Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (18: 21-19:1) in which Jesus tells the parable of the unmerciful servant, who when shown mercy by his master fails to show mercy to others. After reading the Gospel, Fr Paul shares a little about the life of St Clare whose memorial we celebrate today.Fr Paul notes Clare was born in 1193 or 1194 at Assisi and came under the influence of Saint Francis. She left home at the age of 18 and, under St Francis of Assisi’s guidance, began a community that grew to become the order of the Poor Clare’s. Clare’s sister and her widowed mother both became nuns of the order but at a later time. In its radical attachment to poverty the Rule of the order was much more severe than any other order of nuns. In 1215 Clare obtained from the Pope the privilege of owning nothing, so that the nuns of the order were to be sustained by donations and nothing else. Clare was a noted contemplative and a caring mother to her nuns. She died at Assisi in 1253.  So today, especially, Fr Paul invites us to pray ‘St Clare……Pray for us!’