In the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit.
May
the Lord bless you and keep you.
May he show his face to you and be merciful to you.
May he turn his countenance to you, my sisters, and daughters, and
give peace to you, and to all the others who come and remain in
your company as well as to others now and in the future, who have
persevered in every other monastery of the Poor Ladies.
I, Clare, a servant of Christ, a little plant of our most holy Father
Francis, a sister and mother of you and the other poor sisters,
although unworthy, beg our Lord Jesus Christ through his mercy and
the intercession of his most holy Mother Mary and blessed Michael
the Archangel and all the holy angels of God, of our blessed Father
Francis, and all men and women saints, that the heavenly Father
give you and confirm for you this most holy blessing in heaven and
on earth. On earth, may he multiply you in his grace and his virtues
among his servants and handmaids in his Church Militant. In heaven,
may he exalt you and glorify you among his men and women saints
in his Church Triumphant.
I bless you during my life and after my death, as I am able,
out of all the blessings with which the Father of mercies has and
does bless his sons and daughters in heaven and on earth and a spiritual
father and mother have blessed and bless their spiritual sons and
daughters. Amen.
Always be lovers of your souls and those of all your sisters.
And may you always be eager to observe what you have promised the
Lord.
May the Lord always be with you and may you always be with him.
Amen.
Scripture quotations
in the above sections gratefully taken from the New Revised
Standard Version. Oxford University Press.
Quotations from the writings of St Clare and other early sources
from Clare of Assisi: Early Documents. Regis J Armstrong OEM
Cap. Paulist Press. With deep and sincere gratitude for the
service Brother Regis has rendered to us his sisters.