letter and spirit chapter 11, 12 & 13

8/9/2019 Letter and Spirit Chapter 11, 12 & 13

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EXCELLENCE OF

MOST HIGH POVERTY

Let the sisters not appropriate anything

Pilgrims and strangers in this world

To serve the Lord in poverty and

humility

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CHAPTER VIII, 1-61

Let the sisters not appropriate anything, neither ahouse nor a place nor anything at all; instead, as pilgrims

and strangers in this world who serve the Lord in poverty

and humility, let them confidently send for alms. 2Nor

should they be ashamed, since the Lord made himself

poor in this world for us. 3This is that summit of the

highest poverty which has established you, my dearest

sisters, heiresses and queens of the kingdom of heaven; it

has made you poor in the things [of this world] but

exalted you in virtue. 4Let this be your portion which

leads into the land of the living (cf. Psalm 141:6).5Clinging totally to this, my most beloved sisters, do not

wish to have anything else forever under heaven for the

name of our Lord Jesus Christ and His most holy

Mother.6Let no sister be permitted to send letters or to

receive or give away anything outside the monastery

without the permission of the abbess. 7Let it not be

permitted to have anything that the abbess has not given

or allowed. 8should anything be sent to a sister by her

relatives or others, let the abbess give it to the sister. 9If

she needs, it the sister may use it; otherwise, let her in all

charity give it to a sister who does need it. 10If, however,money is sent to her, the abbess, with the advice of the

discreets, may provide for the needs of the sister.

Let the sisters not appropriate anything

The first part of chapter eight is borrowed nearly to the

letter from St. Francis Rule, with the only variation of

send for alms instead of go begging, something natural,

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and the concluding addition: for the name of our Lord

Jesus Christ and His most holy Mother, according to the

style of speaking of Francis when addressing the PoorLadies on the motivation of poverty.

Francis sums up in this chapter, the most beautiful and

biblical of his Rule, the whole contents of his ideal of

poverty. Each expression responds to one of the

fundamental teachings of his spirituality.

As on the Rule of the First Order, the let the sisters

not appropriate anything holds not the juridical meaning

of renouncement to the right of ownership, as we said

earlier, but refers to the spiritual attitude of detachment

inherent to the concept of Gospel poverty. St. Francis has a

deep doctrine on appropriation, as mans claim to

blatantly run away with Gods gifts, and on

disappropriation as spiritual attitude of freeing the heart

from the selfish enjoyment of goods, both external and

internal, attributing them all to God, master of all.1 It is amatter of not staying put at houses, places or earthly

things; keeping the lack of security suitable to a follower

of Christ in poverty and the awareness of being here below

as passing through.

St. Francis made clear at his Testament the sense of

not to appropriate anything: Let them not accept

houses or churches that were built for them, for they do notbefit holy poverty always lodging on them like pilgrimsand strangers. And St. Clare, in her Testament as well,

offers a beautiful example of disappropriation by accepting,

without opposing, the possibility of the community

abandoning one day that enclosure of San Damiano, so

dearly beloved to her, and go dwell somewhere else; she

sets just one condition, namely, that at the new quarters,they do not betray holy poverty. As a consequence any

attachment to a building, place, object also to historical

glorious events, honors and titles, donations from

illustrious personages is contrary to the spirit of the

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Rule. St. Clare would have mercifully smiled were she to

see her daughters falling prey to such concerns.

Pilgrims and Strangers in this World

Being a pilgrim was on the thirteenth century a

social and religious imperative very few tried to evade.

Ortolana, St. Clares mother, had been a fan of holy

pilgrimages: she traveled to the holy places of Palestine,

Rome and St. Michael at Mount Gargano. Clare herself

encouraged others to travel as pilgrims. To her friend Bonade Guelfuccio, Clare had sent to visit St. James of

Compostella in Spain. (Proc., XVII, 6; I, 4). St. Francis a

great pilgrim himself, used to see on that show of Christian

faith the faithful image of the longing of the poor towards

God. He used to remind his brothers the pilgrims laws:

To be sheltered under someone elses roof, to travel in

peace and to thirst for their homeland (2 Cel, 59).

