Churches of the Day
Pictorial Thought for Today
Aug 11 - St Clare (1193-1253) founder
Summary: St Clare, Religious.
Born at Assisi (Italy) in 1193 or 1194; to a well-to-do family. She embraced an evangelical way of life after hearing the preaching of Saint Francis of Assisi, founded the order of the Poor Ladies, now the Poor Clares and was noted for her life of extreme poverty, austerity, contemplation, and charity.
St Clare of Assisi, while associated with St Francis, is a most inspiring saint in her own right, with a great sense of her own dignity as a woman. Unaffected by the power of bishops and popes, she insisted on having her own rule approved despite enormous pressures.
Patrick Duffy tells her story.
Family of St Clare
Chiara (English: Clare) Offreduccio was born in Assisi, 12 miles east of Perugia in the Italian province of Umbria. She was the eldest daughter of an aristocratic family: her father Favorino was Count of Sasso-Rosso and her mother Ortolana was a devout woman who had been on pilgrimages to Rome, Santiago de Compostela and the Holy Land; later on in her life, Ortolana entered Clare's monastery.
The profound Influence of St Francis
Chiara would have been a young girl when there was a civil war between aristocratic and republican families in Assisi. She would have known Francesco Bernadone though he was older than she was and he was of a republican family. She would have known he was imprisoned in Perugia and
that later in the piazza before the cathedral he stripped off his clothes and handed them back to his father renouncing his earthly heritage, saying: "From now on I desire only to say 'Our Father who art in heaven'". All this and Francis's early preaching about poverty made a profound impression on Clare.
Becoming a Franciscan: Cutting off Her hair
When she was about eighteen and her parents were making arrangements for her to marry a wealthy young man, on Palm Sunday Clare by previous arrangement with Francis, put on her best clothes and went to Mass. In the evening after dark she changed into simpler clothes and went to where Francis and the Friars were waiting for her at the Portiuncula outside the city. Here Francis received her into religious life and cut off her beautiful hair. At first he arranged for her to stay at a nearby Benedictine monastery of nuns, San Paolo delle Abadesse. Her family came to take her back, but Clare clung to the altar cloths and would not go. As they grabbed her, she pulled off her veil and the shock of seeing her bald head convinced them to leave her be.
San Damiano: a house of Radical Poverty
As the Benedictine abbey would have been quite aristocratic, and not quite suited to Clare's temperament, soon Francis arranged for her to go for a short period to a house of female penitents, Sant'Angelo in Panza on Monte Subasio. It was here that her younger sister Catherine, joined her, taking the name Agnes in religion, but soon Francis moved them again to the church of San Damiano, just outside the walls of Assisi. This was the small church which Francis himself had rebuilt in response to a vision. Here other women joined them, and San Damiano became symbolic for its radical poverty and austere lifestyle. The women were at first known as the "Poor Ladies". Francis, a deacon and never ordained a priest, at first directed the order himself. Then in 1216, Clare accepted the role of abbess of San Damiano. As abbess, Clare had more authority to lead the order than when she was the prioress, having to follow the orders of a priest directing the community.
Her own Rule - Total Poverty
When Francis set up Clare's community of nuns, he did not give them a formal rule but only guidelines for the religious life. But soon after that Cardinal Ugolino dei Conti di Segni, a supporter of the Franciscans, who later became Pope Gregory IX, gave them a rule which tried to bring them into the mainstream of religious life. This rule made provision for the nuns to own property and to make sure they had a regular income. However, this was totally
against the radical poverty that Clare wanted and she stubbornly refused. Some time later when he became pope, Gregory IX drew up the Privilegium Paupertatis, a document which gave the nuns the privilege of poverty, allowing them to live entirely on alms. This was not fully what Clare wanted, but it was an important concession. She did not want it as a privilege, but written into her rule. It was only when Clare lay on her deathbed that the new Pope Innocent IV came to San Damiano personally and handed Clare a papal document, Solet Annuere, approving Clare's own rule. Clare kissed the document in appreciation.
Influence on Others
Clare's clarity of mind and the force of her spirit influenced her community and she helped set up other monasteries in Italy, France and Germany. The sisters worked with their hands, spinning and weaving to make cloths for the churches and caring for the garden, but it wasn't a commercial venture. Clare wore a hair shirt and fasted a lot, but later, when she became ill, she let go of these practices. She was the prayerful servant and inspiration of the other sisters, tending them when they were sick. She was in correspondence with Agnes of Prague who set up her own community with a similar radical poverty. But because of the severity of the life of her community - bare feet, sleeping on the ground and speaking as little as possible - others avoided them.
