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The Transitus of St. Clare of Assisi
The ultimate focus of all Christian contemplation is always Jesus. Clare shows us that we can only know the meaning of our lives as human beings when we look at the life of Jesus.
Gaze Upon the Lord (Clare of Assisi)
Gaze upon the Lord;
Gaze upon his face;
Gaze upon the one
Who holds you in his embrace.
Gaze upon his love
Gaze upon his coming poor from heav’n above.
Look upon your Lord;
Look upon his way.
Look upon his heart,
Which opens to each day.
Though he was despised,
The lowest of all men,
Look upon his sacred cross which brings life again.
If you open to life’s pain,
Then with him you shall reign
And allow your heart to weep,
Then with him you’ll rejoice.
Open to his cross,
The wounds of each day’s love,
Then you’ll know the splendour of his kingdom above.
Gaze upon his life;
Gaze upon his love;
Gaze upon his coming poor from heav’n above.
Leader: |
We adore you,
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All: |
most holy Lord Jesus Christ,
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Leader: | O God come to our aid. |
All: |
O Lord make haste to help us.
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Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
OPENING HYMN
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Ant. 1: |
The realm of heaven is promised and given by the Lord Jesus only to PSALM 126 [127]
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In vain is your earlier rising, *
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, *
O the happiness of the man *
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Leader: |
Brothers and sisters, we come together tonight to celebrate the Transitus of Saint Clare, when she was taken up into the glory of God. Let us bless our God, living and true.
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All: |
To him be honour and glory forever.
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Narrator: |
For forty years Clare had followed the path of highest poverty: now after her prolonged illness, she was soon to be born into eternal life.
As the strength of her body had succumbed to the austerity of penance in her earlier years, illness now took hold of her in later years so that, as she had been enriched with the merits of good deeds when well, she might now be enriched with the merits of suffering when sick. How truly the words of St. Paul apply to Clare in the last phase of her life.
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1st Reader: Phil. 3:10-14 |
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”
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Narrator: |
Clare begged him to be always mindful of her and the other sisters in the name of Christ. Above all, she asked him to have the Privilege of Poverty confirmed for her by the Lord Pope and the Cardinal.
Clare now longed and desired with all her heart “to be freed from the body of this death” and to see reigning in heaven Christ, the Poor One, whom as a poor virgin, she had followed with all her heart on earth. Worn our physically by her long illness, a new inner strength now took hold of Clare as she awaited the final call from her Lord. Pope, Innocent IV, hearing of Clare’s increasing sickness visited here at San Damiano. Clare asked him for the remission of her sins. He pardoned her in God’s name – uttering “I wish to God that I was as innocent as you.”
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Clare |
“Praise the Lord, my daughters, because heaven and earth cannot repay the great blessing Christ has given me this day. For I have received the Most High himself and have also seen his Vicar.”
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Narrator: |
Now around Clare’s bed stood the daughters she was soon to leave orphans. Their hearts were pierced with the sword of sorrow and unmindful of sleep or food, their only solace was to weep day and night. Clare’s last agony continued for several days, during which time the faith and devotion of the people became more intense. Though so weak her self, God gave Clare such fortitude that she strengthened, in the service of Christ, all who came to her. Thus when Brother Rainaldo, encouraged her to be patient in her sufferings, she replied:
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Clare: |
“Dearest Brother, ever since I have known the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ, no penance has been too hard, no illness too severe.”
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As the Lord was near and stood as it were, already at the door, she asked that the Gospel of John be read to her, as it had been for Francis.
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A reading from the Gospel according to John 13:1-15
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“Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter who said to him: “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered: “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand. Peter said to him: “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered: “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him: “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him: “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said: “Not all of you are clean.” After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe and had returned to the table, he said to them: “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord – and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
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Narrator: |
Finally Clare turned to her sisters and commended to them the poverty of the Lord and recalled in praise the goodness of God. She then blessed all who were devoted to her, both brothers and sisters, and invoked on all the ladies of the poor monasteries, present and to come, the richest blessings:
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Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
Pause for quiet prayer & reflection on Psalm
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Ant. 1: |
The realm of heaven is promised and given by the Lord Jesus only to the poor: for those who love temporal things lose the fruit of love.
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Ant. 2: |
O blessed poverty, who bestows eternal riches on those who love and embrace her. PSALM 121 [122]
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Jerusalem is built as a city *
For Israel’s law it is, *
For the peace of Jerusalem pray: *
For love of my brethren and friends *
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
Pause for quiet prayer & reflection on Psalm
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Ant. 2: |
O blessed poverty, who bestows eternal riches on those who love and embrace her.
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Ant. 3: |
Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! Canticle: Eph 1:3-10
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Blessed be the God and Father *
He chose us in him *
He destined us in love *
In him we have redemption through his blood, *
He has made known to us †
His purpose he set forth in Christ, *
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
Pause for quiet prayer & reflection on Psalm
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Ant. 3: |
Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory!
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Clare: |
“I bless you, now while living and after my death, as much as I can and
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Narrator: |
Clare than spoke softly to herself:
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Clare: |
“Go forth without fear, for you will have a good escort for your journey.
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Narrator: |
Turning to one of her sisters, Clare asked:
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Clare: |
“Do you see the King of Glory, whom I see?
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Leader: |
Clare thus went forth from her earthly life to the life of heaven, and ex
A moment of respectful silence is observed.
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Magnificat Ant.: The blessed Virgin Clare denied herself and took up her cross, following the Lord, the spouse of virgins.
Lourdes Magnificat (sung)
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My soul now glorify
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2. R/ |
The world shall call me blest
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For those who are his friends,
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4.
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But by his power the great,
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5.
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He feeds the starving poor,
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6.
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Then glorify with me,
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Magnificat Ant.: The blessed Virgin Clare denied herself and took up her cross, following the Lord, the spouse of virgins.
INTERCESSIONS
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Let us pray to the Father of all mercies, from whom comes all that is
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You alone are holy and supremely good – multiply in your Church
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You gave us blessed Clare as our mother and model – grant that we
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You are our way, our hope and our life; give to the Seraphic Order a
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You are the source of true wisdom; inflame our hearts with your love
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Our Father …..
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You look to your loved ones to bring forth fruit in patience; grant us the
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Recommitment to our way of life
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BLESSING(Taken from Clare’s second letter to Agnes of Prague)
What you hold, may you always hold,
May almighty God bless you,
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Leader: | Let us bless the Lord. |
All: | Thanks be to God. |