Fourth Letter of St. Clare to St. Agnes of Prague
1 To the other half of her soul, the treasury of her happy and heartfelt love, the renowned queen, spouse of the Lamb, the eternal King, the Lady Agnes, her dearest mother and the daughter chosen from among all others,
2 Clare, unworthy maidservant of Christ and unprofitable (cf. Lk 17:10) handmaid of His handmaids who live in the monastery of San Damiano in Assisi,
3 sends greetings and wishes that with all the holy virgins she may sing a new song before the throne of God and of the Lamb and follow Him wherever He goes (cf. Rev 14:3-4).
4 O mother and daughter, spouse of the King of all ages, do not be surprised that I have not written to you as often as both your soul and mine would wish;
5 do not think that the fire of sweet love for you has grown any weaker in the heart of your mother.
6 The obstacles were the well-known dangers of the roads and the lack of messengers.
7 Now, however, writing to you, spouse of Christ, I rejoice and share spiritual joy with you (cf. 1 Thess 1:6),
8 because, like that other holy virgin, St. Agnes, you have bidden farewell to all the vanities of the world and have been wedded to the spotless Lamb (1 Pet 1:19), who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29).
9 Happy indeed is the one to whom it is given to share in this holy banquet, so as to cling with all her heart to Him
10 whose beauty all the blessed hosts of heaven never cease to admire.
11 Love of Him enriches, gazing on Him refreshes, His goodness fills,
12 His sweetness gives fullness, the remembrance of Him gently enlightens,
13 His fragrance will raise the dead, and the glorious sight of Him will make all the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem happy,
14 for He is the brightness of eternal glory (Heb 1:3), the radiance of eternal light and a spotless mirror (Wis 7:26).
15 Look into this mirror every day, O queen, spouse of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Cor 11:2), and continually study your face in it,
16 so that you may adorn yourself entirely, within and without, and clothe yourself in many colours (Ps 45:10),
17 with the flowers and garments of all the virtues, as befits the daughter and dearest spouse of the most high King.
18 In this mirror shine blessed poverty, holy humility and inexpressible love, as you will be able to see, by the grace of God, throughout the whole mirror.
19 Look, I ask you, at the beginning of this mirror, that is, at the poverty of Him who was laid in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes (cf. Lk 2:12).
20 O wonderful humility, O astonishing poverty!
21 The King of angels, the Lord of heaven and earth (cf. Mt 11:25), laid in a manger!
22 In the middle of the mirror consider humility, and with it blessed poverty, the countless labours and torments He endured for the redemption of the human race.
23 At the end of this mirror contemplate the inexpressible love with which He chose to suffer on the tree of the cross and to die on it the most shameful of all deaths.
24 Therefore the mirror itself, hanging on the wood of the cross, urged those passing by to consider these things, saying:
25 All you who pass by the way, look and see if there is any sorrow like My sorrow (Lam 1:12);
26 let us answer Him who cries out and laments with one voice and one spirit, as He Himself says: I will remember this continually, and my soul will sigh within me (Lam 3:20).
27 May these considerations kindle in you an ever stronger fire of love, O queen of the heavenly King!
28 Consider also His inexpressible delights, riches and eternal glory,
29 and sigh with the overflowing longing and love of your heart; cry out:
30 Draw me after You, let us run in the fragrance of Your perfumes, heavenly Spouse (cf. Song 1:3)!
31 I will run and not grow weary, until You bring me into the banquet hall,
32 until Your left hand is under my head and Your right hand happily embraces me, and You kiss me with the most happy kiss of Your mouth (Song 2:4.6; 1:1).
33 In the midst of these considerations, remember your very poor mother;
34 know that you are the dearest of all to me, and that I have written the blessed memory of you for ever on the tablet of my heart (cf. Prov 3:3; 2 Cor 3:3).
35 What more shall I write to you? In my love for you let the tongue of the flesh be silent and the tongue of the spirit speak.
36 O blessed daughter, the tongue of the flesh can in no way fully express my love for you; it says only in part what I feel.
37 I ask you to receive these words kindly and simply, and to see in them at least the warm motherly love I feel every day for you and your daughters; and commend me and my daughters in Christ warmly to them.
38 My daughters, especially the prudent virgin Agnes, our sister in the Lord, commend themselves to you and your daughters as much as they can.
39 Farewell, dearest daughter, with your daughters, until we meet before the throne of the glory of the great God (cf. Titus 2:13); pray for us (cf. 1 Thess 5:25).
40 I commend to your love, as much as I can, our dearest brothers Amato, beloved of God and of people (Sir 45:1), and Bonaugura, who will bring you this letter. Amen.
Translated from the Polish edition of the writings of St. Clare.