18th Friday in Ordinary Time, Feast of St Clare, August 11, 2023
Dt 4:32-40; Ps 77:12-16, 21; Mt 16:24-28
Today is the feast of St. Clare, the foundress of the Order of Saint Clare, an order that developed in the early 1200s and was blessed by Pope Innocent. There are two sets of readings for today, one set geared toward St. Clare, and the other following the daily readings. I chose to follow the daily readings to be consistent with the daily Mass readings for the last few weeks. However, in both cases, St. Clare emulated the messages in the readings.
Moses called out to the Israelites for not believing in God’s greatness. “Did anything so great happen before?” Sometimes we forget how great God is, and how we do not pay attention to God’s wonders around us. Yes, I get it, the world is so noisy and occupied with self-righteousness that it is hard to see God. Many times, the noise factor gets so great that we just want to turn it all off! Or at least, I hope you do. Pope Francis, and even earlier Popes, talk frequently about our need for silence. That time when we just sit silently and listen.
We were watching a movie the other night, and the main character, a lady in her early 30s, was struggling to find peace in her life; even in her prayer time, she felt she could not hear God speaking to her. It took an encounter with an angel to remind her that God is there all the time listening, it is just us who are not listening back. St. Clare learned early on that listening was the most intimate time we have with God. I have to believe St. Clare saw the greatness of God in everything she did.
Jesus reminds us in the Gospel reading today, “Whoever wishes to come after me, must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” St. Clare took this to heart and gave up everything to follow Jesus. That is one of the tenants of the Order of Saint Clare, poverty to the point of relying solely on others for their existence. With that, St. Clare and her fellow sisters gained everything in their lives. They found the life Jesus was referring to.
God is great, and we must not forget that, but mostly, we must slow down, be quiet, and listen for His voice. Come, spend some time in prayer in a quiet church. Jesus is there, waiting for you and listening intently for your heart. Once He hears it, He will pour out His love for you, so you can find the peace you desperately need.
Saint James Catholic Church 