SERMONS ON SAINT CLARE The first sermon preached on St. Clare was delivered at her funeral by Cardinal Rainaldo.

The text has been lost, we know only the theme: "Vanity of Vanities and all is vanity." There are about 110 medieval sermons on Clare of Assisi throughout the world still in existence. At least 30 are anonymous. The following are some of those we have in their entirety and with certain authorship. Manuscripts of Sermons on St. Clare:

St. Antonii Bibliotheca, Patavina. Ms. codex 490, f. 127v. De S. Clara Virg. Seraph. Ad laudem Virginis Clarae...Vox delicti mei pulsantis: Aperi mihi...(Cant.5.) Sicut enim dicit beatus Bernadus, tanta est miseria et Fragilitas hujus vitae...Albertus de Verona. [13th century.] Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan. Codex Amb. O. 28 Sup. In S. Clara. Sicut meridiana lux Clara est, ut legimus de beata Clara, quod cum mater eipsius, nomine Ortulana.... Cesari, Franca. "I sermoni fonti di nuova luce alla spiritualit di santa Chiara." Chiara d'Assisi 3 (1955): 21-5. [Concerning an annonymous 14th. century sermon. Biblioteca Casanatense, Rome. Ms. 14, c. 66r. e. v. Sicut lux meridiana Clara est. Secundum quod dicunt Sapientes et verum est... Ms. 333, c. 145r. e. v. Hortus conclusus soror mea sponsa... Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria, Turin. Pamplona Cat. 45, 32v. Cubiculum secretum sibi fecit....64v. Si vidi solem cum fulgerit.... 122r. Sicut lux meridiana Clara est secundum Philosophum... Bibliothque Municipale, Troyes. Ms. 759, f. 85-87. Duplicate ms. 1829, f. 52r.-v. Sicut meridiana lux Clara est. Miro fulgore radiat quem peccatorem... Sigerus de Courtray (Singerus Cordigerus). [14th. century.] Bibliothque Nationale, Paris.

Ms. 14595, f. 133-133v. Ducam eam in solitudinem. Circa...clarum duo notant...Stella a stella defferr...clari eterna. Joannes Fidanza Bagnorea (?). [c. 13th. century.] S. Bonaventurae Seraphici Ecclesiae Doctoris ...Sermones in Laudem S. Francisci Assisiensis, S. Antonii Patavini et S. Clarae Virg. Ed. Presbyteri Patavini M.A.L.. Patavina: Typis Seminarii, 1882: 97-100. [Codex 490] (?) Ms. lat. 2134. Mulier fugit in solitudunem. Quando in aliqua terra est karistia seu fames...Joannes de Aragon. [1321.] Ms. Lat. 2134. Relinquite civitates et habitate in petra. A propheta in verbis propositis...Joannes de Aragon. [1321. Another ms. at Valencis, Cathedral 182.] Ms. lat. 2134. Scit omnis populus qui habitat intra portas. Tria describuntur sexus fragilitas: Mulierem....Joannes de Aragon. [1321.] Ms. lat. 2134. Mulier fugit in solitudinem. Tria describuntur in beata Clara: dignitas, sinceritas, felicitas...Joannes de Aragon. [1321.] Ms. lat. 3302, f. 48v.-49v. In festo b. Clare que fuit prima mater et fundatrix Ordinis Minorissarum. Sicut meridiana lux...(Is. XVIII,4) Pro ingressu ad sermonem advertendum... Sicut...Nihil in Vitis inveni....[14th. century.] Ms. lat. 3735, f. 112v.-114v. Sancte Clare. Sicut lux meridiana sunt Ysaie....[14th. century.] Biblioteca Universitaria, Pavia. Ms. 63, f. 41r. Alia claritas lunae...Nam primo commendatur eius propria sanctatis... Ms. 63, f. 108r. Sicut lux meridiana Clara est...in horreum caeleste reponentur, sicut dicitur.... Cornell University. Codex B. 17, f. 82v.-83v. Homelarium Quadragesimale. De S. Clara. [A codex once belonging to the Carthusians of Erfurt. Too fragile to copy.] sterreichische Nationalbibliothek, Wein.