Miracle of the Defence of Assisi
In 1244 the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II was at war with the pope. He marched an army into Umbria and among his soldiers he had a large detachment of Saracens to terrorise Christians. While Frederick's army besieged Assisi, the Saracens headed for San Damiano. Clare carried the Blessed Sacrament in a pyx or a monstrance to the wall of the convent asking God to "defend those I cannot protect". She heard a voice answer, "I shall always protect them". When she stood up, she saw the Saracens riding off into the distance. She asked the sisters to pray that Assisi would be spared and the next day the emperor too withdrew all his soldiers.
Patroness of Television
In her later years Clare was confined to bed and could not attend Mass. The sisters had all gone off to Matins. Clare sighed, saying: "Look, Lord God. I have been left here all alone with you". Then she began to hear the organ and the Office and Mass and to see it on the wall of her room as if she was present there herself. Probably with this miracle in mind Pope Pius XII in 1958 proclaimed her patroness of television (Apostolic Letter 21.8.1958). It is interesting that an American Poor Clare nun, Mother Angelica, founded what is probably the foremost evangelising television network in the world, the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).
Death
When in the summer of 1253 Clare lay dying, bishops and cardinals came to see her and the Friars sat at her bedside reading the passion of Our Lord according to St John. She died holding her papally approved rule in her hands. Pope Innocent IV who had approved the rule was to say the Mass. When the friars and sisters intoned the Requiem, he told them to sing the Mass of a Virgin (a totally dedicated person to God) Saint instead. Everybody hesitated. That would be to publicly declare her a saint. One of his cardinals advised the pope it would probably be more prudent to sing the accustomed Requiem. He agreed, but the process began immediately and she was canonised two years later. A new basilica of St Clare was constructed and in 1260 her remains were transferred to it. Her skeleton can be seen there today.
Later Developments
Ten years after her death (1263) Pope Urban IV promulgated another rule that did not have the radical poverty option, so there have been two Poor Clare observances from that time. See http://poorclare.org/blog/?page_id=4 . Clare's biography written by Thomas of Celano, lost since the 16th century, was recently recovered.
Today in Ireland
Today in Ireland there are Poor Clare monasteries in Belfast, Carlow, Cork, Drumshanbo, Dublin, Ennis, and Galway. There are Sisters of St Clare with a Generalate at Harold's Cross and convents in the dioceses of Armagh, Dublin, Down & Connor, Dromore, Kerry and Kilmore. There is also a new monastery recently opened in Dundalk, Ireland.
Born at Assisi (Italy) in 1193 or 1194; to a well-to-do family. She embraced an evangelical way of life after hearing the preaching of Saint Francis of Assisi, founded the order of the Poor Ladies, now the Poor Clares and was noted for her life of extreme poverty, austerity, contemplation, and charity.
St Clare of Assisi, while associated with St Francis, is a most inspiring saint in her own right, with a great sense of her own dignity as a woman. Unaffected by the power of bishops and popes, she insisted on having her own rule approved despite enormous pressures.Patrick Duffy tells her story.
Family of St Clare
Chiara (English: Clare) Offreduccio was born in Assisi, 12 miles east of Perugia in the Italian province of Umbria. She was the eldest daughter of an aristocratic family: her father Favorino was Count of Sasso-Rosso and her mother Ortolana was a devout woman who had been on pilgrimages to Rome, Santiago de Compostela and the Holy Land; later on in her life, Ortolana entered Clare's monastery.
The profound Influence of St Francis
Chiara would have been a young girl when there was a civil war between aristocratic and republican families in Assisi. She would have known Francesco Bernadone though he was older than she was and he was of a republican family. She would have known he was imprisoned in Perugia and
that later in the piazza before the cathedral he stripped off his clothes and handed them back to his father renouncing his earthly heritage, saying: "From now on I desire only to say 'Our Father who art in heaven'". All this and Francis's early preaching about poverty made a profound impression on Clare.Becoming a Franciscan: Cutting off Her hair
When she was about eighteen and her parents were making arrangements for her to marry a wealthy young man, on Palm Sunday Clare by previous arrangement with Francis, put on her best clothes and went to Mass. In the evening after dark she changed into simpler clothes and went to where Francis and the Friars were waiting for her at the Portiuncula outside the city. Here Francis received her into religious life and cut off her beautiful hair. At first he arranged for her to stay at a nearby Benedictine monastery of nuns, San Paolo delle Abadesse. Her family came to take her back, but Clare clung to the altar cloths and would not go. As they grabbed her, she pulled off her veil and the shock of seeing her bald head convinced them to leave her be.