On the context of the First Orders life, destined to

going about the world at a permanent status of mission,

we understand the connection St. Francis establishes

between most high poverty and pilgrimage calling. But

what sense does Clare give to that feeling of pilgrims and

strangers in this world at a Gospel life encompassed by

strict enclosure? Let us not forget that every Christian is to

consider himself a stranger and nomad (1P 2, 11), sincethe entire Church, on its earthly condition, is a pilgrim too

and traveling to the Lord. It is precisely in order to daily

experience the reality of that itinerant spirit that hinders us

from installing ourselves permanently on the wellness of

here below, that Clare renounces the security of a stable,

fixed means of livelihood, avoiding the material and social

structure of the monastery and sets the femalecommunity on the definiteness of putting its trust in Gods

fatherhood, having to recourse everyday to manual work

and having to depend on mens goodwill, their countenance

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ever turned towards the land of the living. Thus is the

way followed by a traveler while going through a land he

may not call his father land.

2

To feel like pilgrim and strangers, the Poor Sisters

need not go around the world but diminishing their

attachment to earthly realities to the point of not wishing

to have anything else under heaven but the only one

heritage of most high poverty, which turns Christs poor

into heirs and queens of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus

has said in truth that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the

poor.

Voluntary self enclosure at the cloister has to the Saint

a significance of transit and exodus telling people that

earthly life is just a passing through towards fatherland.

She writes to St. Agnes of Prague:

with swift pace, light step, unswerving feet, sothat even your steps stir up no dust, may you go

forward securely, joyfully and swiftly on the path. (2LAg, 12-13).And to Ermentrude of Bruges:

May the false delights of the deceptive world notdeceive you. Close your ears to the whisperings ofhell and bravely oppose its onslaughts. (L Er, 6).

To serve the Lord in Poverty and Humility

Voluntary poverty in Christs following, such as we

find it in the Gospel, does not only confine itself to the

renouncement of material goods. Francis conceives it as

freeing oneself from whatever may be a hindrance toloving, setting on guard against any sign of monopolizing

selfishness and above all against the abuse of using others

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up as instruments or setting over them whatever title:

qualities, culture, authority.

For that reason, Francis does not just stop at poverty.The poverty he has embraced is not an ascetic program and

even less a flag hoisted before the world; it is something

very concrete: it is life, the life of the Poor Christ, and

the life of any man who suffers penury or marginalization.

It is the poverty and humility of our Lord Jesus Christ. It

is a poverty-service: minority. Along the same line

reflects St. Clare who marvelously knows how to assimilate

every nuance of the beloved fathers teaching. It is mainly

at the Testament, all of it centered on poverty and charity,

as well as in the letters to Agnes of Prague, where she

offers us amply the meaning of that poverty-humility which

the three chapters of the Rule speaks about:

that our Protector may always see to it that thislittle flock which the Lord Father has begotten in His holy

Church by the word and example of our blessed father Francis by following the poverty and humility of His

Beloved Son and His glorious Virgin Mother, observe theholy poverty that we have promised to God and our mostblessed father Saint Francis (45-47).

In the Lord Jesus Christ, I admonish and exhort allmy sisters, both those present and those to come, to strive

always to imitate the way of holy simplicity, humility andpoverty and to preserve the integrity of our holy way ofliving(56).

Instead, as someone zealous for the holiest poverty,in a spirit of great humility and the most ardent charity,you have held fast to the footprints of Him to whom youhave merited to be joined as a Spouse (2LAg, 7).

And I sigh with so much exultation on the Lord as Ihave known you are following in the footprints of the poorand humble Jesus Christ and that by humility, the virtueof faith and the strong arms of poverty you have taken hold

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of that incomparable treasure hidden in the field of the

world and of the human heart (3LAg, 4,7).

Indeed, blessed poverty, holy humility andinexpressible charity are reflected in that mirror (Christ)(4LAg, 18).

