What does it take to become a saint? Sister Clare’s life gives us some clues. I first heard of Sister Clare Crockett while traveling throughout Germany, promoting my religious congregation, the Legionaries of Christ. I heard about a young Irish woman who beamed with the joy and love of Christ that was welling inside her. The idea of meeting her was always an intriguing invitation, but I never quite got the chance.
Beginning the Journey towards Sainthood
This past November, she was declared a “Servant of God.” This is the first step towards being declared a saint in the Catholic Church. The news made me think about the profound impact she had on so many of my friends in Germany. What had she done in her life to be considered saintly? She passed away in an earthquake in Ecuador in 2017. What made her so special and why did God take her so young?
Sister Clare would tell the story of her vocation beginning with the story of a hypnotist and a leprechaun. When growing up in Derry, Northern Ireland, she went with her friends to see the show of a famous hypnotist. He played into some dynamics with the crowds and Clare faked her way onto the stage. At no point was she really hypnotized, but she enjoyed playing along and getting cheered on by the crowd. As a reward for participating, the hypnotist gave Clare an invisible leprechaun. She could keep the leprechaun until noon the next day. She did a great job hamming it up, to the point that those around her believed she really was seeing a leprechaun accompanying her throughout the day.
Just Playing Along
Years later, remembering the incident, Clare remarked about how much fun it had been to act like she had been hypnotized and that she really thought she was carrying around a leprechaun. Those around her were shocked, as they had been convinced of the reality of what was happening. Clare assured them that she had only been playing. When she received her call to religious life, she would remark that it was easier for people to believe that she had been leading a leprechaun around for an entire day than to believe that she had been called by God to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
The evangelical counsels, as well as a life dedicated to the Gospel, seem out of touch with the world today. Clare Crockett as a religious seemed equally removed from the fun and vivacious life that people would have expected for her. Yet, no one could doubt the joy of Sister Clare. Her life was a testament to the reality of the Beatitudes that we hear about in today’s Gospel (Lk. 6:17; 20-26).
Moses and the Law
Moses received the Law from God on Mount Sinai. Carrying the tablets of the Law, Moses was a witness to the covenant that God established with his people Israel. Since then, Moses was always revered as the great Lawgiver. After leading the people of Israel out of the slavery imposed on them in Egypt, it was his great honor to preside over the people as they re-learned how to worship God correctly.
The Beatitudes that Jesus proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount could be seen as the corresponding Law of the New Testament. They seem to be even more challenging, though. They invite us to embrace the suffering of this world and promise happiness in this life and (very especially) in the next. When the promises of the Beatitudes seem hard to believe, this is where the saints and holy men and women come in.
Happiness and Beatitude
Sister Clare Crockett lived as the Beatitudes command, and she was profoundly happy. She did not place her happiness in the things of this world, like the girls in the television series based in her hometown. Rather, she knew that by following Christ, she would be immensely happy. People saw the moments that she shared with the crowds, but how much more important were the moments lost in silent intimacy with Christ? A religious is not primarily called to the mission of saving souls and serving the poor but rather follows the call to imitate Christ more perfectly and follow him faithfully day in and day out.
When one of her cousins saw her after several years of religious life, she remarked, “Clare, I knew you before you became a nun, and now that I see you, I can only say that you are crazy or that God really exists.” This exemplifies one of the great benefits of religious life and a life spent living out the Beatitudes. We long for authenticity. That is why we are so fascinated when we get to know the saints. These are the men and women who have lived the Gospel message faithfully. What would happen if you lived the Beatitudes seriously? How would you change?
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