San Damiano: a house of Radical Poverty
As the Benedictine abbey would have been quite aristocratic, and not quite suited to Clare's temperament, soon Francis arranged for her to go for a short period to a house of female penitents, Sant'Angelo in Panza on Monte Subasio. It was here that her younger sister Catherine, joined her, taking the name Agnes in religion, but soon Francis moved them again to the church of San Damiano, just outside the walls of Assisi. This was the small church which Francis himself had rebuilt in response to a vision. Here other women joined them, and San Damiano became symbolic for its radical poverty and austere lifestyle. The women were at first known as the "Poor Ladies". Francis, a deacon and never ordained a priest, at first directed the order himself. Then in 1216, Clare accepted the role of abbess of San Damiano. As abbess, Clare had more authority to lead the order than when she was the prioress, having to follow the orders of a priest directing the community.
Her own Rule - Total Poverty
When Francis set up Clare's community of nuns, he did not give them a formal rule but only guidelines for the religious life. But soon after that Cardinal Ugolino dei Conti di Segni, a supporter of the Franciscans, who later became Pope Gregory IX, gave them a rule which tried to bring them into the mainstream of religious life. This rule made provision for the nuns to own property and to make sure they had a regular income. However, this was totally
against the radical poverty that Clare wanted and she stubbornly refused. Some time later when he became pope, Gregory IX drew up the Privilegium Paupertatis, a document which gave the nuns the privilege of poverty, allowing them to live entirely on alms. This was not fully what Clare wanted, but it was an important concession. She did not want it as a privilege, but written into her rule. It was only when Clare lay on her deathbed that the new Pope Innocent IV came to San Damiano personally and handed Clare a papal document, Solet Annuere, approving Clare's own rule. Clare kissed the document in appreciation.Influence on Others
Clare's clarity of mind and the force of her spirit influenced her community and she helped set up other monasteries in Italy, France and Germany. The sisters worked with their hands, spinning and weaving to make cloths for the churches and caring for the garden, but it wasn't a commercial venture. Clare wore a hair shirt and fasted a lot, but later, when she became ill, she let go of these practices. She was the prayerful servant and inspiration of the other sisters, tending them when they were sick. She was in correspondence with Agnes of Prague who set up her own community with a similar radical poverty. But because of the severity of the life of her community - bare feet, sleeping on the ground and speaking as little as possible - others avoided them.
Miracle of the Defence of Assisi
In 1244 the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II was at war with the pope. He marched an army into Umbria and among his soldiers he had a large detachment of Saracens to terrorise Christians. While Frederick's army besieged Assisi, the Saracens headed for San Damiano. Clare carried the Blessed Sacrament in a pyx or a monstrance to the wall of the convent asking God to "defend those I cannot protect". She heard a voice answer, "I shall always protect them". When she stood up, she saw the Saracens riding off into the distance. She asked the sisters to pray that Assisi would be spared and the next day the emperor too withdrew all his soldiers.
Patroness of Television
In her later years Clare was confined to bed and could not attend Mass. The sisters had all gone off to Matins. Clare sighed, saying: "Look, Lord God. I have been left here all alone with you". Then she began to hear the organ and the Office and Mass and to see it on the wall of her room as if she was present there herself. Probably with this miracle in mind Pope Pius XII in 1958 proclaimed her patroness of television (Apostolic Letter 21.8.1958). It is interesting that an American Poor Clare nun, Mother Angelica, founded what is probably the foremost evangelising television network in the world, the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).
Death
When in the summer of 1253 Clare lay dying, bishops and cardinals came to see her and the Friars sat at her bedside reading the passion of Our Lord according to St John. She died holding her papally approved rule in her hands. Pope Innocent IV who had approved the rule was to say the Mass. When the friars and sisters intoned the Requiem, he told them to sing the Mass of a Virgin (a totally dedicated person to God) Saint instead. Everybody hesitated. That would be to publicly declare her a saint. One of his cardinals advised the pope it would probably be more prudent to sing the accustomed Requiem. He agreed, but the process began immediately and she was canonised two years later. A new basilica of St Clare was constructed and in 1260 her remains were transferred to it. Her skeleton can be seen there today.
