Fourth Letter to Agnes of Prague
A Mother's Greeting to the Bride of the Lamb
Clare opens with a tender, exalted address to Agnes as queen and bride of the Lamb, explains the delay in writing, and rejoices in the Spirit with her beloved daughter.
To the soul who is my own half, and to the storehouse of heartfelt love, to the illustrious queen, bride of the Lamb, the eternal King, to Lady Agnes, my dearest mother and, among all others, my own special daughter,✦ Clare, an unworthy servant and useless handmaid of Christ's own handmaids living in the monastery of Saint Damian of Assisi, Greeting, and with the rest of the most holy virgins, to sing a new song before the throne of God and of the Lamb, and to follow the Lamb wherever he goes.✦✦ O mother and daughter, bride of the King of all the ages, even if I haven't written to you as often as your soul and mine alike desire and deeply long for, don't be surprised. And don't think for a moment that the fire of love for you burns any less tenderly in the heart of your mother. This is the hindrance: the failure of messengers and the obvious dangers of the roads. As I write to you with love, I rejoice with you and exult in the joy of the Spirit, O bride of Christ.
The Sacred Banquet of the Immaculate Lamb
Clare celebrates Agnes's betrothal to the immaculate Lamb and extols the beauty, affection, contemplation, kindness, sweetness, and life-giving vision of Christ, culminating in the image of the unstained mirror of eternal light.
Because, like another most holy virgin, Saint Agnes, you are wondrously betrothed to the immaculate Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world, having renounced all the vanities of this world.✦ How blessed, surely, is the one who is given a share in this sacred banquet, so as to cling to him with the deepest affections of the whole heart. whose beauty all the blessed hosts of heaven never stop marveling at, whose affection moves you, whose contemplation restores you, whose kindness fills you, whose sweetness fills you, whose memory shines so sweetly, By will come back to life, and whose glorious vision all the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem: since that light is the splendor of eternal glory, the brightness of eternal light, and a mirror without any stain.
Gazing into the Mirror: Poverty, Humility, and Love
Clare exhorts Agnes to gaze daily into the mirror of Christ, adorning herself with every virtue, where blessed poverty, holy humility, and ineffable love shine forth.
Look into this mirror every day, O queen, bride of Jesus Christ, and in it continually behold your own face, so that you may adorn yourself entirely, inside and out, with a garment woven through with every variety, Adorned alike with the flowers of all virtues and with fitting garments, as is proper, daughter and most dear bride of the highest King. In this mirror, though, blessed poverty, holy humility, and ineffable love shine forth—just as, through the whole mirror, you'll be able to contemplate them with the grace of God.
The Nativity: Wonderful Humility in the Manger
Clare draws Agnes to the beginning of the mirror: the poverty of the infant Christ laid in the manger, wrapped in swaddling cloths, marveling at the King of angels laid in a manger.
Pay attention to the beginning of this mirror: the poverty of the One placed — for indeed He was — in the manger, wrapped in swaddling cloths.✦ O wonderful humility, O astonishing poverty! The King of angels, the Lord of heaven and earth, is laid in a manger.
The Middle and End of the Mirror: Poverty, Suffering, and Love on the Cross
Clare guides Agnes to the middle of the mirror—Christ's poverty, labors, and sufferings—and to its end: the inexpressible love of the cross and the most shameful death, quoting the lament of Christ and the psalmist's response of longing.
In the center of the mirror, then, consider his humility, or at least his blessed poverty, the countless labors and the sufferings he endured for the redemption of the human race.1 Then, at the very end of this same mirror, contemplate the inexpressible love by which he chose to suffer on the wood of the cross and, on that same wood, to die the most shameful kind of death. That is why the mirror itself, set upon the wood of the cross, was calling to those who pass by here to stop and consider it, saying: O all you who pass along the way, pay attention and see if there is any pain like my pain.✦ Let us answer, he says, to the one crying out and wailing with a single voice, in a single spirit: 'In remembrance I will be mindful, and my soul will waste away within me.'✦
Kindled by Love: The Bride's Yearning Song
Clare urges Agnes to be ever more kindled by the burning love of the Bridegroom, to contemplate his delights and honors, and to cry out with the Song of Songs: 'Draw me after you,' running into the fragrance of his ointments until he brings her to the wine cellar and embraces her.
