The Franciscan Clarean Contemplative Activist

The Franciscan Clarean Contemplative Activist

In a world addicted to noise, speed, and power, the Franciscan Clarean contemplative activist stands still long enough to hear the heartbeat of God pulsing through creation. We refuse the false choice between prayer and protest — we do both. Our silence is not escape; it’s strategy. Our contemplation fuels our compassion, and our compassion drives us into the streets.

Contemplation as Resistance

Saint Francis and Saint Clare didn’t withdraw from the world — they withdrew from empire. Their solitude was rebellion. Their poverty was protest. Their prayers were a declaration that Caesar is not Lord, and love cannot be monetized. As Franciscan Clareans, we carry that same fire. When we kneel in quiet prayer, we are disarming the principalities. When we meditate on peace, we are sabotaging systems of greed and domination.

Activism as Prayer

Every act of mercy — feeding the hungry, tending the wounded, advocating for the marginalized — is itself a form of liturgy. We see Christ in the unhoused, the trans youth, the refugee, the addict. Our protests become processions. Our signs become psalms. Our work for justice is incense rising before the Divine.

As Franciscan Clareans, we embody “prayer with dirty hands.” We garden, march, write, heal, and organize — but never apart from that contemplative center that reminds us why we act.

The Rhythm of the Movement

The Franciscan Clarean rhythm is simple but radical:

Silence before speaking truth.

Listening before leading.

Grounding before giving.

Community before consumption.

This rhythm shapes a new kind of religious life — one that refuses to choose between the monastery and the movement. We are both monks and mischief-makers, mystics and medics, healers and holy troublemakers.

Living the Vision

To live as a contemplative activist is to hold paradox in our hands. We are gentle yet bold, peaceful yet persistent, humble yet revolutionary. We stand where Francis stood — with the poor, the forgotten, and the earth itself — crying out: “Peace and all good, but justice too!”

So we pray with our feet, our hands, our breath, and our hearts.
We love fiercely.
We act boldly.
We contemplate deeply.

And in all of it, we remember:

“Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use megaphones and marching shoes.”