Later Developments
Ten years after her death (1263) Pope Urban IV promulgated another rule that did not have the radical poverty option, so there have been two Poor Clare observances from that time. See http://poorclare.org/blog/?page_id=4 . Clare's biography written by Thomas of Celano, lost since the 16th century, was recently recovered.
Today in Ireland
Today in Ireland there are Poor Clare monasteries in Belfast, Carlow, Cork, Drumshanbo, Dublin, Ennis, and Galway. There are Sisters of St Clare with a Generalate at Harold's Cross and convents in the dioceses of Armagh, Dublin, Down & Connor, Dromore, Kerry and Kilmore. There is also a new monastery recently opened in Dundalk, Ireland.
Find it on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/poor.clares.dundalk
******************************
Memorable Proverb for Today
“Poverty is not an accident.
Like slavery and apartheid,
it is man-made and can be removed
by the actions of human beings.”
~ Nelson Mandela ~
*************************
Liturgical Readings for: Tuesday, 11th August, 2026
Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle 2
Saint of the Day: Aug 11 – St Clare, religious
C/f A short look at this saint’s life can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Ezekiel 2:8 - 3:4
He gave me the scroll to eat and it tasted sweet as honey.
I, Ezekiel, heard a voice speaking. It said,'You, son of man, listen to the words I say; do not be a rebel like that rebellious set.
Open your mouth and eat what I am about to give you.'
I looked a hand was there, stretching out to me and holding a scroll. He unrolled it in front of me; it was written on back and front; on it was written 'lamentations, wailings, moanings'.
He said,
'Son of man, eat what is given to you; eat this scroll, then go and speak to the House of Israel'. I opened my mouth; he gave me the scroll to eat and said, 'Son of man, feed and be satisfied by the scroll I am giving you'.
I ate it, and it tasted sweet as honey.
Then he said, 'Son of man, go to the House of Israel and tell them what I have said.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 118: 14. 24. 72. 103. 111.131. R/v 103
Response Your promise is sweet to my taste, O Lord.
2. The law from your mouth means more to me than silver and gold.
Your promise is sweeter to my taste than honey in the mouth. Response
3. Your will is my heritage for ever, the joy of my heart.
I open my mouth and I sigh as I yearn for your commands. Response
3. Your will is my heritage for ever, the joy of my heart.
I open my mouth and I sigh as I yearn for your commands. Response
Gospel Acclamation Mt 11: 29
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children .
Alleluia !
Or 2 Thess 2: 14
Alleluia, alleluia!
Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, says the Lord,
for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Alleluia !
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 18:1-5. 10. 12-14 Glory to you, O Lord
See that you never despise any of these little ones.
The disciples came to Jesus and said,Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'
So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said,
'I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
'Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 'See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven. '
Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
********************
Gospel Reflection Tuesday 19th Week in Ordinary Time Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
In the gospel reading Jesus’ disciples ask him, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ In response to their question, Jesus does not say the greatest are the most successful, the strongest, those who outdo others in skill and power. Rather, he took a child, one of the least significant in the culture of the time, and declared that children are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Those who, in Jesus’ time, had no status or power or influence or expertise or skill are the greatest in the kingdom of God. What makes them great in God’s kingdom is their openness to receive God’s presence in Jesus. Today we can still recognize that openness to the Lord in children. Jesus then goes on to call on his disciples and on all of us to become like little children, and he declares that unless we do so we will not enter the kingdom of God. Children can be our teachers.
As adults we need to be as open to the Lord’s presence as children are. Then we will be great in the kingdom of God. From speaking of children, Jesus goes on to speak of ‘little ones’. This phrase may refer to those people whose faith is not yet fully mature and, therefore, vulnerable to being scandalized. The parable of the lost sheep or, better, the ‘Devoted Shepherd’, suggests that God has a special concern for this group within the church. We are called to share God’s concern that their faith is not weakened further by attitudes and actions that are contrary to the mind of Christ.