Ms. Codex 1347, f. 158v.-159r. Macula non est in te. Hoc verbum Dominus convenienter...Conradus de Saxonia. [13th. century.] Ms. Codex 1347, f. 188v.-190r. O quam pulchra est. Verba ista conveniunt beatae Clarae...Conradus de Saxonia. [13th. century.] Ms. Codex 1654, f. 132r.-133r. Praeclarior erat universae terrae Israel. Dicit apostolus.... Gr(a)eculus. Sacro Convento, Assisi. Ms. 258, f. 131b. Gracia mulieres sedule delectabit...Scriptura sacra in diversis locis exprimit....D. Bertrand de Turre, Card. [ c. 18th. century.] Ms. 258, f. 135a. Sicut sol oriens mundo...Admirabilis femina clara, clara orta natalibus clarissimi patris scil. b. francisci.... Ms. 434, f. 32v. In festo s. Clare Ass(isii).... Ms. 434, f.39v.In festo s. Clare.... [1393 Philippitii-Tuderti -1397.] Ms. codex 460, f. 44r.-46r. O quam pulchra est casta generatio cum claritate. Primiceria pauperum Dominarum, Clara, virgo clarissima....Matthaeus ab Aquasparta. [13th. century.] Ms. codex 461, f. 171r.-172r. Sicut meridiana lux clara est. Beatae virginis Clarae, cuius perfecto claruit in diebus istis novissimis...Matthaeus ab Aquasparta. [13th. century.] Simoncioli, P.F. "Rilievi sui sermoni inediti di Matteo d'Acquasparta dedicati a San Francesco, a S. Antonio e a Santa Chiara." Codex 461. Studi Francescani 3-4 (1959): 148-72. Gal, Gideon, O.F.M., ed. Matthaei ab Aquasparta, O.F.M. Sermones de S. Francesco, de S. Antonio et de S. Clara, 1280. Codex 461. Florence: Quaracchi, 1962: 148-176. Murray, Campion, O.F.M. English translation: Two Sermons by Matthew of Aquasparta on Saint Clare. Also, a sermon on Saint Anthony and Saint Clare. Australian Friars Web site. "Omaggio delle sorelle clarisse. Due discorso di Matteo d'Acquasparta su s. Chiara." Vita Minorum 51 (1980): 135-52. Codex 461.

Ms. 463, f. 33c. De S. Clara virgine. Quiescam et considerabo...Quoniam clara memorie clara.... [c.19th. century.] Ms. 463, f. 34b. Sicut sol oriens...Quoniam beata clara... Ms. 466, f. 84c. In s. Clara virg. Ego flos campi...Inter alia duo.... Ms. 474, f. 102r. In festo s. clare virginis. Sicut sol oriens...quoniam b. clara.... [c. 14th. century.] Ms. 499, f. 36v. In festo s. Clare. [c. 14th. century.] Ms. 505, f. 28v. In festo s. Clare. Sicut meridiana lux...Quantum ad intellectum.... Jacobus Albus de Assisio. [1355-1363.] Ms. 528, f. 163r. In s. Clara vel...Una mulier fecit de confusionem...Regula est quod viris scientie deficientibus.... [c. 14th. century.] Ms. 540, f. 172. In festo sor clara. Audi filia... Ms. 565 f. 103c. In festo s. clara. Stella differt de stella...Fr. Joannes Ioli. [c. 14th. century.] Ms. 565, f. 185r. In festo s. Clare Virginis. Sicut lux meridiana...Rerum ordo nos instruit.... Ms. 649, f. 70v. In s. Clara. Scribe. Ascendit! Civitatem sanctam ierusalem descendentam...Cum opus aggreditur arduum.... [c.14th. century.] Ms. 675, f.99r. De. b. Clara (in margin) Quasi rosae plantae...In verbis propositis metaphorice intellectus.... Nicolai de Gorran. Ms. 679, f. 141-142. Pro S. Clara de Assisio. Clara est et numquam marcesit.... Magestri Francisci Maironis, de ord. min. [13th. century.] Uppsala Universittsbibliotek. Ms. Codex 371, f. 198-201. Venit sponsus. (Matt. 25:10) Una ex his virginibus quae paratae erunt...quae avertere dignetur... Bertholdus de Ratisbona. Ms. codex 371, f. 198-201. Venit sponsus. (Matt. 25:10) nota supra in praecedenti sermone...Surge, propera amica mea...coronaberis. Quam coronam....

