Spaces for Silence

Mother Mary Francis has an extraordinarily honest view of reality, a reality illuminated by faith, irradiated with joy. She understands that the world for which the Poor Clares pray through the night and day is one in which in­ternational and national stresses, cold wars, burning hates, false ideologies, poverty, speed, automation and gross ad­vertising fragmentize the order and peace that man was made for. She does not sentimentalize monastic life either. The unfinished enclosure fence "ends like a hiccough"; the nose is red, the feet are blue with cold. She is a realist because she knows that God is the only Reality, and she looks at warts and broken water pipes with the sure aware­ness that God Incarnate looked at the reality of His world with absolute honesty. To accept reality in this way one must see it illumi­nated by faith. Mother Mary Francis writes as a person who believes what God has said because He said it. He said: "I am the Way." She tells about following Him. He said: "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me." She tells about discipline and penance accepted with gladness because Christ chose suffering as an expression of love. He said: "Do not be afraid, little flock...." She tells of trust and unwavering confidence in the providence of God. He said: "These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you. ...She tells us the secret of joy.