The place poverty holds at St. Clares Rule and the

firmness she defended it with could induce someone to

ascribe her as a sort of fanatic, as if the ideal of poverty

were to St. Clare an end in itself, but it will suffice

scanning her motivations to verify fully the Gospel contents

of that ideal. It deals about freedom to love she who

loves temporal things loses the fruit of love (1LAg 25).

The supreme motive is the very same we find in

Francis and much earlier formulated by St. Paul: For your

sake, Our Lord Jesus Christ became poor in this world (2

Cor. 8, 9). The poverty of the Son of the Most High is seen

as an annihilation, a mystery of disappropriation of theIncarnation, as discomfort and mother-like anxiety at his

birth, as destitution and humiliation at the Cross.

The Son of God never wished to abandon this holypoverty while he lived in the world (T 35). For thisreason, on bended knees and bowing low with both bodyand soul I commend all my sisters, both those present and

those to come, the holy Mother, the Roman church thatout of love of the God who was placed poor in the crib,lived poor in the world and remained naked on the cross,may always see to it that this little flock by following thepoverty and humility of his beloved Son observe alwaysthe same holy poverty (T 44-47). If so great and good a Lord, then, on coming into the

Virgins womb, chose to appear despised, needy and poorin this world, so that people who were in utter poverty,want and absolute need of heavenly nourishment mightbecome rich in Him by possessing the kingdom of heaven(2Cor 8,9), it is right that you be filled with happiness and

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spiritual joy, because since contempt of the world has

pleased you more than its honor, poverty more than earthly

riches you have truly merited to be called a sister,spouse and mother of the Son of the most High Father andof the glorious Virgin (1 LAg 19-24)

Francis saw in every poor the living mystery of the

poverty and humiliation of the Savior. And Clare felt

herself united to anyone in want and in pain. Like Francis,

she too prepared little by little her spirit to hurl herself into

following the Poor Crucified (Christ) by loving every

pauper. Before coming to discover poverty as an ideal of

life she had found it as a hurting reality on many living

beings. From childhood she had shown a sharp leaning

towards the poor. The depositions at the Process are quite

explicit: She loved the poor dearly, thus following the

example of her mother Ortolana, who pleased to visit the

poor; she felt compassion towards the afflicted; gavealms as much as she could and gladly; she secretly caused

the food served to her table at home in abundance be

brought to those in need.3 among those in need an

interesting detail was Francis himself once converted and

those helping him at the reconstruction of churches. We

know this from Bona de Guelfuccio: Lady Clare, while

she was still in the world, also gave the witness a certainamount of money as a votive offering and directed her to

carry it to those who were working on Saint Mary of the

Portiuncula so that they would sustain the flesh (Proc.

XVII, 7).

After having made her profession of a new life at the

hands of Francis, it was the poor that benefited from her

renunciation of her personal properties. From now on, pooramong the poor sisters, she would feel herself spiritually

united to every poor. It bothers her seeing at the collection

of whole loaves as alms instead of the crumbs that other

poor received. (Proc., III, 13).

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All the different elements contained in the first part

of the eighth chapter of the Rule are also present at the textof the Constitutions: the external and internal

disappropriation, fruit of hearts poverty (Gen CC, art.

144-145, 219; Cap CC, 123); the spirit of pilgrimage and

exodus (Gen CC, art. 3, 11, 145; Cap CC, 117); the

binomial poverty-humility (Gen CC, art. 34, 36, 153; Cap

CC, 3, 80, 117, 123, 131).

Footnotes to Chapter 11:

1. Cf. L. Iriarte, Franciscan Calling, 3rd ed., Valencia, pp.185-192.

2. The Instruction Sponsa Christi sees in cloistered life the

meaning of exodus, in relation to the paschal mystery ofChrist: Acta Ap. Sedis 61, (1969), p.320.

