Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday 11th August

Message from Fr Paul for Wednesday, 11th August 2021

           St Clare of Assisi was born on 16th July 1194 and died on 11th August 1253. She was a close friend and collaborator of St Francis and would have liked to follow him in the mendicant life and live as the friars did, but that wasn’t possible at the time. Men had greater freedom, young women practically none. The only model of religious life for women was that of cloistered nuns, especially Benedictine nuns. Such was her fame for holiness that she was canonised just two years after her death. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies (Poverelle in Italian), a monastic religious order for women following the teaching of St Francis on poverty, chastity and obedience. She composed the first ever rule written by a woman. After her death, it was renamed the Order of Saint Clare, and the nuns are now known as Poor Clares. Let’s pray especially for our own community of Poor Clares at Much Birch and for all Franciscan women throughout the world.

           Our Gospel passage for today comes from Matthew, (Mt 18: 15-20), a chapter in which Jesus talks about interpersonal relationships and the domestic life of the Church, above all the need for mutual forgiveness. In fact, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught his disciples to say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Here he talks about fraternal correction and the importance of looking out for our brothers and sisters in the faith, indeed all those with whom we come into contact, always trying to reach a consensus or an agreement. Nevertheless, at times it might be necessary even to correct them publicly. We should pray for one another and commend each other to God’s love and mercy. Above all we should remember that, “if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I shall be there with them.” God is always with us when we pray, and even more so when we pray together. That is what the Church is, a community of people who pray together and work together for peace and unity. May St Clare pray for us today, that we might follow the teaching of Jesus faithfully and, above all, joyfully.