St. Clare of Assisi by Eleanor Fortesque Brickdale – 3 sizes – Catholic Gift – Confirmation Gift

"St. Clare of Assisi" Eleanor Fortesque BrickdaleThis lovely watercolor of St. Clare shows her in her convent, tending her enclosed garden. She is watering a carnation, the symbol of obedience. The lilies around her represent purity. The Italian hills are behind her, furthering the cloister. You can feel in this picture the quiet and prayerful atmosphere of the convent, as well as Clare's own serene and beautiful spirit. When she was 16, Clare heard St. Francis of Assisi preach, and she decided at that moment she would devote her life to following God. She founded an order of Franciscan nuns. Like Francis's brothers, they lived by manual labor and prayer. They spoke very little. They owned nothing. They practiced what they called "joyous poverty" in imitation of the life of Christ. It was an austere life, but one of peace and beauty. She was friends with Francis until the end, tending to him in his last illness. Immensely popular and universally regarded for her holiness, she was canon