Today is the birthday of St. Clare of Assisi, born 1194 into a wealthy family. Her parents tried to arrange a marriage when she was only 12, but she managed to put them off until she was 18. She liked listening to the radical Francis of Assisi preach the gospel, and one Palm Sunday night she ran away to give her vows. He cut her hair, dressed her in black and took her to a group of Benedictine nuns. The order became known as the "Poor Ladies." They spent their time in prayer and manual labor, and refused to own any property. The order eventually became known as the "Poor Clares."
St. Clare said: "There are many who live solely for the idolatry of their senses. There should be compensation. There should be someone who prays and makes sacrifices for those who do not do so. If this spiritual balance is not established, earth would be destroyed by the evil one."
In 1958, Pope Pius XII designated St. Clare as the patron saint of television, because on her death bed she was able to see and hear an image of the Mass on the wall of her room. Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare nun, founded the Eternal Word Television Network.
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