On August 11, 2025, the Memorial Day of St. Clare of Assisi, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a solemn Mass at the Clarisse Convent in Jerusalem.
The celebration was marked by the concelebration of several bishops, Franciscan friars, the Clarisse sisters, and representatives from various religious orders. Among the faithful gathered were the Deputy Consul and Head of the Religious Affairs Section at the French Consulate, coming together to honor the life and enduring witness of St. Clare.
In his homily, Cardinal Pizzaballa reflected on St. Paul’s imagery of the faithful as fragile “earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7) filled with the light of Christ. “Our limitations and sinfulness are no longer a condemnation,” he affirmed, “but rather a means by which God’s strength and glory are revealed.”
True Christian witness, the Cardinal explained, manifests when believers extend compassion and choose to “bend over the wounds of those around them to pour the balm of God’s mercy,” living lives marked by love and forgiveness—especially in a world often eager to extinguish the divine light.
Recalling the life of St. Clare of Assisi, His Beatitude highlighted that amid “affliction and political uncertainty, domination and violence, poverty and insecurity,” Clare boldly rejected offers of protection and worldly security. Instead, she embraced a singular conviction: “Only Christ, only the Gospel—we do not need anything else.”
Paraphrasing St. Paul, he said Clare’s life proclaimed: “Let us not look at the visible, earthly, fallen things, but at the invisible, eternal things. We want to behold the face of Christ, to be clothed in His light and nothing else.”
Her secret to perseverance, he noted, stemmed from an unwavering focus on Christ: “...of fixing one’s gaze on the mystery of Christ and dwelling there, with the gaze of the heart fixed on Him". Even in turbulent times, Clare responded with “clarity and determination,” and her sisters today continue to embody her example: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).
This, Cardinal Pizzaballa emphasized, is not an escape from reality but a transformative way of living, allowing even the most painful experiences to “carry the taste of things above.”
“In these turbulent times,” he concluded, “let us examine where our gaze rests. Through the intercession of St. Clare, may we discover the hidden sweetness in life’s trials, even in the bitterest moments.”
About the Feast of St. Clare of Assisi (1194–1253):
St. Clare, born into nobility, was profoundly inspired by the preaching of St. Francis of Assisi. She renounced the wealth, comfort, and expectations of her privileged upbringing to embrace a radical life of poverty, prayer, and service. At only eighteen, she defied her family’s plans—including resisting an armed attempt to bring her back home—and consecrated herself to God by founding the Order of Poor Clares at San Damiano. For forty-two years, Clare led her sisters in a life of simplicity, self-discipline, and joyful austerity.
In an era that prized luxury and social status for women, Clare’s steadfastness was a quiet yet powerful revolution. She revealed that true freedom lies in living “after the manner of the Holy Gospel.” Her witness continues to inspire today, reminding us that courage, detachment from materialism, and a heart fixed on Christ have the power to transform not only one’s own life but also the lives of those around us.
