Written,
it is thought, between 1247 and 1253 this is the covenant of our Mother
Clare; her 'Last Will' for us her sisters.
In
the name of the Lord! Amen.
Among
the other gifts that we have received and do daily receive from our
benefactor, the Father of Mercies, and for which we must express the
deepest thanks to the glorious Father of Christ, there is our vocation,
for which, all the more by way of its being more perfect and greater,
do we owe the greatest thanks to him. Therefore the Apostle writes:
"Know your vocation". The Son of God has been made for us the Way, which
our Blessed Father Francis, His true lover and imitator, has shown and
taught us by word and example. Therefore, beloved sisters, we must consider
the immense gifts that God has bestowed on us, especially those that
He has seen fit to work in us through His beloved servant, our blessed
father Francis, not only after our conversion but also while we were
still living among the vanities of the world.
"Rebuild my Church"
In
fact, almost immediately after his conversion, when he had neither brothers
nor companions, while he was building the church of San Damiano, where
he was totally visited by divine consolation and impelled to completely
abandon the world , through the great joy and enlightenment of the Holy
Spirit, the holy man made a prophecy about us that the Lord later fulfilled.
For
at that time , climbing the wall of that church, he shouted in French
to some poor people who were standing nearby: "Come and help me in the
work of building the monastery of San Damiano, because ladies are yet
to dwell here who will glorify our heavenly Father throughout His holy,
universal Church by their celebrated and holy manner of life."
We
can consider in this , therefore, the abundant kindness of God to us.
Because of His mercy and love, he saw fit to speak these words through
his Saint about our vocation and choice through his Saint. And our most
blessed Father prophesied not only for us, but also for those who would
come to this same holy vocation to which the Lord has called us.
With
what eagerness and fervour of mind and body, therefore, must we keep
the commandments of our God and Father, so that, with the help of the
Lord, we may return to him an increase of his talent! For the Lord himself
has placed us not only as a form for others in being an example and
mirror, but even for our sisters whom the Lord has called to our way
of life as well, that they in turn might be a mirror and example to
those living in the world. Since the Lord has called us to such great
things that those who are to be a mirror and example to others may be
reflected in us, we are greatly bound to bless and praise God and be
all the more strengthened to do good in the Lord. Therefore, if we live
according to the form mentioned above, we shall leave others a noble
example and gain, with very little effort, the prize of eternal happiness.
After
the most high heavenly Father saw fit in his mercy and grace to enlighten
my heart, that I should do penance according to the example and teaching
of our most blessed father Francis, a short while after his conversion,
willingly promised Him obedience, as the Lord gave us the light of His
grace through his wonderful life and teaching. When the blessed Francis
saw, however, that, although we were physically weak and frail, we did
not shirk deprivation, poverty, hard work, trial, or the shame or contempt
of the world - rather, we considered them as great delights, as he
had frequently examined us according to the example of the Saints and
his brothers - he greatly rejoiced in the Lord. And moved by compassion
for us, he bound himself, both through himself and through his Order,
to always have the same loving care and special solicitude for us as
for his own brothers.
And
thus, by the will of God and our most blessed father Francis, we went
to dwell in the Church of San Damiano, where, in a little while, the
Lord, through His mercy and grace, made our numbers increase so that
he would fulfill what he had foretold through his saint, In fact, we
had stayed in another place before this, but only for a short while.
Lady Poverty
Afterwards
he wrote a form of life for us, especially that we always persevere in
holy poverty. While he was living he was not content to encourage us with
many words and examples to the love of holy poverty and its observance,
but he gave us many writings that, after his death, we would in no way
turn away from it, as the Son of God never wished to abandon this holy
poverty while he lived in the world. And our most blessed father Francis,
having imitated his footprints, never departed either in example or in
teaching from this holy poverty that he had chosen for himself and his
brothers.
Therefore,
I, Clare, a handmaid of Christ and the Poor Sisters of the Monastery of
San Damiano - although unworthy - and the little plant of the holy father,
consider together with my sisters so lofty a profession and the command
of such a father and also the frailty of some others that we feared in
ourselves after the passing of our holy father Francis, who was our pillar
of strength and, after God, our one consolation and support. Time and
again we willingly bound ourselves to our Lady, most holy Poverty, that
after my death, the sisters, those present and those to come, would never
turn away from her.
