Francis’s literal reading of the Bible and personalized interpretations of revelation gave him a sense of responsibility to live out his call to the church in poverty and humility. Clare of Assisi was drawn in to this simple and sincere apostolic lifestyle that Francis modeled and preached, and formed her organization around his example. As women, Clare and her sisters faced opposition to choosing a life of poverty – it may have seemed too harsh a vocation for a woman to live a mendicant life, and at the least was socially unconventional. However, Clare notes that Francis and his friars were quite impressed with their devotion despite the frailness of their bodies. Clare’s testament was a direction for the women who would join them (known as the Poor Clares) to be committed to poverty, humility and penance; a commitment that echoed Francis’s appeal to live as pilgrims and strangers in the world, to be materially poor but rich in virtues, and his recognition of the power of penance to change a person.

The Poor Clares were devoted to the idea of imitation: as Francis had followed in the footsteps of Christ in holy poverty, so they would follow in the footsteps of Francis, and in doing so would continue to mark out the path of faithfulness for those who would follow them. This continuing in holy example was seen as a crucial responsibility for Clare, as it was how one must “increase the talent” (Geary, 475) that God had invested in them. Despite a tendency toward literal reading of the Bible, here Clare indicates an allegorical interpretation of Matthew 25 that the talent invested was not to be of gold, but rather in continuing a pattern of pure and devout living. In this way of humble detachment from possessions and in following an example to be an example, Clare believed the faithful could remain consistent and persevere.

While some of the Church leadership were critical of the impoverished lifestyle, regarding them as silly and superstitious, Thomas of Cantimpré defended it. In his defense, Thomas encouraged the mendicant monks by reminding them that Jesus too had begged for water, and that Paul had also been a wandering preacher dependent on the generosity of others. Again the theme of imitation is seen here as a way to bolster the listener to carry on faithfully, as well as critically compare the frivolity of comfortable, inactive and disengaged priests to the authentically apostolic life of the mendicant monk. Those who are regarded as “simple as doves” but “prudent as serpents” (Geary, 491) who were making a real difference in the world, despite the toll it took on them were hailed by Thomas as the ideal monk, supported by Mary the Mother of Christ rather than the false pillars of their own strength.