Message of Saint Clare of Assisi of 25 May 2013

(The full version of the message can be found on our website in the category “Messages 2013” (click here).)

 

“Dearest Brothers and Sisters, peace and all good to all of you! The Almighty God has asked me to speak to you about contemplation. […]

What is contemplation? It is not an ascetic exercise, spiritual acrobatics or an abstract concept but rather the spiritual breath and rest of the soul. […] When we are willing to live for God, when we desire to belong solely to Him and offer ourselves fully to Him, then true contemplation arises, which is the fruit of trusting abandonment to God. The offering of our life to God is the key to opening our spirit, where God has placed His treasures. Yes, dear brothers and sisters, those who love God awaken to true life. Those who are prepared to give everything will receive everything from the loving Father. Someone who loves desires to contemplate the face of the loved one; he admires everything the loved one does and can recognise every tender and loving action. In the same way, a story of love begins between the human being and God, a story that will not end even with death; rather, in the dimension of eternity, the lover and the Beloved become one.

Contemplation is the attitude of awe and silence before the greatness of God: the human being submits to the Creator out of love, not servility or fear. From this attitude, wisdom and knowledge of the laws of life arise. Man becomes docile under the hand of God and begins to act in the light, with his deeds being good and edifying for the whole people of God. Thus, man works for the Lord without feeling tired because he is filled with the divine presence, which provides rest for the soul.

Authentic faith always leads to contemplation. […] Hope, too, leads to contemplation, as the person who lives with hope contemplates daily the gifts of God through which He fulfils His promises. […] Love, the true one, blossoms in contemplation. […] Contemplation is the child of love and never an end in itself; contemplation leads to action, as by contemplating God’s Love, the person is filled with that love and is moved to reach out to others. […]

All this helps you understand that all of you are called to contemplation and that it is an integral part of your life; truly, the Christian’s life should be contemplative. […] The human spirit is designed to know God; however, it cannot know what it cannot see. That is why contemplation is necessary: it is the gaze of the spirit turned towards God, enabling the person to know God as He is.

God, who is Spirit, dwells in the human spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit in your spirit is like a fountain situated in the middle of a garden. […] In your enclosed garden, you can contemplate God and find rest in Him. […] Even now you can experience a foretaste of resting in God by seeking Him within the intimacy of your spirit, where He has dug a well of living waters. He will come to dwell in you if you call upon Him and desire Him with all your strength. […]

In my earthly life, I was never weary of seeking the face of God. I continually drew from His well of living waters, and the more I drew, the more I was filled. From my whole being, love overflowed and spread around me, reaching many distant souls, even though I was living in the silence of San Damiano. Never grow tired of contemplating the face of God, full of love for you. Allow yourselves to be embraced by His gaze, and you will find true rest; then, you will contemplate God even in your everyday life, where your existence unfolds.

I follow you with my prayer and I love you in God. Receive my blessing:

God bless you

and protect you.

May His face shine upon you

and give you His mercy.

May He turn His gaze to you

and give you peace.

May the Lord be with you always

and make you be always with Him!”