Like Francis, Clare follows the Gospel. Her attitude is one of deep amazement, admiring silence, and empathy as she meditates on the truth of God’s awesome revelation of himself. God becomes human, flesh and poor. This is the essence of the Franciscan-Clarean charism.
Indeed, blessed poverty, holy humility, and ineffable charity are reflected in that mirror, as, with the grace of God, you can contemplate them throughout the entire mirror.
“Look at the border of this mirror, that is, the poverty of Him Who was placed in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes.
O marvellous humility, O astonishing poverty!
The King of the angels, the Lord of heaven and earth, is laid in a manger!
Then, at the surface of the mirror, dwell on the holy humility, the blessed poverty, the untold labours and burdens which He endured for the redemption of the whole human race.
Then, in the depths of this same mirror, contemplate the ineffable charity which led Him to suffer on the wood of the Cross and die thereon the most shameful kind of death.
“Therefore, that Mirror, suspended on the wood of the Cross, urged those who passed by to consider, saying ‘All you who pass by the way, look and see if there is any suffering like My suffering!
“Let us answer Him with one voice and spirit, as He said: Remembering this over and over leaves my soul downcast within me”
(4LAg 15-26).
CCFMC, Lesson Unit 19, C 2.3
back
print