St. Clare was born in 1193 of an aristocratic family. Moved by the example and preaching of St. Francis of Assisi, she decided in 1211 to follow his way of life. On Palm Sunday, March 17, 1212, Clare escaped to the Church of the Portiuncula for a ceremony of dedicating herself to God and received from Francis a rough penitential habit.
Clare lived her religious life in an old house near the Church of San Damiano near Assisi. She was soon joined by her 14 years old sister Agnes, and then her mother and other noble ladies. In 1215, Francis appointed Clare as superior of the community.
Pope Benedict XVI said, “Especially at the beginning of her religious experience, Francis of Assisi was not only a teacher to Clare whose teachings she was to follow but also a brotherly friend. The friendship between these two Saints is a very beautiful and important aspect. Indeed, when two pure souls on fire with the same love for God meet, they find in their friendship with each other a powerful incentive to advance on the path of perfection. Friendship is one of the noblest and loftiest human sentiments which divine Grace purifies and transfigures.
“Like St. Francis and St. Clare, other Saints too experienced profound friendship on the journey towards Christian perfection. Examples are St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Frances de Chantal. And St. Francis de Sales himself wrote: ‘It is a blessed thing to love on earth as we hope to love in heaven, and to begin that friendship here which is to endure for ever there. I am not now speaking of simple charity, a love due to all mankind, but of that spiritual friendship which binds souls together, leading them to share devotions and spiritual interests, so as to have but one mind between them’ (The Introduction to a Devout Life, III, 19).”
Westminster Abbey Benedictine Father Augustine Kalberer described the life of St. Clare’s community: “The nuns observed a continual fast, ate no meat, spoke only when charity or necessity required, wore nothing on their feet, observed the night and day rhythm of choir office, and lived within the enclosure. While spared the rigours of the friars’ apostolate, the nuns would make their contribution by a more penitential way of life. Though the gaiety of the Poor Clares is proverbial, they remain the most penitential of the large orders of nuns.”
Benedict XVI pointed out that with great determination Clare obtained from Pope Gregory IX the “Privilege of Poverty.” On the basis of this privilege Clare and her companions at San Damiano could not possess any material property. Also, Clare was the first woman who composed a written Rule submitted for the Pope’s approval.
In the Rule, St. Clare wrote the following regarding the manner of working: “The sisters to whom the Lord has given the grace of working are to work faithfully and devotedly, [beginning] after the Hour of Terce, at work which pertains to a virtuous life and to the common good. They must do this in such a way that, while they banish idleness, the enemy of the soul, they do not extinguish the Spirit of holy prayer and devotion to which all other things of our earthly existence must contribute.”
