compared to her pale hands, and this dark feature symbolize the austerities of her way of life. The rosy cheeks however show that she is healthy. Her mouth curves slightly at the sides as if to reveal a smile: the mark of Franciscan joy. Two angels hold the halo as if holding a crown in the tradition of coronation pictures. They symbolize the divine presence in this picture.
             An interesting point that catches our eye is Clare's delicate white hands in contrast to her dark habit of penance. The flowing movement of the right hand raised toward her heart, points to the Cross; while her left hand delicately holds the staff of the Cross. This movement of the hands is typical of Byzantine icons of Our Lady known as the "Odigitria" meaning "[Mary] the One who shows the Way". In this type of iconography, Mary holds the child Jesus with her left hand, while her right hand points to Jesus, showing everyone the "Way". It is interesting to note that directly opposite this altar panel of Clare in the Basilica of St. Clare is an icon of Our Lady "Odigitria" on the left transept. The hand movements are practically the same as that of St. Clare's picture. Here Clare is depicted as the "Odigitria", the one who shows the way – that is, the way of the Lord's Passion. Clare's heart is the Cross, the center of her spirituality. In many of her writings and letters, Clare insisted on "clinging to the footprints of the Crucified Lord". Her meditations were constantly on the Lord's Passion and her prayers included the Office of the Passion by St. Francis, the prayer of the 5 Wounds of Jesus and even wearing a cord of 13 knots to recall the wounds of Christ. In this simple depiction of the hands and the Cross, we see a summary of Clare's spirituality. The Cross is her way of life. It is the mirror of the Father's love for us, and a mirror of our own redeemed im...