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The Clare Method
This spiritual practice is based on a quote from Clare of Assisi and you can use this method to internalize any sage such as the Buddha, Krishna, Socrates, etc.. In her case, she chose Jesus Christ who she refers to as her “Spouse”.
“Most noble queen, look upon, consider, contemplate and desire to imitate your Spouse, ‘beautiful beyond the sons of men’ (Ps. 44:3), who, for your salvation, was made the vilest of men, despised, beaten and scourged in many ways over his whole body, dying in the midst of the agonies of the cross.”
Here she describes a fourfold program which I call the Clare Method.
- Gaze upon
- Consider
- Contemplate
- Desire to imitate
It is recommended to get a picture or icon of your chosen sage and place it on an altar where you meditate. Take a seat and spend a few minutes just gazing upon it. Then, spend a few minutes and continue to look while thinking about them and their qualities that you admire and want to internalize. Then, close your eyes and contemplate them with the desire to imitate them.