Aug 11, 2010: St. Clare of Assisi

 Click to hear audio homily

It is often said that a man cannot be a friend with a woman, lest there be a danger of crossing boundaries. If we look back at the history, there are men who became intimate friends with women without crossing  boundaries. These friendships demonstrate the power and the gift of the Holy Spirit, who grants to those ask Him, the grace of chastity, self-control, and self-less pure love. A great example of this kind of friendship is with St. Clare and St. Francis.

I often advise men and women in the confessional to seek chastity even within marriage. Chastity means to practice virtue of self-control and to re-orient affections so that one's affections may be directed toward friendship--to genuinely care with compassion what the friend's needs are without regard to own self's needs. Such virtue will then enrich marriage, enrich friendship between men and women. What great freedom and peace chastity grants to those friends who seek after them. St. Clare gained this kind of freedom and peace especially by befriending Jesus. She said:

When you have loved Him, you are chaste
When you have touched Him, you become more pure,
When you have accepted Him, you are a virgin
Whose power is stronger,
Whose generosity more abundant,
Whose appearance more beautiful,
Whose love more tender,
Whose courtesy more gracious
In Whose embrace you are already caught up