Saint Clare of Montefalco

also known as Saint Clare of the Cross

One of the saints that inspires me is Saint Clare of Montefalco, Italy (1268-1308). Saint Clare of Montefalco had joined the Third Order of Saint Francis (Secular), and later, in 1290, she became an Augustinian nun. She served as abbess for sixteen years. Saint Clare was canonized by Pope Leo XIII on December 8, 1881. Her feast day is August 17^th.

In 1294, Saint Clare of Montefalco had a vison of Jesus who implanted His cross in her heart. He told her that He had been searching for a place to firmly plant His cross, and yet He had not found any place, except in the heart of Saint Clare. Jesus said to her, “I have looked all over the world for a strong place where to plant this Cross firmly, and I have not found any. Upon Saint Clare’s reaching for the cross, He added: “Clare, I have found a place for My cross here. I have finally found someone to whom I can trust Mine cross.”

Saint Clare became known as Saint Clare of the Cross. In 1303, she built a church in Montefalco, dedicated to the Holy Cross. This church was not only a church for the town, but also served as a chapel for the Augustinian nuns.

After Saint Clare’s death in 1308, it was discovered and proven to be authentic that in this Saint’s heart, the cross of Jesus had indeed been implanted. Her cardial tissue had formed into a tiny sculpture of the crucifix (about the size of a person’s thumb). The corpus was white and the lance was bright red.

I am inspired by Saint Clare’s love of Jesus and trust in Him. It is fascinating to me that Jesus appeared to her, spoke to her, and implanted His cross in her heart. It shows us how active, alive, and present Jesus is in our everyday lives. I learned that, in a very real way, Jesus wants us to carry His cross in our hearts, too.

Submitted by HMG