11 August, Friday — When We Focus Only on God

Aug 11 – Memorial for St. Clare, virgin, religious founder

St. Clare (1194-1253) loved music and well-composed sermons. She was humble, merciful, charming, optimistic, and chivalrous. She would get up late at night to tuck in her sisters who’d kicked off their covers. She daily meditated on the Passion. When she learned of the Franciscan martyrs in Morrocco in 1221, she tried to go there to give her own life for God, but was restrained. Once, when her convent was about to be attacked, she displayed the Sacrament in a monstrace at the convent gates and prayed before it. The attackers left.

Toward the end of her life, when she was too ill to attend Mass, an image of the service would be displayed on the wall of her cell; thus her patronage of television.

• Patron Saint Index

Deu 4:32-40
Mt 16:24-28

“Understand this today, therefore, and take it to heart: the Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other.”

Today, as we celebrate the memorial to St Clare, I tried to put myself in St Clare’s shoes for the briefest of moments, to attempt to understand what was in her mind when she decided to live a life of poverty, free of possessions, to imitate the life of Christ. It was a bold move, one that I confess I would find hard-pressed to follow. Yet, there are those in present day who are willing to give it all up in the name of service to God, like Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity.

While I marvel at their bravery while questioning my own, I can understand to a certain extent where they come from. St Clare, in particular, who came from a wealthy and prominent family, felt that by emancipating herself from the world, she would achieve complete freedom to trust in God for everything. We are indeed shackled to this world by the lives that we create for ourselves. Our wants and needs, material and otherwise, cloud our ability to focus on God alone. The world we live in is becoming more complex and we are forced to move along with it.

As I grow older, I have found my needs changing. I long for a simpler life and I cherish simple joys — good company of a small circle of trusted and loved friends, quality time with my loved ones, the first sounds of a new day. Sadly, I hardly have time for any of these, let alone God. But if I have no time for God, would it follow that He should have no time for me too? If my focus is distracted when I discourse with Him, should I expect Him to listen to me when I need Him?

St Clare’s renunciation of all worldly possessions might be too radical for most of us, but perhaps there are small steps we could take to free ourselves from the chains of life that bind us. Acknowledging what it is in our lives that is distracting us and lifting it to God is a good starting point to recalibrate our focus on God. Cease turning our problems into a “god” by feeding it our time and energy, and fix our gaze on the one true God, our Father. It is when we have nothing that we have everything in Christ Jesus.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Annette Soo)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we never let our problems, addictions, wants, or needs be bigger than You. Help us give these up to You, that we may use our energy instead to praise You and depend on You. Thanksgiving: Dear Father, You have always been a generous and merciful giver of life. Indeed, if the flowers in the fields are so generously clothed, and the birds in the air are fed, what more Your children whom You love. Thank you, Lord, for always caring and providing for us.