________________________________
The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
________________
Saint of the Day: Aug 11 – St Clare, virgin (a totally dedicated person to God)
Born at Assisi (Italy) in 1193 or 1194; to a well-to-do family, Clare embraced an evangelical way of life after hearing the preaching of Saint Francis of Assisi, founded the order of the Poor Ladies, now the Poor Clares and was noted for her life of extreme poverty, austerity, contemplation, and charity.
St Clare of Assisi, while associated with St Francis, is a most inspiring saint in her own right, with a great sense of her own dignity as a woman. Unaffected by the power of bishops and popes, she insisted on having her own rule approved despite enormous pressures.Patrick Duffy tells her story.
Family of St Clare
Chiara (English: Clare) Offreduccio was born in Assisi, 12 miles east of Perugia in the Italian province of Umbria. She was the eldest daughter of an aristocratic family: her father Favorino was Count of Sasso-Rosso and her mother Ortolana was a devout woman who had been on pilgrimages to Rome, Santiago de Compostela and the Holy Land; later on in her life, Ortolana entered Clare's monastery.
The profound Influence of St Francis
Chiara would have been a young girl when there was a civil war between aristocratic and republican families in Assisi. She would have known Francesco Bernadone though he was older than she was and he was of a republican family. She would have known he was imprisoned in Perugia and
that later in the piazza before the cathedral he stripped off his clothes and handed them back to his father renouncing his earthly heritage, saying: "From now on I desire only to say 'Our Father who art in heaven'". All this and Francis's early preaching about poverty made a profound impression on Clare.Becoming a Franciscan: Cutting off Her hair
When she was about eighteen and her parents were making arrangements for her to marry a wealthy young man, on Palm Sunday Clare by previous arrangement with Francis, put on her best clothes and went to Mass. In the evening after dark she changed into simpler clothes and went to where Francis and the Friars were waiting for her at the Portiuncula outside the city. Here Francis received her into religious life and cut off her beautiful hair. At first he arranged for her to stay at a nearby Benedictine monastery of nuns, San Paolo delle Abadesse. Her family came to take her back, but Clare clung to the altar cloths and would not go. As they grabbed her, she pulled off her veil and the shock of seeing her bald head convinced them to leave her be.
San Damiano: a House of Radical Poverty
As the Benedictine abbey would have been quite aristocratic, and not quite suited to Clare's temperament, soon Francis arranged for her to go for a short period to a house of female penitents, Sant'Angelo in Panza on Monte Subasio. It was here that her younger sister Catherine, joined her, taking the name Agnes in religion, but soon Francis moved them again to the church of San Damiano, just outside the walls of Assisi.
This was the small church which Francis himself had rebuilt in response to a vision. Here other women joined them, and San Damiano became symbolic for its radical poverty and austere lifestyle. The women were at first known as the "Poor Ladies". Francis, a deacon and never ordained a priest, at first directed the order himself. Then in 1216, Clare accepted the role of abbess of San Damiano. As abbess, she had more authority to lead the order than when she was the prioress, having to follow the orders of a priest directing the community.
Her own Rule - Total Poverty
When Francis set up Clare's community of nuns, he did not give them a formal rule but only guidelines for the religious life. But soon after that Cardinal Ugolino dei Conti di Segni, a supporter of the Franciscans, who later became Pope Gregory IX, gave them a rule which tried to bring them into the mainstream of religious life. This rule made provision for the nuns to own property and to make sure they had a regular income. However, this was totally
against the radical poverty that Clare wanted and she stubbornly refused. Some time later when he became pope, Gregory IX drew up the Privilegium Paupertatis, a document which gave the nuns the privilege of poverty, allowing them to live entirely on alms. This was not fully what Clare wanted, but it was an important concession. She did not want it as a privilege, but written into her rule. It was only when Clare lay on her deathbed that the new Pope Innocent IV came to San Damiano personally and handed Clare a papal document, Solet Annuere, approving Clare's own rule. Clare kissed the document in appreciation.Influence on Others
Clare's clarity of mind and the force of her spirit influenced her community and she helped set up other monasteries in Italy, France and Germany. The sisters worked with their hands, spinning and weaving to make cloths for the churches and caring for the garden, but it wasn't a commercial venture. Clare wore a hair shirt and fasted a lot, but later, when she became ill, she let go of these practices. She was the prayerful servant and inspiration of the other sisters, tending them when they were sick. She was in correspondence with Agnes of Prague who set up her own community with a similar radical poverty. But because of the severity of the life of her community - bare feet, sleeping on the ground and speaking as little as possible - others avoided them.
