Thought and Prayer for the Day
by
Deacon Gary Gannon

Augustine of Hippo, Bishop and Theologian

This month sees the celebration of the life of St. Augustine of Hippo and his mother Monica who was the great inspiration for her son to become first a Christian and then Bishop and Theologian, and whose influence on the development of European thought cannot be overestimated. A huge body of his sermons and writings has been preserved, through all of which runs the theme of the sovereignty of the grace of God. His output was prolific and he is considered to be one of the most influential theologians in Church history.

Both Monica and Augustine led interesting lives, firstly in Hippo in North Africa and then Milan in Italy. She was born the daughter of Christian parents in 332 and was married to a pagan named Patricius whom she converted to Christianity. They had three children of whom the most famous was her eldest child, the future Augustine. Indeed Augustine ascribed his conversion to the example and devotion of his mother. “She never let me out of her prayers that you, O God, might say to the widow’s son, ‘Young man, I say to you rise’.”

Monica’s husband died when she was forty. Her desire had been to be buried alongside him, but that was not to be. She died in Italy at Ostia in 387 on her way home to North Africa with her two sons.

Augustine was born in North Africa in 354. His career was highly influenced by his mother and he became well known as an orator and rhetorician. This reputation led him from Carthage to Rome and from there to Milan. By temperament he was passionate and sensual but as a young man he rejected Christianity. Gradually, however, under the influence first of Monica and then of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, he began to look afresh at the Scriptures. He
was baptized by Ambrose at the Easter Vigil in 387. Not long after returning to North Africa he was ordained priest and then became Bishop of Hippo. He died in the year 430.

Prayer
Merciful Lord, who turned Augustine from his sins to be a faithful bishop and teacher, grant that we may follow him in penitence and discipline till our restless hearts find their way to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord who is alive and and reigns with you. Amen.

St. Clare of Assisi

Most of us know who Francis of Assisi is but who is Clare? Are they related? No, they are not related but their lives did take very similar paths. They were both from Assisi. Francis was a mentor to Clare.

Clare was born into a wealthy family. Born Chiara (Italian for Clare) Offrediccio on July 16, 1194, she was the eldest child of Count Favorina Sciffi and his wife Ortolana. Ortolana was a devout woman who shared her faith with all her children.

When Clare was twelve, her parents wanted her to marry a wealthy man but Clare wanted to wait until she was eighteen before she married. At eighteen she heard Francis preaching and his preaching had a profound effect on her. Even though her family had wanted her to marry a wealthy man, she decided to run away and join Francis in a life of prayer and service.

After spending some time with the Benedictine sisters, Clare started her own order because she felt the Benedictine way of life was not strict enough. Her order was known as “the poor ladies”. In 1263 Pope Urban IV changed the name of her Order to the Order of St. Clare, more commonly known as the “Poor Clares”. She was the first woman to write a rule of life for a religious community – Observe the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience without anything of one’s own and in chastity. Clare stressed devotion, kindness, tenderness and practicality to the women who lived cloistered in the church of San Damiano. This order still exists. Today there are over 20,000 “Poor Clares” in the world in more than 75 countries.

She was Francis’ most faithful follower and with him founded the Franciscan movement. Together they taught about their deeply rooted desire for God and practiced a fervent commitment to prayer and a life of service. Clare wanted to follow Francis in his wanderings but neither Francis nor the church was willing for a woman to have that much evangelical freedom. Today over 1.5 million Franciscans live throughout the world. There are three order – 1. Order of Friars Minor, 2. Order of St. Clare and 3. The Third Order of St. Francis. Franciscan institutions include colleges and universities, hospitals, missions that serve the

poor and the marginalized and organizations that actively work for peace and environmental responsibility

Clare and Francis remained friends up until Francis died on October 3, 1226 at age 44. Claire nursed him in his later years. Clare died on August 11, 1253.

Did you know that Clare is the patron saint of television? The story is told that one Christmas Eve she was too ill to attend mass. She was lying in bed and had a vision on the wall of her room of the mass as it was happening. Remember this was the 13th century and television was not a concept that anybody had even thought of.

In 1958, Pope Pius XII named her as the patron saint of television saying she had received a “live broadcast” from God.

For myself, I do not think I could live the life of a nun like Clare did. We are all called to serve God in different ways. I Corinthians 12:12-31 talks about unity and diversity in the body. I believe it is not the “what” God had called you to do that is important but rather your response to that call. Clare had a choice. She could have easily stayed at home, got married and lived a life of wealth and privilege but instead she chose a different path, a path God had called her to take.

What path is God calling you to take? Are you ready to say yes and use your gifts as God intended for them to be used?

Prayer
God, our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Let your glory shine on us, that our lives may proclaim your goodness, our work give you honour and our voices praise you forever; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

(Book of Alternative Services, pg. 784)