inthe sky of the Father, and it has a name: contemplation (G. Mancini,ofm, Contemporaneita di S. Chiara, Assisi 1954, p. 40). The vocational search of Francis and Claire is built upon somesignificant encounters, on the discovery of some particularly problematic lifesituations: the family, society and Church misunderstandings, the firstshocking encounter with the reality of suffering and poverty, (lepers etc..),the difficulty to perceive fully the will of God. One ought to be able to recognizethe various realities of life, live them fully, grasping in them the message that God sends, welcomingHis the appeal. The personal history ofeach begins with meeting a face of love. We think of our mother; we learned onthat face to decipher life: love, affection, gentleness and tenderness. Godalso gave a face to love, and whoever seeks God seeks a face. The human mindalways invokes: When shall I see your face? (Ps 41.3).It isinteresting to notice how brother Francis and sister Claire, in theirTestament, remember the way Gods revelation came about, for themselves and fortheir followers: And after theLord had given me some brothers, nobody showed me what to do; the Most Highhimself revealed to me that I had tolive according to the holy Gospel. And I, with just few words and in asimple way had this written down, and the Pope confirmed it to me (FontiFrancescane, 116).After the MostHigh, the heavenly Father deigned, by his mercy and grace, to enlighten myheart to start doing penance, following the example and teaching of our belovedfather Francis, shortly after his conversion, I, together with the few sistersthat the Lord had given me shortly after my conversion, freely I promised himobedience, according to the inspiration that the Lord had manifested to usthrough his laudable life and teaching (ChTest. 24-26: Fonti Francescane,2831).In the spirit of communion that characterizes the walk of our two Institutes,we wanted to choose two protectorsand, for the first time, present themtogether to the reflection and prayer of our Missionaries with a joint letter. Among the many reasonsthat have led to the choice of Francis and Claire wewant to highlight a few:The male and female dimension ofthe same charisma and mission, experienced in holiness of life, from twodifferent horizons converging into the heart of Christ.The strong proposal of brotherhood:the gift of brother and sister asface of God for our life and mission, in building up communities that are always moreChristian and truer.The contemplative dimension ofmission, absolutely necessary to support human life, recognise its elementsand think its reality. A contemplative person does not fear to lose anything,he/she is not tempted to do well so as to justify his/her mission. All ourwords mean nothing, unless there is Gods grace. Our first duty is not to workfrantically but to pray (Cosi vi Voglio, 176). The emphasis on poverty,sharing, and the evangelical essential dimension. At the present time ofeconomical and social crisis a call to poverty, in all its dimensions, becomesnecessary and prophetical. What is to be imitated in Saint Claire of Assisi isher spirit of poverty. She was from a noble family nevertheless she lefteverything. Her sisters were so poor that the Pope told