# Matins Nocturn 2 reading for St. Clare, Virgin (Aug 12). No genuine
# SanctiM match: the only SanctiM file for this date,
# `SanctiM/08-12oct.txt`, bases `@Sancti/08-12oct` — an octave-day
# entry, not Clare's own file — a missed pre-1955-pool candidate
# rather than a genuine SanctiM case (see memory
# vu-matins-pre1955-saints, vu-matins-sanctim-saints).
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/08-12.txt, English/Sancti/08-12.txt.
# Lectio4-6 combined into one reading, one continuous vita, no genuine
# source break. No responsory given in the source.
id: st-clare
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    text:
      la: >-
        Clara nóbilis virgo, Assísii nata in Umbria, sanctum Francíscum concívem suum imitáta,
        cuncta sua bona in eleemósynas et páuperum subsídia distríbuit et convértit. De sǽculi
        strépitu fúgiens, in campéstrem declinávit ecclésiam, ibíque ab eódem beáto Francísco
        recépta tonsúra, consanguíneis ipsam redúcere conántibus fórtiter réstitit. Et
        dénique ad ecclésiam sancti Damiáni fuit per eúmdem addúcta, ubi ei Dóminus plures
        sócias aggregávit; et sic ipsa sacrárum sorórum collégium instítuit, quarum régimen,
        nímia sancti Francísci devícta importunitáte, recépit. Suum monastérium sollícite ac
        prudénter, in timóre Dómini ac plena órdinis observántia, annis quadragínta duóbus
        mirabíliter gubernávit; ejus enim vita erat áliis erudítio et doctrína, unde céteræ
        vivéndi régulam didicérunt.


        Ut, carne depréssa, spíritu convalésceret, nudam humum et intérdum sarménta pro lecto
        habébat, et pro pulvinári sub cápite durum lignum. Una túnica cum mantéllo de vili et
        híspido panno utebátur, áspero cilício nonnúmquam adhíbito juxta carnem. Tanta se
        frenábat abstinéntia, ut longo témpore tribus in hebdómada diébus nihil pénitus pro
        sui córporis aliménto gustáverit; réliquis autem diébus tali se cibórum parvitáte
        restríngens, ut áliæ, quómodo subsístere póterat, miraréntur. Binas quotánnis
        (ántequam ægrotáret) quadragésimas, solo pane et aqua refécta, jejunábat. Vigíliis
        ínsuper et oratiónibus assídue dédita, in his præcípue dies noctésque expendébat.
        Diútinus perpléxa languóribus, cum ad exercítium corporále non posset súrgere per se
        ipsam, sorórum suffrágio levabátur; et, fulciméntis ad tergum appósitis, laborábat
        própriis mánibus, ne in suis étiam esset infirmitátibus otiósa. Amátrix præcípua
        paupertátis, ab ea pro nulla umquam necessitáte discéssit; et possessiónes pro
        sorórum sustentatióne a Gregório nono oblátas constantíssime recusávit.