Miracle of the Defence of Assisi
In 1244 the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II was at war with the pope. He marched an army into Umbria and among his soldiers he had a large detachment of Saracens to terrorise Christians. While Frederick's army besieged Assisi, the Saracens headed for San Damiano. Clare carried the Blessed Sacrament in a pyx or a monstrance to the wall of the convent asking God to "defend those I cannot protect". She heard a voice answer, "I shall always protect them". When she stood up, she saw the Saracens riding off into the distance. She asked the sisters to pray that Assisi would be spared and the next day the emperor too withdrew all his soldiers.
Patroness of Television
In her later years Clare was confined to bed and could not attend Mass. The sisters had all gone off to Matins. Clare sighed, saying: "Look, Lord God. I have been left here all alone with you". Then she began to hear the organ and the Office and Mass and to see it on the wall of her room as if she was present there herself. Probably with this miracle in mind Pope Pius XII in 1958 proclaimed her patroness of television (Apostolic Letter 21.8.1958). (It is interesting that an American Poor Clare nun, Mother Angelica, founded what is probably the foremost catholic evangelising television network in the world, the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).)
Death
When in the summer of 1253 Clare lay dying, bishops and cardinals came to see her and the Friars sat at her bedside reading the passion of Our Lord according to St John. She died holding her papally approved rule in her hands. Pope Innocent IV who had approved the rule was to say the Mass. When the friars and sisters intoned the Requiem, he told them to sing the Mass of a virgin (a totally dedicated person to God) instead. Everybody hesitated. That would be to publicly declare her a saint. One of his cardinals advised the pope it would probably be more prudent to sing the accustomed Requiem. He agreed, and the process began immediately and she was canonised two years later. A new basilica of St Clare was constructed and in 1260 her remains were transferred to it. Her skeleton can be seen there today.
Later Developments
Ten years after her death (1263) Pope Urban IV promulgated another rule that did not have the radical poverty option, so there have been two Poor Clare observances from that time. See http://poorclare.org/blog/?page_id=4 . Clare's biography written by Thomas of Celano, lost since the 16th century, was recently recovered.
Today in Ireland
Today in Ireland there are Poor Clare monasteries in Belfast, Carlow, Cork, Drumshanbo, Dublin, Ennis, and Galway. There are Sisters of St Clare with a Generalate at Harold's Cross and convents in the dioceses of Armagh, Dublin, Down & Connor, Dromore, Kerry and Kilmore. There is also a new monastery recently opened in Dundalk.
Find it on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/poor.clares.dundalk
******************************
Memorable Proverb for Today
“Poverty is not an accident.
Like slavery and apartheid, it is human-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.”
~ Nelson Mandela ~
*************************
Liturgical Readings for: Tuesday, 11th August, 2026
CÉAD LÉACHTSliocht as Leabhar Ezícéal, Fáidh. 2:8- 3: 4
Thug sé an scrolla dom le hithe, agus bhí blas na meala air i mo bhéal.
Cuala mise Ezícéal, guth ag caint.Dúirt sé: “Ach tusa, a mhic an duine, éist lena ndeirim leat; ná bí ceannairceach mar an dream ceannairceach úd; oscail do bhéal agus caith siar a dtugaim duit.” Agus ar dhearcadh uaim, féach, bhí lámh ansin ag síneadh i mo threo agus scrolla inti. D’oscail sé é os mo chomhair agus bhí scríbhneoireacht ann ar thosach agus ar chúl, agus is é bhí [scríofa] air “caointe agus tuirimh agus marbhnaí”.
“A mhic an duine” ar sé, “ith mar a thairgtear duit, caith siar an scrolla seo agus imigh agus labhair le muintir Iosrael.” D’oscail mé mo bhéal agus thug sé an scrolla dom le hithe, agus dúirt: “A mhic an duine, ith an scrolla seo a thugaim duit agus sásaigh do ghoile leis.” D’ith mé é agus bhí blas na meala air i mo bhéal.
Dúirt sé liom ansin: “A mhic an duine, imigh chuig muintir Iosrael agus labhair mo bhriathra leo.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le freagra Sm 118: 14. 24. 72. 103. 111.131. R/v 103
Freagra Is milse do bhriathra le mo charbal.
