Barb Spies, OFS, Director of Mission Services and Pastoral Care

This week we celebrate two amazing Franciscan saints: St. Clare of Assisi (August 11) and St. Maximilian Kolbe (August 14). St. Clare is the co-founder of the Franciscan movement. She said yes to the call of the Gospel life in the footsteps of Francis, living a live of poverty and service to God’s people. She left all her possessions and her home, joined with sisters in a loving community, healed others while suffering patiently through her own illnesses, and became the leader of the Second Order of St. Francis, the Order of Saint Clare. Her monastery at San Damiano was a place of healing, a refuge for the friars who needed to recuperate from illnesses, a site where people in the community brought their family members for care and prayers. My favorite miracle of St. Clare is when a family brought their little boy to her because he had a pebble in his nose. This 3- or 4-year-old had decided his nose was a great place to store a little stone. But, then it didn’t come out. The concerned family asked for Clare’s assistance. At her prayers, the pebble dropped out of his nose. Her most important ministry was to live in accordance with the Gospel, sharing that life with her sisters, and modeling that care to all of God’s people.

St. Maximilian Kolbe was born about 700 years after St. Clare. He was also a follower of Francis, a Conventual Friar. He lived in Poland under German occupation. He served as a missionary in Japan, was strongly devoted to the Virgin Mary, wrote anti-Nazi publications, and was finally arrested by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz. He spoke up to take the place of a prisoner condemned to die as punishment for another prisoner escaping. He took his place out of compassion for this man who was a father. St. Maximilian Kolbe modeled a selfless life, giving another a chance to live. He demonstrated faith, prayer, and compassion.

We might think of saints as impossibly perfect. These two saints that we celebrate this week were just good people who engaged in prayer and service to God and God’s people. We can do that too.            

Blessed Angela: “Time is given to us for doing good.”