St. Francis and St. Clare
"It happened once that St. Francis and Brother Leo went to Siena together, and St. Francis was sad because the people had shown them so little courtesy. He began to think of his dear Assisi where he had left his spiritual sons and his beloved daughter in God, St. Clare. He knew how much she was suffering because of her devotion to holy poverty, and he feared that she might become ill. Weighed down by these thoughts, he felt he couldn't walk amy farther when he and his companion got to the place where the road turns into the hill country. He dragged himself to a well and for a long time just stood looking down into the clear water. Then he lifted his head and said joyfully to Brother Leo: 'Brother Leo, little lamb of God, what do you think I've been looking at in the water of the well?' 'The moon that is reflected there,' replied Brother Leo. 'No, Brother Leo, not Sister Moon, but, through the Lord's mercy, I've been looking at the true face of our sister, Lady Clare. Her countenance is so pure and full of holy joy that all my fears are gone. I know now that she has been given that perfect joy which God gives his dear ones by pouring upon them the treasures of holy poverty.'" --From a popular Franciscan legend
Today would have been my mother's 95th birthday, but she passed on 21 years ago after spending her last year with me as her caretaker. During those months I watched her struggle with her illness and her resulting dependence on me. She kept planning to return to her apartment in Florida--even kept it for 6 months when we all knew she would never be able to return. Her lack of acceptance of her condition added to my own struggles of caring for her while caring for my children. It was only at the very end that she was finally at peace about her situation. Knowing that she was ready to be with the Lord gave me a joy I could not have otherwise experienced, just as St. Francis experienced concerning St. Clare.
"It happened once that St. Francis and Brother Leo went to Siena together, and St. Francis was sad because the people had shown them so little courtesy. He began to think of his dear Assisi where he had left his spiritual sons and his beloved daughter in God, St. Clare. He knew how much she was suffering because of her devotion to holy poverty, and he feared that she might become ill. Weighed down by these thoughts, he felt he couldn't walk amy farther when he and his companion got to the place where the road turns into the hill country. He dragged himself to a well and for a long time just stood looking down into the clear water. Then he lifted his head and said joyfully to Brother Leo: 'Brother Leo, little lamb of God, what do you think I've been looking at in the water of the well?' 'The moon that is reflected there,' replied Brother Leo. 'No, Brother Leo, not Sister Moon, but, through the Lord's mercy, I've been looking at the true face of our sister, Lady Clare. Her countenance is so pure and full of holy joy that all my fears are gone. I know now that she has been given that perfect joy which God gives his dear ones by pouring upon them the treasures of holy poverty.'" --From a popular Franciscan legend
Today would have been my mother's 95th birthday, but she passed on 21 years ago after spending her last year with me as her caretaker. During those months I watched her struggle with her illness and her resulting dependence on me. She kept planning to return to her apartment in Florida--even kept it for 6 months when we all knew she would never be able to return. Her lack of acceptance of her condition added to my own struggles of caring for her while caring for my children. It was only at the very end that she was finally at peace about her situation. Knowing that she was ready to be with the Lord gave me a joy I could not have otherwise experienced, just as St. Francis experienced concerning St. Clare.
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