HOMILY ON THE FEAST OF BLESSED CHIARA
- Today’s young people often want to display “Instagram strength”—the number of likes and views they want to show others. But this is only an external strength.
- There is also an “inner power”—the internal strength of people, especially those who spend less time on social media and more time developing real skills and depth. Blessed Clare Bosatta is known for this inner power.
1. மென்மையான இதயம், சிங்கத்தின் வீரம்!
Who is truly strong? Today, we celebrate the feast of a young woman who was once rejected as “unfit” to enter a religious order. Yes, she was rejected from the first Canossian convent because she was considered weak.
In a world obsessed with physical fitness and “muscle” energy, Blessed Clare Bosatta reminds us that a lean body can hold a giant spirit. It is not the body you train, but how you train the soul to meet God and serve the poor. Don Guanella believed that உடல் பலத்தை விட மன பலமே பெரிது—inner strength is greater than physical strength. What truly makes a person beautiful is the strength of the mind and heart.
When Don Guanella learned that Sister Chiara had resolved a difficult situation before the judge of Dongo regarding rumors about the Pianello Lario Hospice, he admired Clare and said, “How much honesty in that little soul!” He felt that Clare had a gentle heart with the bravery of a lion. That was her strength.
Our value is not defined by our “fitness” in the eyes of people, but by our faithfulness in the eyes of God. Don Guanella looked at Sister Chiara with admiration and saw a mysterious soul like a “dove,” yet also like an “eagle”: gentle, yet capable of soaring to great heights. Today, we care so much about physical health, but often ignore or criticize inner health. Yet this inner strength is the true power seen in most of the saints.
2. முழுமையான அர்ப்பணிப்பு – Surrendering to God is the real victory!
Chiara’s greatest strength was not her own plan, but her radical obedience. She desired a quiet, hidden life, yet she was sent to the busy mission in Dongo. She cried, she struggled, but she said “Yes.”
Wherever Don Guanella sent her, she gave her whole heart, even in suffering. We live in a world that says: “my life, my choice, my privacy.” But Chiara shows that true freedom is found in the sacrifice of the heart. When she stopped resisting God’s will, her soul caught fire. God does not need your ability; He needs your availability.
Even while dying of a contagious disease, Clare’s focus remained on others. She memorized the names of the poor and the children, refusing to let others serve her.
She proved that you do not need muscles to carry another’s burden—you only need a heart, and that heart must be given fully to God.
3. Prayer and Sacrifice
Another essential quality that Don Guanella saw shining in Sister Chiara and in all his first sisters was constant prayer, with complete trust in Divine Providence.
Don Guanella once asked, “What are these daughters doing?” And he answered, “They pray.” Sister Chiara animated this spirit of prayer from morning to evening for the sake of the Institutes. The house itself became a place of continuous prayer.
Don Guanella personally experienced the power of this prayer. For example, he attributed the successful purchase of land for his first house in Como to their prayers. Chiara lived a profound “mystical suffering” that even Don Guanella found difficult to guide. She did not seek comfort at any cost; she sought God at any cost.
Dear brothers and sisters, today, we run away from pain. But Chiara moved toward suffering because she saw the face of Christ in it. She shows us that a simple smile and a kind word can become the greatest miracles of a holy soul.
Feast of Blessed Clare, Manila, April 20, 2023
The Lion-Hearted Soul
1. The Mystery of the Call (Ang Misteryo ng Pagtawag)
Sister Chiara received an extraordinary grace, but holiness is always a collaboration. God traces the path, but it is up to us how we respond. Her life was short—only a few years (28) —but she gave her life and soul completely before the "branches" could even fully grow.
Vocation is often a surprise. Sometimes we think we know where we are going, but God continuously calls in mysterious ways. Minsan akala natin sarado na ang pinto, pero may binubuksan palang bago ang Diyos. (Sometimes we think the door is closed, but God is actually opening a new one.)
The Hour of Mercy: For Guanella, it took around twenty years after his priesthood to arrive at the hour of mercy. For Clare, the whole life she waited. From age 13, she sought consecrated life. The Canossians said "No" due to her health and withdrawn personality.
The Shift: We join religious life with many motivations, but we must orient them toward only one person: God. Vocation is not about our rules or our comfort; it is about recognizing the Divine Call as it is gradually revealed.
2. Who is Truly Strong? (Sino ang Tunay na Malakas?)
- In our community of Servants and Daughters of St. Mary of Providence, we often look at physical size/strength. A superior told me if you want to be a missionary, you should have a perfect body.