3. Proc., I, 2-4; III, 7; XVII, 1; XX,3.

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12________________________________________________________________________

POVERTY AND CHARITY -

THE SICK SISTERS

Poverty and Life in Common

Charity with the Sick Sisters

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CHAPTER VIII, 11-2011Concerning the sick sisters, let the abbess be

strictly bound to inquire diligently, be herself and

through other sisters, what their illness requires both by

way of counsel as well as food and other necessities. 12Let

her provide for them charitable and kindly according to

the resources of the place. 13Let this be done] because

everyone is bound to serve and provide for their sisters

who are ill just as they would wish to be served

themselves if they were suffering from any illness. 14Let

each one confidently manifest her needs to the other.15For if a mother loves and nourishes her child according

to the flesh, should not a sister love and nourish her sister

according to the Spirit even more lovingly?

16Those who are ill may lay on sacks filled with

straw and may use feather pillows for their heads; 17thosewho need woolen stockings and quilts may use them.

18When the sick sisters are visited by those who

enter the monastery, they may answer them with brevity,

each responding with some good words to those who

speak to them. 19 But the other sisters who have

permission [to speak] may not dare to speak to those who

enter the monastery unless in the presence and hearing ofthe two sister-discreets assigned by the abbess or her

vicar. 20Let the abbess and her vicar, as well, be bound to

observe this manner of speaking.

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Poverty and Life in Common

To be willingly poor means having a liberated heart

open to love. When the first faithful of Jerusalem decided

to abolish mine and yours putting all they own at the

service of the community, they discovered the striking

reality of fraternal love: They were one heart and one

soul (Acts 2, 44ff; 4, 32). In fact, voluntary poverty andcommon life have been inseparable at the Christian

tradition. In a religious community all belongs to all.

Whatever one receives for whatever reason, must flow to

the community; all share likewise of everything without

any other difference but that deriving from the persons

needs.

Having into account the requirements of common lifein fraternity not certainly by the desire of controlling, -

the Rule decrees that everything coming in or out should do

so through the abbess.

First of all, the written communication (letters). In

order to send them the abbess permit is required, though it

is not said that she should read them; that would be against

the general spirit of the Rule, so respectful with the sistersindividuality. On the contrary, the subsequent Urban IVs

Rule would take that step which later from the Urbanite

Poor Clares would move to the rest: Let no sister be

permitted to send letters or to receive them without the

abbess or of one appointed by her for this end, having first

read them. (chap. 22) It is just a sample of the course

towards systems of surveillance and suspicion observed by

many monasteries after the Foundress death.

So that each sister may practically live that

consciousness of personal detachment and the purpose of

things for common use, the Rule says that whatever one

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may need should be received from the abbess or at least

with her permission.

Still it is not a question of depersonalizing centralism.Out of respect to the consignee, the will of the persons

sending something to a sister is to be respected. It is she

herself, were she not to need it, who must see who among

the sisters is most in need of it so that she may benefit from

it. This disposition, somehow surprising with the tradition

kept even today in the norms of common life, constitutes a

precious detail revealing the climate of maturity at which

the mutual relations at the fraternity led by Clare was

present: Should anything be sent to a sister by her

relatives or others, let the abbess give it to the sister. If she

needs it, the sister may use it; otherwise let her in all

charity give it to a sister who does need it. From the point

of view of teaching the sense of responsibility, the value of

the paragraph comes out if compared with the text of St.

Benedicts Rule that the saint had in sight. The margin oftrust she grants the sisters is wider than what Benedict gave

his monks.1

If, however, money is sent to her, the abbess with the

advise of the discreets, may provide for the needs of the

sister. St. Francis had absolutely forbidden the Friars

Minor to receive money by any excuse whatever. St.

Clare does not only get away from this item from the FirstOrders Rule, but expressly counts on money as a means to

procure the necessities for the community. How could

Francis little plant disagree with him on such an

important aspect of life in poverty? Maybe she understood

that the reasons the Seraphic Father had to free his brothers

from the temptation to get strength through money did not

apply with the Poor Sisters. It is also possible that she wasconvinced that the poor life of enclosed sisters could not be

possible without money, specially after having ascertained

that in reality neither the Friars Minor had been able to

fulfill that prohibition of the Rule, but had recourse to

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juridical pretense to rely on money, saving the Rules

written letter. Clare simply loathed such shady

compromises.