So let the fire of this love burn ever more fiercely within you, O queen of the heavenly King! And as you contemplate beyond that the unspeakable delights, riches, and everlasting honors of him, and sighing from an overwhelming desire and love in your heart, you cry out: Draw me after you; let us run into the fragrance of your ointments, heavenly Bridegroom!✦ I will run and not grow weak until you bring me into the wine cellar.✦ until your left hand rests under my head and your right hand embraces me in joy, you will kiss me with the most joyful kiss of your mouth.✦✦
Remembering a Mother's Heart
Clare asks Agnes to remember her poor little mother in contemplation, declares that she holds Agnes dearer than all else, and calls for the tongue of the spirit to speak where the tongue of flesh falls silent.
Placed in this contemplation, keep the memory of your poor little mother. Knowing that I have written your blessed memory inseparably on the tablets of my heart, holding you dearer than all else. What more is there to say? In your love, let the tongue of the flesh fall silent; this, it says, and let the tongue of the spirit speak.
The Tongue of the Spirit: A Letter Written Halfway
Clare acknowledges that her love for Agnes could never be fully expressed by the tongue of flesh, prays that Agnes receive the letter devoutly, and commends herself and her daughters to Agnes and hers with ardent maternal affection.
O blessed daughter, since the love I have for you could in no way be expressed more fully by the tongue of flesh, I have written this to you only halfway. I pray that you would kindly and devoutly receive them, paying attention at least to the maternal affection with which I am drawn toward you and your daughters with the ardor of love every day, and to them entrust me and my daughters in Christ most earnestly.2
Farewell and Commendation
Clare commends her daughters and Sister Agnes to Agnes and hers, bids farewell to the throne of God's glory, asks for prayers, commends the letter-bearers, and closes with 'Amen.'
My own daughters, and especially the most prudent virgin Agnes, our sister, commend themselves to you and to your daughters as much as they can in the Lord. Farewell, dearest daughter, along with your daughters, all the way to the throne of the glory of the great God, and pray for us. The bearers of this letter commend to your love, as best I can, our dearest brothers — Brother Amatus, beloved to God and to others, and Brother Bonaguram — through this present message. Amen.
Read the original Latin
Animae suae dimidiae et praecordialis amoris armariae singularis, illustri reginae, Agni Regis aeterni sponsae, dominae Agneti, matri suae carissimae ac filiae inter omnes alias speciali,
Clara, indigna Christi famula et ancilla inutilis ancillarum eius commorantium in monasterio Sancti Damiani de Assisio,
salutem et cum reliquis sanctissimis virginibus ante thronum Dei et Agni novum cantare canticum et quocumque ierit Agnum sequi.
O mater et filia, sponsa Regis omnium saeculorum, et si tibi non scripsi frequenter, prout anima tua et mea pariter desiderat et peroptat aliquatenus, non mireris
nec credas ullatenus incendium caritatis erga te minus ardere suaviter in visceribus matris tuae.
Hoc est impedimentum defectus nuntiorum et viarum pericula manifesta.
Nunc vero scribens caritati tuae, congaudeo et exsulto tibi in gaudio spiritus, sponsa Christi,
quia velut altera virgo sanctissima, sancta Agnes, Agno immaculato, qui tollit peccata mundi, es mirifice desponsata, sumptis omnibus vanitatibus huius mundi.
Felix certe cui hoc sacro datur potiri convivio, ut ei adhaereatur totis cordis praecordiis,
cuius pulchritudinem omnia beata caelorum agmina incessabiliter admirantur,
cuius affectus afficit, cuius contemplatio reficit, cuius implet benignitas,
cuius replet suavitas, cuius memoria lucescit suaviter,
cuius odore mortui reviviscent, cuiusque visio gloriosa beatificabit omnes cives supernae Ierusalem:
quae cum sit splendor aeternae gloriae, candor lucis aeternae et speculum sine macula.
Hoc speculum cottidie intuere, o regina, sponsa Iesu Christi, et in eo faciem tuam iugiter speculare,
ut sic totam interius et exterius te adornes amictam circumdatamque varietatibus,
omnium virtutum floribus et vestimentis pariter adornata sicut decet, filia et sponsa carissima summi Regis.
