2.

a) Clare anchors her organization in the Life of St. Francis by following his teachings; she gave up her dowry to the poor and formed the first female Franciscan community. Though head of her monastery, she took on tasks such as caring for the sick sent to her. As Madigan notes: “she took on the most odious jobs within the monastery and cared for ill brothers sent her by Francis. She also received with great tenderness laypeople in Assisi who came to her either for corporal works of mercy, like aiding with their sick children, or spiritual ones, like petitions for prayer” (236). Clare’s principles outlined in her Testament state that she aspires to live a live in poverty and penance, detailing that the monastery should only ever have the bare necessities to keep running. She aims for this to follow the teachings of St. Francis.

b) The Poor Clares understand that their role is simply to live up to Clare’s teachings and follow them to the best of their abilities. However, they could never be equal with Clare because they were not given as high status by the pope. For instance, they were not granted “the privilege of poverty” (Madigan 237). In other words, the pope did not deem the “imitators” permission to adhere to the life envisioned by Francis as he did Clare and her community of Franciscan women. Clare left her Testament so that her fellow sisters would have guidelines to live lives at the monastery as close to the life of St. Francis, which is the main moral of the group.

c) Thomas’s principle objection to Christian Leaders (namely the pope) suspicions of Mendicants was that while higher clergy such as the pope stayed put in nice close and owning property, Mendicants went about in poverty to preach the word of god as to adhere to Jesus’s standard of living. He says that they should try to adhere to such a standard of living. The role of imitating Christ’s life is very important because it gets one closer to the lifestyle and devotion of God that was intended. The ideal mendicant monk I imagine would be wearing only a cheap robe. He would beg for his food and only take the absolute necessities. Besides begging, he would do his best to preach the gospel. This is preaching in its purest form.