Charity with the Sick Sisters

As St. Francis did in his Rule, so does Clare speaks in

hers about the charitable assistance to the sick within thecontext of poverty. It is but natural. The serious objection

that prudent persons had opposed to a so radical common

poverty was the duty of charity: Without a stable means of

life, day in and day out living from hand to mouth, how

was she going to meet the unforeseen needs and, above all,

how was she going to provide the means to take good care

of the sisters suffering from any ailment?

As Francis himself, she does not see any conflict

between poverty and charity. The solution will have to be

sought as genuine fraternal love manages to seek for

resources by lavishing itself the more, the fewer the

economic means are at hand.

The abbess is the first one to be concerned with the

charitable solicitude, but it is the duty of all to do their

utmost to ease the condition of the sick sister. It is not towait for the sick sister, asking for a remedy; the Mother

herself must realize when one is afflicted with pain and

furnish her with charity regarding prescriptions, food and

whatever be necessary.2 And each one should do for the

sick sister as she would want done to her on the same

situation.

Rightly St. Bonaventure notes: The sound and strongdo not feel things as do the sick, and on account of thatthey do not know how to sympathize with them; they willlearn when they find themselves on that state . It would

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do good to a Superior to suffer the infirmities of others so

as to learn compassion.3

This norm of charity does not limit itself to corporalailments but applies also to all other needs. For that reason,

the sisters are to confidently manifest to one another their

needs. Once this atmosphere of openness is obtained,

without tensions or inhibitions, without fear to stir up

suspicions, how many complexes are done away with, how

easy it becomes to bear ones own burden!

The love each one should manifest for the spiritual

sisters should by far exceed that a mother has for her

natural daughter. The expression is borrowed from St.

Francis Rule, VI, 8.

The usual norms of austerity cease with the sick. They

are to rest on straw mattresses and on pillow of feathers,

and even on woolen mattresses, be it advisable. The

discipline of silence is not to be applied; there they may

speak discreetly at all times for the recreation and serviceof the sick (chapter V, 3). The sick are allowed to

communicate and dialogue with their visitors briefly and

with good words, without abiding by the right norms that

binds the other sisters.

That there be sickly and elderly sisters is but normal in

a religious family. Fraternal relations take for granted this

reality. St. Francis, in that sort of a lyrical last will hecomposed for the Poor Ladies while he himself was racked

with pain exhorted them in these terms:

I beg you through great love to use withdiscretion the alms which the Lord gives you.Those who are weighed down by sickness and theothers who are wearied because of them, all of you:

bear it in peace, for you will sell this fatigue at avery high price and each one of you will becrowned 4.

This last recommendation echoes the one the Saint

addressed in his first Rule to the sick brothers: I beg the

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sick brothers to thank God for everything and to desire to

be whatever the Lord wills . If anyone is disturbed or

angry at either God or his brothers, or perhaps anxiouslyand forcefully seeks medicine with too much of a desire tofree the flesh that is soon to die .This comes to him fromthe Evil One and is carnal. (Rnb, 10, 3-4). In a fraternityof paupers it is not at all possible that each one of the sick

may find everything to his liking. St. Clare foresees this

limitation inherent to real poverty when saying: according

to the resources of the place.

Every sister nailed to the bed of sickness can make her

own the beautiful prayer of St. Francis for the time of

illness:

I thank you Lord God, for all these sufferings ofmine; and I ask you my Lord, if it pleases you toincrease them a hundredfold. Because it will bemost acceptable to me that you do not spare me,

afflicting me with suffering since the fulfillment ofyour will is an overflowing consolation for me

(LM, 14, 2).Let her take holy Mother Clare for a model: During

the twenty-five years that she was oppressed by sickness,

not a word of complaint or impatience came out of her lips

but ever edifying expressions of thanksgiving. Forgetful of

her own sufferings, she only cared about encouraging andconsoling her afflicted sisters (L Cl, 27-30).