1. Gairdím i slí d’fhorálacha amhail san uile shaibhreas.
Óir is iad d’fhorálacha m’aoibhneas; is iad do reachtanna mo chomhairleoirí. Freagra
2. Is fearr liom go mór fada dlí do bhéilse ná na mílte d’ór agus d’airgead.
Is milse do bhriathra le mo charball; ná mil le mo bhéal. Freagra
3. Is iad d’fhorálacha mo oidhreacht go brách; cuireann siad áthas ar mo chroí.
Bíonn mo bhéal ar leathadh ag osnaíl dom agus mé ag tnúth le d’aitheanta. Freagra
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Mhatha 18:1-5. 10. 12-14 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Aire daoibh gan bheith neamhshuimiúil i nduine ar bith de na rudaí beaga seo
Tháinig na deisceabail san am sin ag triall ar Íosa chun a rá:“Cé hé mar sin an té is mó i ríocht na bhflaitheas?”
Ghlaoigh sé leanbh chuige, chuir ina sheasamh ina lár é agus dúirt:
“Deirim libh go fírinneach, mura gcasa sibh arís chun bheith ar nós na leanaí, ní rachaidh sibh isteach i ríocht na bhflaitheas choíche. Mar sin, duine ar bith a dhéanfaidh é féin uiríseal ar nós an linbh seo, beidh sé sin ar an té is mo i ríocht na bhflaitheas. Agus cibé duine a ghlacfaidh a leithéid seo de leanbh ar son m’ainm, glacann sé mise.
Ach “Aire daoibh gan bheith neamhshuimiúil i nduine ar bith de na rudaí beaga seo, óir deirim libh, bíonn a n-aingil ar neamh ag breathnú de shíor ar ghnúis m’Athar atá ar neamh.
“Cad is dóigh libh? Má bhíonn céad caora ag duine agus aon chaora amháin díobh a dhul amú, nach bhfágfaidh sé an naoi nóchad ar na sléibhte agus dul ag lorg an tseachránaí? Agus más rud é go bhfaigheann sé í, deirim libh go fírinneach, is mó is cúis áthais leis í ná an naoi nóchad a bhí gan dul amú. Mar an gcéanna, ní hé toil i láthair bhur nAthar atá ar neamh go gcaillfí aon duine amháin de na rudaí beaga seo
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 16th August, 2026
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah 56:1. 6-7
I will bring foreigners to my holy mountain
Thus says the Lord:Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest.
Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants - all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant - these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 66: 2-3. 5-6. 8. R/v 4
Response Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
1. O God, be gracious and bless us and let your face shed its light upon us
So will your ways be known upon earth and all nations learn your saving help. Response
2. Let the nations be glad and exult for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples, you guide the nations on earth. Response
3. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing. till the ends of the earth revere him. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 11:13-15. 29-32
With Israel, God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice.
Let me tell you pagans this:
I have been sent to the pagans as their apostle, and I am proud of being sent, but the purpose of it is to make my own people
envious of you, and in this way save some of them. Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their admission will mean? Nothing less than a resurrection from the dead! God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice.Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient now - and only because of the mercy shown to you - will also enjoy mercy eventually. God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation Jn 10: 27
Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
or Ps 129: 5
Alleluia, alleluia!
My Soul is waiting on the Lord, I count on his word
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 15:21-28 Glory to you, O Lord
Woman, you have great faith.
Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting,'Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.'
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. 'Give her what she wants,' they said 'because she is shouting after us.'
He said in reply, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel'.
But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. 'Lord,' she said 'help me.'
He replied, 'It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the house-dogs'.
She retorted, 'Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master's table'.
Then Jesus answered her, 'Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.'
And from that moment her daughter was well again.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/
Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966, by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 16th August, 2026
CÉAD LÉACHT Sliocht as an Leabhar Íseáia, Fáidh 56:1. 6-7
Déanfaidh mé clanf na n-eachtranrdch a chinnireacht go dtí shliabh beannaithe.
Seo mar a deir an Tiarna:Coinnígí an ceart, cleachtaigí an fhíréantacht, óir tá m’fhuascailt ar tí teacht agus m’fhíréantacht ar tí a foilsithe.
