St. Clare of Assisi, in what has to be one of the most hilarious papal pronouncements of all time, was named the patron saint of television by Pope Pius XII in 1958 even though she lived seven centuries before its invention. The oft-provided rationale is that when Clare was ill in her convent and was unable to attend Mass, she received a vision on her wall of the Mass taking place, I guess making her the first to watch closed-circuit TV.
The deeper meaning behind Pope Pius' designation, I have to think, lies in the fact that Clare's entire ethos is a near perfect refutation of the flaws of modern society. Where, in the age of television, we seek instant gratification, Clare sought virtue. Where we seek control over every aspect of our lives and others' lives, Clare sought abandonment to the Divine Will. Where we seek comfort, Clare sought poverty. Where we fill our days with a thousand little worries and concerns, Clare sought perfect simplicity. Where we seek power, Clare sought the silence of the monastery. Where we seek self-fulfillment, Clare sought God and God alone.
Enjoy a little clip of St. Clare and St. Francis together from Franco Zefirelli's film Brother Sun, Sister Moon.