Feast Day of St. Clare Of Assisi

Image of St. Clare and St. Francis, her mentor, in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, from Christus Rex.

Padre Mickey has a beautiful post on St. Clare of Assisi.

The Order of the Poor Clares, a contemplative and mendicant order, had a convent in New Orleans. I remember them going from door to door begging, as I was growing up.

UPDATE: I just now got around to reading from the Lectionary for the feast day, and I could not resist adding these beautiful words from the "Songs of Songs":

Song 2:10-13

My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.