By Vanessa Gallegos | Faith & Frame
“Love God, serve God; everything is in that.” — attributed to St. Clare of Assisi
Every August 11, the Catholic Church remembers St. Clare of Assisi. Her quiet life of prayer, poverty, and trust in God continues to speak powerfully to us centuries later.
Moreover, Franciscan Media notes that Clare was deeply influenced by St. Francis of Assisi. She ultimately embraced a radical life of poverty and religious devotion.
Her story raises an important question:
How much do we really need in order to be happy?
St. Clare Chose Something Greater
Clare came from a wealthy family.
She could have chosen comfort and social status. Instead, as a young woman, she left that life behind to follow Christ in radical simplicity.
Eventually, other women joined her, forming the community that became known as the Poor Clares.
What makes Clare's story beautiful isn't simply that she gave things away.
It's what she chose instead.
She chose Christ.
She discovered that when God becomes our greatest treasure, everything else finds its proper place.
What St. Clare Can Teach Us Today
Most of us aren't being called to abandon everything we own, as St. Clare of Assisi demonstrates.
But all of us can ask:
What am I holding onto too tightly?
Maybe it's possessions.
Maybe it's approval.
Maybe it's status, control, comfort, or the need to have everything planned.
St. Clare challenges us to simplify our hearts.
Sometimes growing closer to God isn't about adding another devotion or doing something dramatic.
Sometimes it means making more room.
More silence.
More prayer.
More generosity.
More Christ.
Love God. Serve God.
The Christian life can sometimes feel complicated.
We wonder whether we're praying enough, doing enough, serving enough, or becoming holy enough.
St. Clare brings us back to something beautifully simple:
Love God. Serve God.
Love Him where you are.
Serve Him through the people He places before you.
Trust Him with what you cannot control.
And allow everything else to flow from there.
A Prayer Through the Intercession of St. Clare
St. Clare of Assisi,
help us loosen our attachment to the things that distract us from Christ.
Teach us to live simply, love generously, pray faithfully, and recognize that our greatest treasure will always be God.
St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us. Amen.
Continue Exploring the Catholic Faith
At Faith & Frame, Vanessa Gallegos shares approachable Catholic reflections for those seeking to grow closer to Christ through the saints, Scripture, prayer, and the traditions of the Church.