        Multis et váriis miráculis virtus suæ sanctitátis effúlsit. Cuídam de soróribus sui
        monastérii loquélam restítuit expedítam; álteri aurem surdam apéruit; laborántem
        febre, tuméntem hydrópisi, plagátam fístula, aliásque áliis oppréssas languóribus
        liberávit. Fratrem de órdine Minórum ab insániæ passióne sanávit. Cum óleum in
        monastério totáliter defecísset, Clara accépit úrceum atque lavit, et invéntus est
        óleo, benefício divínæ largitátis, implétus. Uníus panis medietátem ádeo multiplicávit,
        ut soróribus quinquagínta suffécerit. Saracénis Assísium obsidéntibus et Claræ
        monastérium invádere conántibus, ægra se ad portam afférri vóluit, unáque vas in quo
        sanctíssimum Eucharístiæ sacraméntum erat inclúsum, ibíque orávit: Ne tradas, Dómine,
        béstiis ánimas confiténtes tibi, et custódi fámulas tuas, quas pretióso sánguine
        redemísti. In cujus oratióne ea vox audíta est: Ego vos semper custódiam. Saracéni autem
        partim se fugæ mandárunt, partim, qui murum ascénderant, capti óculis, præcípites
        cecidérunt. Ipsa dénique Virgo, cum in extrémis ágeret, a cándido beatárum Vírginum
        cœtu (inter quas una eminéntior ac fulgídior apparébat) visitáta, ac sacra Eucharístia
        sumpta, et peccatórum indulgéntia ab Innocéntio quarto ditáta, tértio Idus Augústi
        ánimam Deo réddidit. Post óbitum vero quam plúrimis miráculis resplendéntem, Alexánder
        quartus inter sanctas Vírgines rétulit.
      en: >-
        The noble maiden Clara was born at Assisi in Umbria. In imitation of her holy
        fellow-citizen Francis, she distributed all her goods among the poor and needy. She fled
        from the din of the world, and betook herself to the Church of St. Mary of the Angels in
        the fields, where blessed Francis cut her hair. She stoutly resisted the efforts of her
        family to make her come back, and after a while Francis took her to the Church of St.
        Damian, where the Lord gathered around her several companions. Thus she founded an holy
        Sisterhood, which, at the earnest entreaty of holy Francis, she governed. For two-and-forty
        years she directed her monastery with wonderful care and wisdom in the fear of the Lord
        and the full keeping of the Rule. Her own life was an instruction and teaching for the
        rest, whence others learnt to order their own.


        What she might wax stronger in spirit by keeping the body down, she made her bed on the
        bare ground, sometimes with little twigs, and with hard wood for a pillow. Her dress was
        a gown and cloak of mean and rough cloth, and she sometimes wore hair-cloth next the skin.
        She bridled herself with such abstinence, that for a long time she took no bodily
        nourishment whatever upon three days in the week. Upon the remaining days she ate so
        little that the others wondered how she lived. As long as her health allowed it, she kept
        two Lents every year, during which she fasted upon bread and water. Moreover, she was
        instant in watching and prayer, wherein she chiefly spent both her days and nights. She
        suffered from constant illnesses, and when she could not herself rise to bodily work, she
        sat up with the help of the sisters, and with her back propped, worked with her hands,
        that she might not be idle even in the midst of her weaknesses. She was an eminent lover
        of poverty, from which no need ever made her swerve, and she persistently refused the
        possessions which were offered to the sisters by Gregory IX. for their support.


        The power of her holy life shone forth in many and diverse miracles. She restored the use
        of speech to one of the sisters in her convent; for another she opened a deaf ear; she
        healed one sick with fever, one swollen with dropsy, one troubled with an hollow oozing
        ulcer, and others afflicted with diverse ailments. She cured a brother of the Order of
        Friars Minors of raging madness. Once when all the oil in the house was spent, she took
        the vessel and washed it, and it was found filled with oil by the goodness of God. She
        multiplied half a loaf till it was enough to satisfy fifty sisters. When the Saracens
        attacked Assisi, and were fain to break into Clare's monastery, she being sick, caused
        herself to be carried to the door, and likewise the vessel in which was held the Most
        Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, and there she prayed, saying: O Lord, deliver not unto
        beasts the souls of them that praise thee, but preserve thine handmaids whom Thou hast
        redeemed with thy Precious Blood. Whereupon a voice was heard which said: I will always
        preserve you. Some of the Saracens took to flight, and others who had mounted the wall
        became blind, and fell down headlong. When Clare herself was at the point of death she
        beheld a white multitude of blessed Virgins, with one among them nobler and brighter than
        the rest. Having received the Holy Eucharist, and a Plenary Indulgence from Innocent IV.,
        she resigned her soul to God upon the 12th day of August. After her death she became
        illustrious for very many miracles, and Alexander IV. enrolled her name among those of
        the Holy Virgins.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