Through the Process of Canonization we are informed

on how she practiced with the sick sisters what the Rule

commanded:

She was humble, kind and loving to her sisters andhad compassion for the sick. While she was healthy, she

served them and washed their feet and gave them waterwith her own hands. She even cleaned the mattresses ofthe sick sisters with her own hands. (Proc., I, 12; II, 1;VI, 7).

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Even her way of working her miraculous healings

clearly manifests, perhaps more than a miraculous power,

the compassionate love she had for every sister under theseverity of any kind of ailment. When she was unable to

find any other manner of relieving her pain, she would

draw over her the sign of the cross praying humbly to God.5

We have already seen how the Constitutions approach

now the relation between poverty and common life. As it

could not be otherwise, they also mirror St. Clares will

when speaking about the charity the sick sisters are to be

attended with, though from the point of view of fraternal

relations, and not of poverty, as the Rule does. The

responsibility of this concern fall first of all on the abbess

and on an immediate way on the sister infirmarian, but all

of them should have in mind the commendation of the rule:

serving the sick sister as one would like to be served at the

same situation. The sick sisters are to be revered as the

suffering members of Christ. On their part, the sick shouldnot forget the life of self-denial and poverty they have

professed. Not only the sickly and elderly are to be granted

these necessary mitigations but also those of weak

constitution. Furthermore, it is not enough, to assist in case

of sickness, but both the abbess and each sister are to try

foreseeing and preventing beforehand the ills with watchful

prudence, since it is a duty towards God, the author of life,and towards the sisters the conservation of their health.

(Gen CC. art. 105; Cap CC, 148-151).

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Footnotes to Chapter 12:

1. Rule of St. Benedict, 33.5: Let it not be allowed for

anyone to have anything which the Abbot did not give or

permit to have 54, 1: Let it not be allowed at all for a monk

to give or to receive letters, tokens or gifts of any kind, either

from their parents, or any other person, nor from each other,

without the permission of the Abbot 54, 2-4: If anything is

sent him by his parents, let him not presume to accept it before

it has been made known to the Abbot. And if he orders it tobe accepted, let it be in the Abbots power to give it to whom

he pleases. And let not the brother to whom perchance it was

sent become sad, that no chance be given to the devil.

2. The original says: in consiliis. In medieval Latin,

consilium medici was the doctors prescription. Here

then, Clare exhorts the abbess to provide the sick with the

remedies prescribed by the doctor, as well as his suggested

diet.3. De sex alis Seraphim, III, 4; Opera omnia, VIII, 136.

4. L. Iriarte, Escritos de san Francisco y santa Clara, p. 108.5. Proc., I, 16, 18; II, 15-17; III, 16; IV, 7.

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13_______________________________________________________________________

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CHARITY WITH THE SPIRITUALLY

SICK SISTERS

The Stubborn Sister

Humble and Charitable Understanding

Redress of Personal Offense

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CHAPTER IX, 1-10

1If any sister, at the instigation of the enemy, has

sinned mortally against the form of our profession, and

if, after having been admonished two or three times by

the abbess or other sisters, she does not amend, 2let her

eat bread and water on the floor before all the sisters in

the refectory for as many days as she shall have been

obstinate. 3If it seems advisable to the abbess, let her be

subjected to even greater punishment. 4Meanwhile, as

long as she remains obstinate, let the prayer be that the

Lord will enlighten her heart to do penance. 5The abbess

and her sisters, however, should beware not to become

angry or disturbed on account of anyones sin, 6for anger

and disturbance prevent charity in oneself and in others.7If it should happen may it never be so that an

occasion of trouble or scandal should arise between sister

and sister through a word or gesture, let she who was the

cause of the trouble, before offering her gift of prayer to

the Lord, not only prostrate herself humbly at once at the

feet of the other and ask pardon, 8but also beg her simply

to intercede for her to the Lord that He might forgive her.9Let the other sister, mindful of the word of the Lord If

you do not forgive from the heart, neither will your

heavenly Father forgive you. (Matthew 6:15; 18:35) 10generously pardon her sister every wrong she has done

her.

