Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 102

Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
that you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!

When men and women started coming to Saint Francis they found he had few provisions for them. In fact, he had nothing: no roof, no walls, no food, no clothing. Not to mention health care, educational opportunities or retirement benefits.  But, like Saints Peter and Saint John who had "neither silver nor gold," he shared what he had, which was an enormous confidence in God's providence. 

That "providence" is the Holy City celebrated in today's first reading from the Prophet Isaiah. All her children may "suck fully of the milk of her comfort" with abandon. The stories of Saint Francis and Saint Clare and their early followers remain as testimony throughout the centuries to the power of faith. 

Francis did more than just bet on God. Had the experiment "failed" -- that is to say, had he starved to death or died of exposure to the elements -- he would have been perfectly comfortable with that. His band of courageous Christians wanted to live and die like Jesus. 

I talked with a Veteran Marine lately -- "Once a Marine, always a Marine" -- who said there is no greater privilege than to die in battle while fighting for one's country. 

Francis also grew up in a warrior society. Assisi and nearby Perugia and most of the Italian cities were continually at war. There was no nation of Italy to unite them. Young men boasted of their fighting prowess and didn't hesitate to throw themselves into battle. 

Those who turned away from that warlike culture took up the "spiritual warfare" of the monastery. Although the Franciscan movement would develop a different spirituality for the middle class, the Saint nonetheless regarded his life as "two small copper coins, worth about a penny." It should be given as one's paltry gift to God. Why should he live to old age and its miseries when he could give his life to God in his youth. 

So the superabundant breasts of Divine Providence were not this world's Easy Streets. It was rather the spiritual privilege of contemplating heavenly treasures. Francis delighted in what he could see with his eyes -- as you and I can when we're not preoccupied with our worries -- but these earthly delights only signaled the inestimable treasures of heaven. 

Confident of God's promise, the Saints could enjoy the "first fruits"of the Holy Spirit. This down payment animated their prayer, conversation and interactions. 
Mysteriously, the less they owned, the more comfortable they felt in a world of bickering, feuds and warfare. The sky was their property, as were the birds who soared there. They spoke amiably to fish, crickets, wolves and sheep. If they were hungry, they were no hungrier than the poor. If they were cold, they shared it with all God's creatures. They continually reassured each other with, "Behold the lilies of the field. They neither toil nor spin yet their Heavenly Father provides for them. And see how they are more beautifully clad than Solomon in all his splendor." Owning nothing, they had nothing to defend. If they needed anything, God would provide. If he didn't provide food or shelter or warmth, he gave them the company of Jesus abandoned and crucified.

In today's Gospel we hear Jesus sending his disciples into the world like lambs among wolves with no money bag, sack or sandals. God would provide for them because God intended the whole world to know the story of Jesus -- his life, death, resurrection and exaltation. Can any wealthy banker think of a more sound investment than that? It was guaranteed success. Saint Francis was a merchant's son; he knew a good investment when he saw it. And there was no better way to spend his life than in the Company of God.