St. Francis Consoles the Lady Clare
"The week St. Francis died, St. Clare, the first little plant of the Poor Ladies of San Damiano and the marvelous disciple of Francis in the observance of evangelical perfection, feared that she was going to die before he did, because they both were gravely ill. She wept bitterly and would not be consoled, for she thought she would not see Francis before he died, he who had been her father after God, her consolation and teacher, the one who had rooted her in God's grace.
So Clare expressed her anxiety to Francis through one of the brothers, And Francis was filled with compassion for her, since he loved Clare with a special fatherly affection. But he knew he could not quiet her fears by a personal visit to her and the other Poor Ladies, so he sent her a letter blessing her and absolving her of ay infraction she may have committed against his admonitions or the commands and counsels of the Son of God.
Then, in order that she might put aside all sadness, he said to the brother whom Clare had sent to him, 'God and tell the Lady Clare to put aside all displeasure and sadness that she cannot see me now, and assure her that, before she dies, both she and her sisters will see me again, and they will be filled with consolation.'" --Mirror of Perfection, 108
Letting go of the people we love is a hard thing to do. But our consolation is in the hope of seeing them again.
"The week St. Francis died, St. Clare, the first little plant of the Poor Ladies of San Damiano and the marvelous disciple of Francis in the observance of evangelical perfection, feared that she was going to die before he did, because they both were gravely ill. She wept bitterly and would not be consoled, for she thought she would not see Francis before he died, he who had been her father after God, her consolation and teacher, the one who had rooted her in God's grace.
So Clare expressed her anxiety to Francis through one of the brothers, And Francis was filled with compassion for her, since he loved Clare with a special fatherly affection. But he knew he could not quiet her fears by a personal visit to her and the other Poor Ladies, so he sent her a letter blessing her and absolving her of ay infraction she may have committed against his admonitions or the commands and counsels of the Son of God.
Then, in order that she might put aside all sadness, he said to the brother whom Clare had sent to him, 'God and tell the Lady Clare to put aside all displeasure and sadness that she cannot see me now, and assure her that, before she dies, both she and her sisters will see me again, and they will be filled with consolation.'" --Mirror of Perfection, 108
Letting go of the people we love is a hard thing to do. But our consolation is in the hope of seeing them again.
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