Assisi Day 3 - St. Clare

This daughter of a very wealthy family in Assisi heard Francis preach and left her life of riches to follow his path.

Hers was truly a path of peace and non-violence -- when her cloister was under attack by the Saracens (known to be quite brutal), she greeted them with the Blessed Sacrament in its monstrance, and they turned away.

She and Francis loved each other deeply as they shared their common journey -- a life of poverty (not a poverty of denial, but of making sure nothing could stand between them and God) and charity.

The Basilica of St. Clare stands on the east side of Assisi; St. Francis' basilica is on the west side -- the town of Assisi is cradled between the two. The original San Damiano cross hangs in her Basilica, and I spent quite awhile in prayer in front of it -- very powerful.

When I returned back to St. Anthony's Guest house, one of the Sisters told me that the guest house had been used to hide Jews during WWII. I had seen the documentary "Assisi in Silence" and knew how the Bishop, in true Franciscan style, assisted the Germans in establishing a hospital for their wounded soldiers, while secretly doing whatever he could to house Jews who came to Assisi seeking safe haven in convents and monasteries. There is the story in the film, and repeated by the sisters at the guest house: At one point, a surly Gestapo banged on the door of a convent, and accused the Mother of hiding Jews. She replied, "Oh, who would believe such a thing -- that Catholic nuns would hide Jewish men and women -- such rumors!" The gestapo left. She says in the film, "What I did was not a lie -- a sin. My words were the truth" -- and then she laughs.

...So the room I have been sleeping in might once have been the safe and loving shelter for a Jewish family...and those that know a recent powerful spiritual experience I had regarding the holocaust know what such a synchronicity would mean to me...and to learn about it on my last night in Assisi.

It was as if Francis and Clare were saying, "Pace e Bene, Megan. Your visit with us in Assisi proves that you are on the right path. Keep following this Loving path and we will continue to love and guide you."

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