Clare had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. When a group of Saracen mercenaries advanced to assault the saint’s convent, Clare caused the Blessed Sacrament to be placed facing the mercenaries and prayed: “Deliver not to beasts, O Lord, the souls of those who confess to Thee.” A voice from the Host replied, “My protection will never fail you.” A sudden panic seized the mercenaries and they took to flight.
From about 1225 until her death, Clare was almost constantly ill. On one Christmas Eve, Clare was too sick to attend Mass. The Holy Spirit projected the images and sounds of Mass on the wall of her room, and Clare was able to “attend” Mass in her room. Because of this miracle, Pope Pius XII named St. Clare the patroness of television in 1957.
Clare died on August 11, 1253, and was canonized two years later, on August 15, 1255, by Pope Alexander IV.
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電視主保熱愛聖體
聖嘉勒於1193年出生於一個貴族家庭。被亞西西的聖方濟各的榜樣和講道所感動，她決定在1211年遵循他的生活方式。在1212年3月17日的聖枝主日，嘉勒逃到寶尊堂參加獻身於天主的儀式，並從方濟各那裡接受了贖罪的會衣。
嘉勒在亞西西附近的聖達米亞諾教堂附近的一棟老房子裡過著她的修道生活。她14歲的妹妹雅妮很快就加入了她的行列，然後是她的母親和其他貴族女子。1215年，方濟各任命嘉勒為這團體的長上。
教宗本篤十六世說：『特別是在她的修道經歷之初，亞西西的方濟各不僅是嘉勒的老師，她要跟隨他的教誨，而且還是兄弟般的朋友。這兩位聖人之間的友誼展示了一個非常美麗和重要的層面。事實上，當兩個對天主有著同樣愛的純潔靈魂相遇時，他們在彼此的友誼中找到了在完美道路上前進的強大動力。友誼是神聖恩典凈化和改變的最高貴和最崇高的人類情感之一。像聖方濟各和聖嘉勒一樣，其他聖人在走向基督徒完美的旅程中也經歷了深厚的友誼。例如聖方濟各·沙雷和聖若安。沙雷氏的聖方濟各自己寫道：「在世上愛是一件有福的事情，就像我們希望在天堂愛一樣，並在這裏開始這種友誼，這種友誼將在那裡永遠存在。我現在說的不是一般的愛—–對全人類的愛，而是那種將靈魂聯繫在一起的精神友誼，引導他們分享神功和靈修的利益，一如他們之間只有一個思想。」(《成聖捷徑》, III, 19).』
奧斯定·卡爾貝勒神父描述了聖嘉勒的團體的生活：『修女們遵守持續的齋戒，不吃肉，只因愛德或需要時才說話，腳上什麼都不穿，遵行歌侶班職務的晝夜節奏，且住在圍欄內。雖然沒有男會士使徒工作的嚴酷考驗，但修女們會以更加懺悔的生活方式作出供獻。雖然嘉勒會的歡樂是眾所周知的，但她們仍然是大的女修會中最克苦的。』
本篤十六世指出，嘉勒下定決心從教宗額我略九世那裡獲得了『貧困的特權』。基於這一特權，嘉勒和她在聖達米亞諾的同伴不能擁有任何物質財產。此外，嘉勒是第一位起草會規供教宗批准的女性。
在她的會規中，聖嘉勒寫了以下關於工作方式的內容：『主賜予工作恩典的姊妹們，要忠心而專心地工作，從午前經時刻之後開始，從事與美德生活和共同利益有關的工作。他們必須以這樣一種方式這樣做，即雖然他們驅逐了空閒—-靈魂的敵人，它們不會熄滅我們在塵世生活中的所有其他事物都必須貢獻的聖潔祈禱和奉獻精神。』
嘉勒非常恭敬聖體聖事。當一群撒拉遜雇傭兵前進攻擊聖人的修道院時，嘉勒讓聖體面對雇傭兵並作祈禱：『主啊，不要將向你懺悔者的靈魂交給野獸。』一個聲音從聖體那裡回答說：『我的保護永遠不會辜負你。』一陣突如其來的恐慌抓住了傭兵，他們開始逃跑。
從大約1225年到她去世，嘉勒幾乎一直在生病。在一個耶誕節前夕，嘉勒病得太重，無法參加彌撒。聖神將彌撒的圖像和聲音投射在她房間的牆上，嘉勒能夠在她的房間”參與”彌撒。由於這個奇跡，教宗庇護十二世於1957年宣稱聖嘉勒為電視主保。
嘉勒於 1253 年 8 月 11 日去世，兩年後，即 1255 年 8 月 15 日，為教宗歷山大四世宣聖。
Share your thoughts by sending us a letter to the editor.
Share your thoughts by sending us a letter to the editor.
電視主保熱愛聖體
聖嘉勒於1193年出生於一個貴族家庭。被亞西西的聖方濟各的榜樣和講道所感動，她決定在1211年遵循他的生活方式。在1212年3月17日的聖枝主日，嘉勒逃到寶尊堂參加獻身於天主的儀式，並從方濟各那裡接受了贖罪的會衣。
嘉勒在亞西西附近的聖達米亞諾教堂附近的一棟老房子裡過著她的修道生活。她14歲的妹妹雅妮很快就加入了她的行列，然後是她的母親和其他貴族女子。1215年，方濟各任命嘉勒為這團體的長上。
教宗本篤十六世說：『特別是在她的修道經歷之初，亞西西的方濟各不僅是嘉勒的老師，她要跟隨他的教誨，而且還是兄弟般的朋友。這兩位聖人之間的友誼展示了一個非常美麗和重要的層面。事實上，當兩個對天主有著同樣愛的純潔靈魂相遇時，他們在彼此的友誼中找到了在完美道路上前進的強大動力。友誼是神聖恩典凈化和改變的最高貴和最崇高的人類情感之一。像聖方濟各和聖嘉勒一樣，其他聖人在走向基督徒完美的旅程中也經歷了深厚的友誼。例如聖方濟各·沙雷和聖若安。沙雷氏的聖方濟各自己寫道：「在世上愛是一件有福的事情，就像我們希望在天堂愛一樣，並在這裏開始這種友誼，這種友誼將在那裡永遠存在。我現在說的不是一般的愛—–對全人類的愛，而是那種將靈魂聯繫在一起的精神友誼，引導他們分享神功和靈修的利益，一如他們之間只有一個思想。」(《成聖捷徑》, III, 19).』
奧斯定·卡爾貝勒神父描述了聖嘉勒的團體的生活：『修女們遵守持續的齋戒，不吃肉，只因愛德或需要時才說話，腳上什麼都不穿，遵行歌侶班職務的晝夜節奏，且住在圍欄內。雖然沒有男會士使徒工作的嚴酷考驗，但修女們會以更加懺悔的生活方式作出供獻。雖然嘉勒會的歡樂是眾所周知的，但她們仍然是大的女修會中最克苦的。』
本篤十六世指出，嘉勒下定決心從教宗額我略九世那裡獲得了『貧困的特權』。基於這一特權，嘉勒和她在聖達米亞諾的同伴不能擁有任何物質財產。此外，嘉勒是第一位起草會規供教宗批准的女性。
在她的會規中，聖嘉勒寫了以下關於工作方式的內容：『主賜予工作恩典的姊妹們，要忠心而專心地工作，從午前經時刻之後開始，從事與美德生活和共同利益有關的工作。他們必須以這樣一種方式這樣做，即雖然他們驅逐了空閒—-靈魂的敵人，它們不會熄滅我們在塵世生活中的所有其他事物都必須貢獻的聖潔祈禱和奉獻精神。』
嘉勒非常恭敬聖體聖事。當一群撒拉遜雇傭兵前進攻擊聖人的修道院時，嘉勒讓聖體面對雇傭兵並作祈禱：『主啊，不要將向你懺悔者的靈魂交給野獸。』一個聲音從聖體那裡回答說：『我的保護永遠不會辜負你。』一陣突如其來的恐慌抓住了傭兵，他們開始逃跑。
從大約1225年到她去世，嘉勒幾乎一直在生病。在一個耶誕節前夕，嘉勒病得太重，無法參加彌撒。聖神將彌撒的圖像和聲音投射在她房間的牆上，嘉勒能夠在她的房間“參與”彌撒。由於這個奇跡，教宗庇護十二世於1957年宣稱聖嘉勒為電視主保。
嘉勒於 1253 年 8 月 11 日去世，兩年後，即 1255 年 8 月 15 日，為教宗歷山大四世宣聖。
