The response to today’s responsorial psalm is “You are my inheritance, O Lord.” Today we celebrate the feast of St. Clare of
Assisi, who comes from a very wealthy Assisian family. Her inheritance would have been huge. She left it all, escaping the family dwelling
at night to join St. Francis of Assisi to live a life of poverty. She says to the Lord: “You are my inheritance, O Lord,” not the wealth of my family. You are all I need in life, not earthly
riches, not a life of luxury, not expensive pearls or other attractive jewelry
and expensive clothing. You are enough for me. I need nothing else in this life
but you.
How many families and/or marriages are stressed out over the
inheritance being left them by their wealthy families. How many wealthy families fight over their
wealth. Not Clare. God was all she
wanted and needed. She left everything, even the wealthy suitor her parents
secured for her marriage.”My Lord and My God, you are enough for me.” And she
lived her entire life of consecrated poverty that way.
Those who have discovered the wealth of dependence upon God
above all are truly wealthy, whether married, single or being members of a
religious congregation! Those who trust
in God above all are truly secure.
Nothing on this earth can provide the security of our Lord and God! The
Lord says to you and to me: “Trust in Me and you shall be saved. Serve Me above
all in your neighbor and you will know true joy. Seek Me above all and you will know a peace the
world cannot give you. Truly,” God
says to us, "I am enough for you.” Jesus,
the Son of God, says to us in Matthew 6: 25-27: “…Do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about
your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more
than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they
gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not
more important [ to Me] than they? “
St. Clare knew that
and lived that! What about you and me?
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