Ms. Codex 411, f. 49. Benedicta es tu filia a Domino...Clara. [c. 14th. century.] Universittsbibliothek Basel, Switzerland. Ms. B. IX, 31, f. 7r.-8v. Sicut lux meridiana. Sicut dicitur in commentario in divinam imaginem transformabuntur. Englebertus de Colonia. Universittsbibliothek Erlangen, Nrnberg. Ms. 291, f. 171v.-172v. Recordatus sum tui miserans...Verba ista sunt videntur Domini...Guilbertus de Tornaco. [13th. century.] Ms. 321, f. 260v.-263r. Hortus conclusus sicut sensibili experencia edocemur.... Universittsbibliothek Graz, Austria. Ms. 1578, f. 83r.+ v. Lux in tenebris lucet. Praeclarum Clarae meritum.... Ms. 176, f. 87r.- 88r. Ora pro nobis, quoniam tu mulier sancta es. Judith. Consuetudo diffidentium de propriis, cum aliquod habent.... Ms. 176, f. 102v.-105v. Dedi te in lucem ut sis salus mea. Quia Deo nihil dilectius est quam anima.... Vatican Library, Rome. Ms. Borghes 80, f. 154v. Ecce ego Lactabo eam...Istud verbum potest esse.... (pseudo) Thomas de Aquino. Ms. Borghes 80, f. 159v. Clara est numquam marcescit sapiencia. Istud... (pseudo) Thomas de Aquino. Another copy at Bibliothque Nationale, Paris. Ms. 3305 A, f. 43-43v. [14th. century.] Ms. lat. 1216, f. 45v. Judith magna facta est...Secundum sententiam Salomonis...Another copy at Bibliothque Nazionale, Paris. Ms. 35463, f. 78-81, from the library of Celestine of Avignon. S. Bonaventurae Seraphici Ecclesiae Doctoris ...Sermones in Laudem S. Francisci Assisiensis, S. Antonii Patavini et S. Clarae Virg. Ed. Presbyteri Patavini M.A.L.. Patavina: Typis Seminarii, 1882: 97-100. [Codex 490.]
Information on Sermons on Saint Clare and some sources for these manuscripts:

Hone, Mary Francis, O.S.C. St. Clare of Assisi and Her Order: A Bibliographic Guide. St. Bonaventure, NY: The Franciscan Institute, 1995: 64-9. Artini, Luigi. Vita della gloriosa vergine Santa Chiara di Assisi esposta in sermoni storicomoralis.... Verona: Vincentini e Franchini, 1855. Gargoni, Costanzo. "L'imagine di S. Chiara nella predicazione e nella letteratura devozionale degli ultimi tre secoli in Italia (1617-1913)." Innocenti, Marina Soriani. The Latin Sermons in Honor of Saint Clare. Trans. Edward Hagman, O.F.M. Cap. Greyfriars Review 17, 3 (2003): 269 - 286. Iriarte, Lzaro, O.F.M.Cap. "Clare of Assisi: Her Place in Female Hagiography." Greyfriars Review 2 (1989):note 31:... [Iriarte includes a sermon by Bonaventure mentioning Clare. "Sermo II de b. Francesco," Onmia Opera 9. 576.] Vorreux, Damien, O.F.M. Sainte Claire d'Assise: Documents. Paris: ditions Franciscaines, 1983. 259-62. [Vorreux offers a fragment from a sermon by Bonaventure that mentions Clare. Taken from "Sermon for the feast of the Assumption," Omnia Opera 9. 694. Also, part of a sermon attributed to Servasanto de Faenza entitled: Meditatio pauperis in solitudine," in which he speaks of Clare as the new Eve. 260-1; 362, note 4.]