Sister Doreen’s Reflections
A sharing of one of my favorite Canticles attributed to St Clare of Assisi.
Some years ago, we were introduced by Brother Robert of the Society of St. Frances to the beautiful Canticle of Clare. It became a very frequent source of song and meditation for me and I have a copy of it framed in my room. She was a close follower of St. Frances of Assisi and founder of an Order for Women called “The Poor Clare’s”.
I was sitting amongst the lilac trees and the Iris’ here at the Convent, surrounded by loveliness and sweet perfume from the flowers. The words of her Canticle were floating through my prayer time, so I thought, when her feast day comes up on August 11th. Share this with others, they too might find something in it to ponder, a way into a time of quiet prayer.
CANTICLE OF CLARE
Place your mind in the mirror of eternity, place your soul in the splendour of glory,
place your heart in the icon of the substance divine,
contemplating, be transformed into the image of the Godhead itself.
Taste and know the hidden sweetness of God,
for all time existing to be found by those who love.
The sacred banquet which all may share, if they dare.
ll it costs is everything, a heart open, longing, trusting, giving.
Place your mind in the mirror of eternity, place your soul in the splendour of glory,
place your heart in the icon of the substance divine,
contemplating, be transformed into the image of the Godhead itself.
Taste and know the hidden sweetness of God,
whose beauty is endless and whose love inflames our love,
whose contemplation refreshes us, brings us joy.
All our being overflows with You, O Most Holy fragrant Lover.
Place your mind in the mirror of eternity, place your soul in the splendour of glory,
place your heart in the icon of the substance divine,
contemplating, be transformed into the image of the Godhead itself.
There are words or phrases that stand out as mantras for me, that have enriched my own prayer life:
- Place your mind in the mirror of eternity.
- Place your soul in the splendor of glory.
- Place your heart in the [heart of God]
- The hidden sweetness of God
- All it costs is everything.
- A heart open, longing, trusting, giving.
- Endless beauty
- Love that inflames my love
- Looking at God and letting God look at me refreshes me and brings me joy.
Each of these have been channels or roadways in a sense down which I have travelled at one time or
another, all seeming to call out to me, one at a time depending on my own life experiences or circumstances at the time – begging me to travel down them to find the gift that God holds out for me.
I think that we all long for a deeper relationship with ourselves, with others and with God; to taste and to know the hidden sweetness of God, indeed, to be transformed into the image of the Godhead itself! Perhaps, like myself, this hymn reflection / prayer reflection of St Clare may put us into a more open pondering God’s invitation to stop, look and listen for God in the here and now, in the little things in our lives, and to realize that they have the makings of a banquet!
We have a possibility for splendor, a hidden treasure of splendor that is waiting for us to uncover and taste! What do we do with the ache in our hearts? How do we feed it? This canticle of Clare gives me clues – it is as if God is saying “come to me, just be with me. Trust your experience. Faithfulness to the ache … all it costs is everything! A heart open, longing, trusting, giving – a dwelling place for God.
