Our Prayers
A Eucharistic Life
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and daily Eucharistic Adoration are at the heart of our spiritual life. This spirit of prayer permeates our day, whether we are praying the Liturgy of the Hours, fulfilling our everyday work, or enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. By our religious consecration, we are wed to Christ as His brides. This union enlarges our hearts to make us spiritual mothers through the total gift of ourselves to God and His Church.
As spiritual sisters drawn together by God’s own design, we believe that each of us was handpicked by the Lord. We share the humble tasks of everyday living as we foster a joyful and united fraternal life based on charity, prayer, work, patience and a sense of humor. Our holy habit is a particular reminder to us of our shared life and ideals.
Our Vows
Vow of Poverty
By the profession of this kind of poverty, our Order is called
to give corporate witness to the things of eternity.
-Poor Clare Constitutions
The vow of poverty encompasses the life of a Poor Clare in a very particular way as a daughter of Ss. Francis and Clare. She desires to be poor because Jesus was poor—in the crib in Bethlehem, on the cross and in the holy Eucharist. She claims nothing as her own in order that she may be filled with eternal riches; she is set free from slavery to materialism and consumerism. Her life bears testimony to the Scriptures: as having nothing and yet possessing all things (2 Cor 6:10). This vow deepens the baptismal gift of hope, for she trusts God to provide for her every need, both spiritual and material.
Vow of Chastity
Perfect chastity in virginal consecration is a precious gift of God that infuses
into our hearts an unparalleled freedom to love.
-Poor Clare Constitutions
The vow of chastity is a Poor Clare’s response to God who has first loved her. When lived with generosity, this commitment brings fulfillment and joy, despite the sacrifices involved, because it unites her forever to Christ her Bridegroom. Through that union, she becomes a spiritual mother of countless souls. This vow deepens the baptismal gift of charity, endowing our life with fruitfulness for the Kingdom of God.
Vow of Obedience
Religious obedience exalts the dignity of human nature,
for it demands the highest exercise of personal responsibility in the use of our free will…
-Poor Clare Constitutions
Through the vow of obedience, the Poor Clare shares in the redemptive mission of Christ, who was obedient to the Father in all things, even to His death on the Cross. She lives surrendered to His will for her as expressed through the Rule, her superiors, and the needs of her sisters. This vow deepens the baptismal gift of faith, setting her free from self-centeredness and willfulness in order to live in a spirit of loving service.
DAILY NOVENA PRAYER TO SAINT CLARE
O Mother Saint Clare, your holy life radiates its light to guide us on the way to Christ. Teach us to love Him as you did. O beloved saint, teach us to believe, as you did, that in the Blessed Eucharist, we find Jesus, who dwells here in our midst.
You now follow the Lamb wherever He goes: speak to Him of our troubled spirit. Ask Him to heal us, body and soul, and to wash away our sins in His precious Blood.
(Pause for silent reflection and petition)
O handmaid of Christ, look with compassion on all who call on you for help. Remember the needs of our family, our loved ones, and all those for whom we pray. Defend us from everything that would endanger our Holy Catholic Faith, especially in these times of confusion, scandal, and division. Give us unity and peace in the Church and in society. We ask that our pleas will become a canticle of petition ascending from your pure heart to the Heart of Jesus, who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.