In hoc autem speculo refulget beata paupertas, sancta humilitas et ineffabilis caritas, sicut per totum speculum poteris cum Dei gratia contemplari.
Attende, inquam, principium huius speculi paupertatem positi siquidem in praesepio in in panniculis involuti.
O miranda humilitas, o stupenda paupertas!
Rex angelorum, Dominus caeli et terrae in praesepio reclinatur.
In medio autem speculi considera humiliatatem, saltem beatam paupertatem, labores innumeros ac poenalitates quas sustinuit pro redemptione humani generis.
In fine vero eiusdem speculi contemplare ineffabilem caritatem, qua pati voluit in crucis stipite et in eodem mori omni mortis genere turpiori.
Unde ipsum speculum, in ligno crucis positum, hic consideranda transeuntes monebat dicens:
O vos omnes qui transitis per viam, attendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus;
respondeamus, inquit, ei clamanti et eiulanti una voce, uno spiritu: Memoria memor ero et tabescet in me anima mea.
Huius igitur caritatis ardore accendaris iugiter fortius, o regina caelestis Regis!
Contemplans insuper indicibiles eius delicias, divitias, et honores perpetuos
et suspirando prae nimio cordis desiderio et amore proclames:
Trahe me post te, curremus in ordorem unguentorum tuorum, sponse caelestis!
Curram nec deficiam, donec introducas me in cellam vinariam,
donec laeva tua sit sub capite meo et dextera feliciter amplexabitur me, osculeris me felicissimo tui oris osculo.
In hac contemplatione posita, habeas memoriam pauperculae matris tuae,
sciens quod ego tuam felicem memoriam descripsi inseparabiliter in tabulis cordis mei, habens te prae omnibus cariorem.
Quid plura? Sileat iin dilectione tua lingua carnis; hoc inquit, et loquatur lingua spiritus.
O filia benedicta, quoniam dilectionem, quam ad te habeo, nullatenus posset exprimere plenius lingua carnis, hoc inquit quae semiplene scripsi.
Oro benigne ac devote suscipias attendens in eis saltem affectum maternum, quo circa te ac filias tuas caritatis ardore afficior omni die, quibus me ac filias meas in Christo plurimum recommenda.
Ipsae vero filiae meae, sed praecipue virgo prudentissima Agnes, soror nostra, se tibi et filiabus tuis, quantum possunt, in Domino recommendant.
Vale, carissima filia, cum filiabus tuis usque ad thronum gloriae magni Dei et optate pro nobis.
Latores praesentium carissimos nostros fratrem Amatum, dilectum Deo et hominibus, et fratrem Bonaguram caritati tuae quantum possum, praesentibus recommendo. Amen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Rev.19.7-Rev.19.9 — Let us rejoice and be glad and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Rev.19.8 — And it was granted to her that she be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Rev.19.9 — And he said to me, "Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."
- ↩Rev.14.4 — These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among mankind as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
- ↩Rev.5.9;Ps.149.1 — And they sing a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed for God people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.' Ps.149.1 — Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song; sing his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
- ↩John.1.29 — The next day he sees Jesus coming toward him and says, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
- ↩Luke.2.7 — And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
- ↩Lam.1.12 — Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the LORD inflicted on the day of his fierce anger.
- ↩Ps.41.5 — I said, "Lord, be gracious to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against you."
- ↩Song.1.3 — The fragrance of your oils is good; your name is poured oil; therefore young women love you.
- ↩Song.2.4 — He brought me to the house of wine, and his banner over me is love.
- ↩Song.2.6 — His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.
- ↩Song.8.3 — His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.
Notes
Four Letters of Saint Clare of Assisi to Saint Agnes of Prague companion
Keep reading with Clare, one portion a day
Chosen Portion serves you a short passage from Clare's letters and 77 other royal devotional texts every morning, free on iOS
Clare wrote Agnes short, re-readable counsel meant for daily return; Chosen Portion delivers those same letters as brief daily portions so the practice she prescribed continues on your phone
- A 3-5 minute reading each morning, sized for before-work prayer
- All four letters to Agnes in a modern readable translation, plus the full Sub Rosa archive
- Build a 7-day streak your first week with gentle daily reminders