Disappointlingly Freaky
Big Son's essay on saints got me thinking.
Several decades ago, everyone in my 8th grade catechism class had to pick a saint for confirmation, and I chose St. Clare of Assisi.
At first I was leaning toward Joan of Arc, because I really loved the idea of a teenage girl leading grown men into battle -- I mean, you have to admit, that sounds pretty cool (though the burned-at-the-stake part....not so much).
But then when I read up on Joan, I found out all that stuff about her hearing voices, and....oh, I don't know, it just seemed too freaky. I didn't want to pick any mystical, voice-hearing saint.
So I went in search of a more down-to-earth saint, and came up with St. Clare.
The born-wealthy Clare cast aside her rich dress, cut off her hair, put on a rough tunic and a thick veil, and devoted her life to following St. Francis (not coincidentally, the saint chosen by a guy I liked at the time). She founded an order dedicated to prayer and manual labor -- perfectly down to earth. Wow, I really liked that.
I haven't thought about St. Clare in a long time, and I was recently surprised to learn that she is the patron saint of television.
WTF??? So I Googled around and I found this site, with this explanation:
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In 1958, Pope Pius XII named St. Clare patron of television. He based his decision on the testimony of one of the witnesses in Clare's canonization proceedings.
One Christmas Eve, Clare was so ill she could not leave her bed to attend Midnight Mass. After all the nuns had left for the chapel, Clare sighed and said, "Look, Lord God, I have been left here alone with you." At that moment, she had a vision of the Mass. Not only could she see what was happening in the distant church, but she could also hear the organ music and the singing as clearly as if she were present.
Pope Pius interpreted this miracle as the first live broadcast.
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Um....that is really freaky. And NOT in a good way.
I would probably not have picked a saint who heard live broadcasts in her head, you know?
And then Clare's Wikipedia entry yielded this gem:
Although her body is no longer incorrupt, her skeleton was found to be in a perfect state of preservation and is displayed in Assisi.
Ew --is that gross, or what?
Several decades ago, everyone in my 8th grade catechism class had to pick a saint for confirmation, and I chose St. Clare of Assisi.
At first I was leaning toward Joan of Arc, because I really loved the idea of a teenage girl leading grown men into battle -- I mean, you have to admit, that sounds pretty cool (though the burned-at-the-stake part....not so much).
But then when I read up on Joan, I found out all that stuff about her hearing voices, and....oh, I don't know, it just seemed too freaky. I didn't want to pick any mystical, voice-hearing saint.
So I went in search of a more down-to-earth saint, and came up with St. Clare.
The born-wealthy Clare cast aside her rich dress, cut off her hair, put on a rough tunic and a thick veil, and devoted her life to following St. Francis (not coincidentally, the saint chosen by a guy I liked at the time). She founded an order dedicated to prayer and manual labor -- perfectly down to earth. Wow, I really liked that.
I haven't thought about St. Clare in a long time, and I was recently surprised to learn that she is the patron saint of television.
WTF??? So I Googled around and I found this site, with this explanation:
--------------------------------------------------------------
In 1958, Pope Pius XII named St. Clare patron of television. He based his decision on the testimony of one of the witnesses in Clare's canonization proceedings.
One Christmas Eve, Clare was so ill she could not leave her bed to attend Midnight Mass. After all the nuns had left for the chapel, Clare sighed and said, "Look, Lord God, I have been left here alone with you." At that moment, she had a vision of the Mass. Not only could she see what was happening in the distant church, but she could also hear the organ music and the singing as clearly as if she were present.
Pope Pius interpreted this miracle as the first live broadcast.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Um....that is really freaky. And NOT in a good way.
I would probably not have picked a saint who heard live broadcasts in her head, you know?
And then Clare's Wikipedia entry yielded this gem:
Although her body is no longer incorrupt, her skeleton was found to be in a perfect state of preservation and is displayed in Assisi.
Ew --is that gross, or what?
posted by L. at 3:20 PM
3 Comments:
whadda ya mean relics are cool? i love the sliver of heart at Notre Dame in Montreal and grieve that we have nothing to goul up the church here for my kids.
I'd heard of the Poor Clares but never heard these stories before.
Hello,
I really enjoy your blog.
I was wondering if you had heard of www.dadlabs.com.
It's a really fun and informative video podcast dealing with all sorts of parenting issues.
You should check it out if you get a chance.
We need all the help we can get right?
Keep up the great work!
J
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