Agus clann na n-eachtrannach chomh maith, a chloígh leis an Tiarna chun fónamh dó, chun grá a thabhairt d’ainm an Tiarna agus chun bheith ina seirbhísigh aige, iad siúd uile a choinníonn an tsabóid gan truailliú agus a chloíonn go docht le mo chonradh, déanfaidh mé a gcinnireacht go dtí mo shliabh beannaithe. Tabharfaidh mé aoibhneas dóibh i mo theach urnaí. Glacfar air m’altóir lena dtabhartais loiscthe agus lena n-íobairtí, óir gairfear de mo theachsa teach urnaí na gciníocha go léir.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 66: 2-3. 5-6. 8. R/v 4
Freagra Go mola na ciníocha thú, a Dhia; go mola na ciníocha go léir thú.
1. Bí trócaireach linn, a Dhia, agus beannaigh sinn; taispeáin duinn solas do ghnúise,
chun go n-aithnítear do shlí ar talamhagus do shlánú i measc na náisiún uile. Freagra
2. Go nd’eana na náisiúin lúcháir agus gairdeas toisc go rialaíonn tú an domhan go fíréanta.
Rialaíonn tú na ciníocha le cothromas; treoraíonn tú na náisiún ar talamh. Freagra
3. Go mola na ciníocha thú, a Dhia; go mola na ciníocha go léir thú.
Go mbeannaí ar nDia i gcónaí sinn, is gurb eagal Ie críocha na cruinne ‘e. Freagra
DARA LÉACHT
Sliocht as Litir Naomh Pól chuig na Rómhánaigh 11:13-15. 29-32
Ní cús alféala choiche do Dhia a thíolaicí ná an rogha a bhíonn déanta aige.
Tá rud le rá agam libhse, a ghintlithe:
Sa mhéid gurb aspal na ngintlithe mé, is ag méadú m’fheidhmeannais a bheidh mé le mo chine féin a spreagadh
iomaíochta agus cuid éigin acu a shlánú. Mar, má tugadh an domhan chun athmhuintearais trína gcaitheamh amach, cad a thiocfaidh dá nglacadh ar ais ach beatha ó mhairbh? mar ní cúis aiféala choíche do Dhia a thíolacthaí ná an rogha a bhíonn déanta aige.Bhí sibhse tráth easumhal do Dhia ach tá trócaire déanta anois oraibh trína n-easumhlaíochtsan. Is é an dála céanna acu siúd é: tá siadsan éirithe easumhal anois nuair atá trócaire déanta oraibhse chun go ndéanfaí trócaire orthu chomh maith. Mar chuir Dia an uile dhuine i ngeibheann san easumhlaíocht d’fhonn trócaire a dhéanamh orthu uile.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Alleluia Véarsa Eo 10: 27
Alleluia,alleluia!
Éisteann mo chaoirigh le mo ghlór, a deir an Tiarna
agus aithním iad, agus leanann siad mé.
Alleluia!
SOISCÉAL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Mhatha 15:21-28 Glory to you, O Lord
Ó, is mór é do chreideamh, a bhean!
San am sin chuaigh Íosa i leataobh go dtí ceantar na Tuíre agus Shíodóine. Agus bhí bean Chanánach a tháinig amach as na críocha sin agus thosaigh sí ag glaoch os ard: “Déan trócaire orm, a Thiarna, a mhic Dháiví,” ar sise, “tá iníon agam agus í á crá go géar ag deamhan.”Ach ní dúirt Íosa focal ar bith á freagairt. Tháinig a dheisceabail chuige agus bhí siad ag impí air: “Scaoil uait í,” ar siad, “tá sí ag glaoch inár ndiaidh.”
D’fhreagair agus dúirt: “Níor cuireadh mé ach amháin go dtí caoirigh caillte theaghlach Iosrael.” Ach tháinig an bhean agus d’fhan ar a dhá glúin ina láthair:
“A Thiarna,” ar sise, “fóir orm.”
D’fhreagair agus dúirt: “Níl sé oiriúnach arán na leanaí a thógáil agus é a chaitheamh chun na gcoileán.”
Dúirt sise: “Cinnte, a Thiarna, agus itheann na coileáin féin na grabhróga a thiteann ó bhord a máistrí.”
Ansin dúirt Íosa léi á freagairt: “Ó, is mór é do chreideamh, a bhean! Bíodh agat mar is áil leat.”
Agus bhí a hiníon leigheasta ón nóiméad sin.
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
