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Clare was the noble and lofty tree bringing forth
Living faith "works through charity," the
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH declares.
Faith and charity require
each other, wrote Pope Benedict XVI.
Well before either of these modern
observations, St. Paul declared unequivocally:
If I have faith enough to
move mountains...but have not love, I am nothing.
1 Car, 13;2
PART 9
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THE SWEET FRUIT OF FAITH
St. Clare of Assisi offers a
compelling example of someone who allowed her whole life to be
shaped by
faith working through love. Even
in her parental home, she was so known for her great generosity to the
poor. that she could say with St. James, I.
by my works, will show you
my faith. James 2:18 Her entrance into
religious life and her embrace of evangelical poverty, far from
diminishing her faith-shaped charity, only opened out new horizons for her
love of neighbor.
Why are faith and love so
inextricably linked in Christian life?
Because through faith, we can recognize the Face of the risen Lord in those who ask for our love. It is faith that enables us to recognize Chris. and it is His love that impels us to assist Him whenever He becomes our neighbor along the journey of life. Pope Benedict XVI, Poria Pidei,14 |
Christians are people who have been conquered by Christ's love and;
accordingly,
under the influence of that love, they are Profoundly open to loving their neighbors in concrete ways. Pope Benedict XVI, Message for Lent 2013
Faith causes us
to embrace the command of our Lord and Master;
As someone preeminently
conquered by the love of Christ, the Lady Clare was profoundly open to
the many concrete, practical ways that each day holds for letting
one's faith work through love. The Sisters who
lived with her told how the Seraphic Mother would serve them at table,
wash their feet and care for them when they were ill, St. Clare was alert
to her Sisters' spiritual needs as well, offering to the weak or weary or
tempted the support of an encouraging word, a listening ear, a loving
heart.
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St. Clare's faith worked through a love that extended far beyond the boundaries of her cloister. Her prayers worked miracles of healing, deliverance and conversion, Her spiritual support was sought by priests, bishops, cardinals and even the Pope himself When she became chronically ill, faith enabled Clare to see this cross as an invitation to immerse herself even more deeply in love for Jesus Crucified, allowing Him to make fruitful her spiritual offerings for His Mystical Body, the Church.
In her Testament, St. Clare wrote:
Loving one another with the love of
Christ, may you show forth outwardly by your actions the love which you
have within you. Faith working through love
not only
led her to the heights of Christian sanctity but also formed a religious
family
governed by the love of God and by prayer, by caring for others and by
service.
Pope Benedict XVI, Letter for
the 8th Centenary of the Consecration of St. Clare Her witness to
faith working through love
confirms that
if we open
ourselves to God's love, we allow Him to live in us and to bring us to
love with Him, in Him and like Him; only then does our faith
become truly active through love; only then does He abide in us.
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