to the practice of stewardship. These linked realities, discipleship and stewardship, then make up the fabric of a Christian life in which each day is lived in an intimate, personal relationship with the Lord” (Stewardship, p. 14). Stewardship as a spiritual way of life is, in this regard, very incarnational. We recognize that our temporal lives, including the ways in which we use money and possessions, is an expression of our spiritual life. It is not uncommon for people to say, “Father always talks about money.” We know this is not precisely true. Father does sometimes talk about money, because Jesus did! Jesus talked about money because he knew that the ways in which people steward their treasure is, in fact, a barometer of their spiritual lives. It is a sign of what they treasure. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” (Luke 12:34). Jesus is the treasure we seek, and stewardship forms our hearts in this search.

Thank you to Leisa Anslinger for this article.