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The Stubborn SisterThrough a tight logic of association, St. Clare joins the

second part of the previous chapter, dealing with sisters

suffering from corporal infirmities, with the attention to

those suffering with ailment of the spirit, deserving even

more of the charitable compassion from their sisters. The

Saint had motherly feelings towards any sister spirituallyafflicted:

If she ever saw any of the sisters suffering fromsome temptation or trial she called her secretly andconsoled her with tears, and sometimes threwherself at her feet. (Proc., X, 5).She had great compassion for the afflicted, thedepositions repeat at the Process of Canonization.

(Proc., IV, 3; XI, 5).That is what she emphasizes to the abbess on the fourth

chapter of her Rule: Let her console those who are

afflicted. Let her also be the last refuge for those who are

troubled. (ch. IV, 11-12)

No matter how high the spiritual level of a community

may be and how fully united their members, still we must

count the human frailty. Carelessness and selfish attitudes,perhaps bad examples, will sometimes appear, with the

expected repercussion on the common fidelity to the

embraced life and to fraternal harmony. Correction is then

essential.

By Clares wishes, the humble acknowledgement of

faults at the weekly fraternal meeting should be enough,

where both the abbess and her sisters should humblyconfess their common and public offenses. (R, IV, 16)

But the Rule foresees that the common commitment to

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better themselves will not always be enough. There can be

painful cases of stubbornness.

The sister who at the instigation of the enemy, would

sin mortally against the form of our profession, grievous

transgressions against the Rule will have to be

admonished, to begin with, two or three times by the

abbess or other sisters . That is the Gospel law of fraternal

correction (Mt 18, 15).If there is no amendment, the public

coercive remedy would have to take its place, until the

guilty is able to enter into herself and change her attitude.

Such rigor might seem to our modern sensitiveness

excessive and somewhat odd: to eat kneeling down on the

floor with just bread and water before all the sisters or

another even more serious. But having in mind, at that

time, the resources used to bend the stubborn sister, St.

Clares Rule still stands out because of its moderation and

pastoral sense.. St. Benedicts Rule, for example, imposedthe excommunication and scourging upon the monk who

would not amend after the third warning. Jail was the

normal remedy, and as time passed by, it was also

introduced into the monasteries of the Poor Clares. The

holy Foundress did not deem it necessary. There is a

recourse that must be pressing on a praying community of

sisters: Meanwhile, as long as she remains obstinate, let theprayer be that the Lord will enlighten her heart to dopenance.

Far from seeing in the obstinate sister an

unrestrained member of the community, it is that very

pitiful situation that, to Clares eyes, renders her moredeserving of the compassion and solicitude of all. Once all

human resources have failed, there still remains that of

divine grace and, to deserve it, the sisters are to double

their prayer for the sake of the sister in need.

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Humble and Charitable Understanding

The abbess and her sisters, however, should

beware not to become angry or disturbed on anyones sin,

for anger and disturbance prevent charity in oneself and on

others. This serious admonition is taken from St. Francis

Rule. Harshness towards the brother who falls is reallyone of the sins against the fraternity that Francis abhorred.

He had written in his Rule:

Let the brothers, both the ministers and servantsas well as the others, be careful not to be disturbedor angered at anothers sin or evil because thedevil wishes to destroy many because of anothersfault. But let them spiritually help the one who has

sinned as best as they can, because those who arewell do not need a physician, but the sick do.(Rnb, V,7-8).

The same Gospel text gives him support for the well

known recommendation within the letter to a Minister:

I wish to know in this way if you love the Lord and

me, His servant and yours: that there is not anybrother in the world who has sinned howevermuch he could have sinned who, after he haslooked into your eyes, would never depart withoutyour mercy, if he is looking for mercy. And if he

were not looking for mercy, you would ask him if hewants mercy. And if he would sin a thousand times

before your eyes, love him more than me so thatyou may draw him to the Lord Let all thebrothers who know that he has sinned not bringshame upon him or slander him; let them instead

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show great mercy to him and keep the sin of their

brother very secret. (L Min, 9-15).