- Clare was known for her physical frailty. She was rejected because she was "unfit." It is hard to accept refusal. The natural human response is to say, "No, I will prove I am fit! We want to take it a challenge to perform better next time.
But Clare did not fight with her fists; she fought with her spirit. Ang bawat buhay, kahit ang pinakamahina, ay isang regalo. (Every life, even the weakest, is a gift.) Don Guanella saw this "delicacy of soul" and realized that while her body was thin, her soul was like a lion.
3. Spiritual Health Over Physical Power
A healthy body does not always keep a healthy soul. Clare focused on spiritual health, creating a vibrant soul that no one could harm or destroy.
Suffering as Charity: She lived her sickness with transparency. Even with a contagious disease, she refused to be served. Instead, she served others through her concern, remembering the names of every child and beneficiary in Como.
Strength in "I Cannot": In the 19th century, submission was expected, but Clare took it to a divine level. To say "Hindi ko alam" (I don't know) or "Hindi ko kaya" (I am not able) is not a sign of failure. It is the highest form of humility—the Fiat of Mary.
4. The Angelic Soul: The Crystal Soul
Don Guanella compared her to the great mystics like St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. Why? Because she was like water—clear and transparent. Walang bahid ng pride. (Not a single drop of pride, said Guanella, his spiritual director)
A soul agitated by pride goes astray, but a transparent soul like Clare’s allows the light of God to pass through perfectly. She proved that you do not need a "macho" body to carry the heavy cross of Christ; you only need a soul that is willing to say "Yes."
Homily, DSMP Manila, March 20, 2022
Ang Tunay na Lakas: The Strong Soul of Blessed Clare Bosatta
Sino ang mas malakas dito? Who is stronger? We often focus on those who develop their physical frame—the "macho" or the "pogi." We tend to assume that thin people are soft, weak, or sick. But physical strength is tangible; you see it grow with proper training. Willpower is invisible, yet it governs everything. Mas madaling palakasin ang katawan kaysa sa kalooban. (It is easier to strengthen the body than the will.) A good soul may lead to a healthy body, but a healthy body does not always guarantee a healthy soul.
1. Weakness as a Gift (Ang Kahinaan bilang Biyaya)
Blessed Clare Bosatta was defined by physical fragility. After eight years with the Canossian sisters, she was rejected. They told her she was unfit for religious life because of her withdrawn personality and weak health. The Temptation of Pride: Most would react with anger to prove they are "fit." But Clare did not do like that. She understood that every life, no matter how humble or weak, is a gift. Don Guanella described her as having a "delicacy of soul," yet possessing the "strength of a lion." Strength is not about being "fit" in the eyes of the world; it is about a vibrant spirit that no rejection can destroy.
2. Prayer as the Life-Force (Panalanging Walang Patid)
Don Guanella noted that Sister Chiara was the "life" of the house because of her prayer.
Trust in the Providence: Her prayer wasn't just words; it was the engine that allowed Don Guanella to perform miracles, like acquiring the first house in Como.
For Clare, obedience was simply prayer in action. She learned the meaning of sacrifice not through grand gestures, but through the daily "yes" to God’s grace.
3. The Mandate to Pray and Suffer (Ang Misteryo ng Paghihirap)
In the Guanellian charism, prayer and suffering are inseparable from charity. Without them, our work becomes mere social activity.
Service in Sickness: Even when her body was failing, Clare refused to be served. Kahit mahina ang katawan, nag-uumapaw ang kanyang pagmamahal. (Even if the body is weak, her love overflows.)
Compassion in Isolation: When she had a contagious disease, she wanted others not to enter her room - not out of fear, but to protect the community. She remained focused on the names of the poor and the children, even in her agony.
4. Transparency and the "Fiat" (Katapatan at Pagpapakumbaba)
Clare was like crystal—pure and transparent. Her strength lay in her ability to be humble. She had the Power to say to God and men "I Don't Know": To say "I am not able" or "I do not know" is not weakness (many times we think it is a shame); it is the highest form of humility. We need the courage to say the truth about oneself.
Reflection for the faithful: Do not fear your physical limitations/inabilities/ the rejections of the world. Like Blessed Clare, remember that ang biyaya ng Diyos ay sapat sa iyong kahinaan. (God's grace is sufficient in your weakness.) Are you training your body more than your soul? Seek the "delicacy" of Clare, which is the only strength that can move mountains.