And
as I have always been most zealous and solicitous to observe and to have
the others observe the holy poverty that we have promised to the Lord
and our holy father Francis, so, too, the others who will succeed me in
office should be always bound to observe holy poverty with the help of
God and have it observed by the other sisters. Moreover, for greater security,
I took care to have our profession of the most holy poverty that we promised
our father strengthened with privileges by the Lord Pope Innocent, during
whose pontificate we had our beginning, and by his other successors, that
we would never nor in any way turn away from her.
For
this reason, on bended knees and bowing low with both body and soul, I
commend all my sisters, both those present and those to come, the Holy
Mother the Roman Church, the Supreme Pontiff; and, especially, the Lord
Cardinal who has been appointed for the Order of Friars Minor and for
us, that out of love of the God Who was placed poor in the crib, lived
poor in the world, and remained naked on the Cross, our Protector may
always see to it that his little flock, which the lord Father has begotten
in his holy Church by the word and example of our blessed father Francis
by following the poverty and humility of His beloved Son and his glorious
Virgin Mother, observe the holy poverty that we have promised to God and
our most blessed father Saint Francis. May He always encourage and support
them in these things.
And
as the Lord gave us our most blessed father Francis as a founder, planter,
and helper in the service of Christ and in those things we have promised
to God and to our blessed father, who while he was living was always solicitous
in word and deed to cherish and take care of us, his plant, so I commend
and leave my sisters, both those present and those to come, to the successor
of our blessed father Francis and to the entire Order, that they may always
help us to progress in serving God more perfectly and, above all, to observe
more perfectly most holy poverty.
If the sisters spoken of ever leave and go elsewhere, let them be bound,
after my death, wherever they may be, to observe that same form of poverty
that we have promised God and our most blessed father Francis.
Living Witness
Nevertheless,
let both the sister who is in office, as well as the other sisters exercise
such care and farsightedness that they do not acquire or receive more
land about the place than extreme necessity requires for a vegetable garden.
But if, for the integrity and privacy of the monastery, it becomes necessary
to have more land beyond the limits of the garden, no more should be acquired
than extreme necessity demands. This land should not be cultivated or
planted but remain always untouched and undeveloped.
In
the Lord Jesus Christ, I admonish and exhort all my sisters, both those
present and those to come, to strive always to imitate the way of holy
simplicity, humility and poverty and to preserve the integrity of our
holy way of living, as we were taught from the beginning of our conversion
by Christ and our blessed father Francis. May the Father of Mercies always
spread the fragrance of a good name from them, both among those who are
far away as well as those who are near, not by any merits of ours but
by the sole mercy and grace of His goodness. And loving one another with
the charity of Christ, may the love you have in your hearts be shown outwardly
in your deeds so that, compelled by such an example, the sisters may always
grow in love of God and in charity for one another.
I
also beg that sister who will be in an office of the sisters to strive
to exceed the others more by her virtues and holy life than by her office,
so that, stimulated by her example, they obey her not so much because
of her office as because of love. Let her also be discerning and attentive
to her sisters as a good mother is to her daughters, and let her take
care especially to provide for them according to the needs of each one
out of the alms that the Lord shall give. Let her also be so kind and
available that they may safely reveal their needs and confidently have
recourse to her at any hour, as they see fit both for themselves and their
sisters.
Let
the sisters who are subjects, however, keep in mind that they have given
up their own wills for the sake of the Lord. Therefore I want them to
obey their mother of their own free will as they have promised the Lord,
so that seeing the charity, humility and unity they have toward one another,
their mother might bear all the burdens of her office more easily, and,
through their way of life, what is painful and bitter might be changed
into sweetness.
And
because the way and path is difficult and the gate through which one passes
and enters to life is narrow, there are both few who walk it and enter
through it. And if there are some who walk that way for a while, there
are very few who persevere on it. But how blessed are those to whom it
has been given to walk that way and to persevere till the end.
Let us be very careful, therefore, that, if we have set out on the path
of the Lord, we do not at any time turn away from it through our own fault
or negligence or ignorance, nor that we offend so great a Lord and his
Virgin Mother, and our blessed father Francis, the Church Triumphant and
even the Church Militant. For it is written: "Those who turn away from
your commands are cursed".
For
this reason I bend my knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that,
through the supporting merits of the glorious and holy Virgin Mary, his
Mother, and of our most blessed father Francis and all the Saints, the
Lord himself, Who has given us a good beginning, will also give the increase
and final perseverance. Amen.
So that it may be better observed, I leave
you this writing, my very dear and beloved sisters, those present and
those to come, as a sign of the blessing of the Lord and of our most blessed
father Francis and of my blessing, your mother and servant.
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