St. Francis considers the lack of understanding towards

the sinner a crime against Gods rights, since judging about

the goodness or malice of each one belongs to God alone,

and it tantamounts to appropriating the very sin that he

criticizes:

No matter how another person may sin, if aservant of God becomes disturbed or angry becauseof this and not because of charity, he is storing upguilt for himself. The servant of God who does notbecome angry or disturbed at anyone lives

correctly without anything of his own. (Adm. 11,2-4).

The sister that deposed at the Process of Canonization

repeat that Clare was never seen disturbed (Proc., III, 6;IV, 4).

St. Bonaventure, addressing the Superiors,

distinguishes three kinds of spiritually sick who ought to

be the object of solicitude from the one in charge of the

community: 1) Those who lack in devotion and are prone

to their own impulses, and commit serious faults out of

weakness. These are to be aided by removing from themthe occasions of sin and caring for them with love through

corrections. 2) Those who, in spite of their good will and

devotion, are easily frightened by correction, lose heart and

get depressed, causing the brothers sorrow and grief. These

are to be treated with greater understanding, helping them

to be courageous. 3) The imperfect that is, all of us

who are to fight everyday against our failures andshortcomings: pride, anger, lack of perseverance, envy,

sensuality Remedy: Bearing one another and mutually

helping each other in the common effort to improve.1

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Redress of Personal Offense

The scandalous clashing of two sisters can be hardly

understood at the spiritual family of poor sisters gathered

together by the love of Jesus Christ. But there is room for

everything with human weakness, and more so among persons staying together day after day within the same

walls, open uncontrolled tension, perhaps without

anybodys fault, but just out if interpersonal gravitation.

The Rule has also foreseen these painful situations: If itshould happen may it never be so that an occasion oftrouble or scandal should arise between sisters through aword or gesture .

Personal offense may be made not only by word but by

gestures, and this is usually more hurtful.

St. Clare applies most the point of the Gospel text (Mt

5, 23ff) which demands reconciliation with the offended

brother before presenting the offering to the Lord, but she

adds her gift of prayer. It is a good rule of conduct on

account above all of the reality of contemplative life. Howcould a religious sister, whose whole life is to be constantly

directed to God, desire to be accepted by Him when at the

hour of prayer remembers that her sister has something

against her?

Reconciliation must not be delayed. It is the offender

who first moves forward to humbly apologize and ask for

pardon seeking the aid of the offended one to obtain theLords pardon. On the part of the offended one, she must

forgive her with generosity, without reserve, otherwise she

would neither deserve the forgiveness of the heavenly

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Father (Mt 6, 14). Love is always patient and kind, it is

never rude, it does not take offense or store up grievances

(1Cor 13, 5). Thus, with both of them assured of Godsforgiveness, they will be able to fruitfully open up their

spirit in dialogue with God.

The Rule demands the reconciliation to be done openly

in proportion to the scandal given. However, a showy

gesture may not always be the best way to bring back the

good harmony of the two troubled hearts. Sometimes a

simple sign of goodwill, an appropriate word, asking for a

favor may be more conducive to dispel the storm.

The Constitutions foresee the event of a sister who may

come across a spiritual crisis, be it in relation to her

vocation identity, or her behavior not conformable to the

professed life, or even up to the degree of open

confrontation with obedience, thus creating uneasiness in

the community. It belongs first of all to the abbess to help

her by all means to recover her calmness, clear up hersituation and, if the case may arise, obtain her amendment

by resorting to correction, ever with humility and charity.

If this fraternal and pastoral aid could not bring about the

desired good result, then another solution, though painful,

must be tried through canonical remedies, which are quite

precise: temporal secularization, dispensation of vows at

the request of the interested, dismissal. All is to be donewith great respect to the person, with high sense of justice

and fairness and ever with evangelical love. Fraternal

correction and pardon, humbly sought after and generously

bestowed are also mentioned at the Constitutions (Gen CC,

art. 94, 107; Cap CC 139, 152).

Footnote to Chapter 13:

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1. S. Bonav. De sex alis Seraphim, III, 7s; Opera omnia, VIII, 137.

letter and spirit chapter 11, 12 & 13

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