August 11
Saint Clare, Virgin
Gospel:
Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
Today's Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
(The Parable of the Lost Sheep)
At
that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the
kingdom of Heaven?" And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of
them, and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like
children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself
like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever
receives one such child in my name receives me;
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that
in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone
astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of
the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he
rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it
is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones
should perish.
Reflection:
Clare of Assisi was eighteen years old when she
ran away from her wealthy family in the middle of the night to give her whole
life to God, following the example of a poor beggar named Francis whom half the
town thought was a fool. She traded silk for sackcloth and never once looked
back, spending the rest of her life leading other women into the same radical
littleness Jesus is describing in today's Gospel.
That's the real difficulty of this passage. Becoming like a little child
doesn't sound hard until you actually try it, until you're asked to let go of
status, security, and the version of yourself that other people admire. Clare
did exactly that, on purpose, at eighteen, and never regretted it for sixty
years.
Clare's whole spirituality, like Francis's, was soaked in devotion to Our Lady.
She saw in Mary the perfect model of littleness: a young girl with no status at
all, chosen not because she was impressive but because she was humble enough to
say yes without conditions. Clare's own conversion mirrors Mary's Fiat almost
exactly, a young woman answering a call that made no earthly sense and trusting
it completely.
Somewhere in your life is a piece of status or comfort you're still clutching
that God is asking you to set down like Clare did.
What would your life look like if you stopped protecting your standing
and just became small? Placing Jesus first in your will radically change your
life, for the better. I challenge you to go to Eucharistic Adoration for 1 hour,
and for that hour, inside your heart say, “I love you, Jesus.” And while saying
it, think of the times you sinned; if this brings you to tears (which it
could), don’t stop; pour out your heart fully to the Lord.
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
