The birth of Jesus announced to Joseph in the Gospel of St Matthew highlights not only Isaiah's prophecy but also Joseph's obedience to God's plan.

As the operetta contained in the Sources tells us: «Sacrum Commercium», Francis, a just and God-fearing man, marries Lady Poverty, with a mutual exchange of gifts and promises, with a commitment of love and fidelity summed up in one word: «Covenant».

We read:

"So enamoured of your beauty, the Son of the Most High Father united himself closely to you alone in the world and knew you to be most faithful in all things.

Even before He came to earth from the splendour of His homeland, you prepared a worthy dwelling for Him, a throne on which to sit and a bedchamber where to rest, that is, the very poor Virgin, from whom He was born to shine upon this world.

You hastened to meet him as soon as he was born, so that he might find in you, and not in softness, a place that was pleasing to him.

He was laid, says the evangelist, in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.

In the same way, without ever separating yourself from him, you always accompanied him, so much so that throughout his life, when he appeared on earth and lived among men, while the foxes had their dens and the birds of the sky had their nests, he had nowhere to lay his head.

And later, when he, who had once opened the mouths of the prophets, opened his mouth to teach, he first wanted to praise you, he first exalted you with the words: blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (FF 1977).

Chiara d'Assisi echoes this in one of her letters to her spiritual daughter, writing:

" If, therefore, such a great Lord, descending into the womb of the Virgin, wanted to appear in the world as a despicable, needy and poor man, so that men - who were very poor and destitute, hungry for the excessive scarcity of heavenly nourishment - might become rich in Him with the possession of the heavenly realms, rejoice and be very glad, filled with enormous joy and spiritual gladness (FF 2865).

Fourth Sunday in Advent (A)  (Mt 1:18-24)

Today's Gospel turns its gaze on Mary of Nazareth and gives us the principal expression of the Annunciation:

«Fear not, Mary, for you have found grace with God» (Lk 1:30).

Francis made himself a jester of God, but as he loved her, we might add: 'jester of the Blessed Virgin'. He saw in the divine favour poured out by God upon Mary the gift par excellence of the Giver of all good.

Clare herself, in her Spiritual Testament, addressed to her daughters, says:

"By means of these virtues, and not by our own merits, but by the sole mercy and Grace of the Giver, the Father of mercies himself, may they always pour out the perfume of their good name on those who are far off, as on those who are near" (FF 2846).

Thus highlighting how the enemy of Grace is detraction, which Mary never knew.

Grace was the travelling companion of Francis and Clare of Assisi.

We find wonderful expressions in this regard in the second letter addressed by Clare to Agnes of Prague. In various passages, they well recall the beauty of Mary of Nazareth:

"I give thanks to the Author of grace, from whom, as we believe, comes every supreme good and every perfect gift, because he has adorned you with so many recognitions of virtue and has illustrated you with the insignia of such high perfection that, having made you a diligent imitator of the Father, in whom is all perfection, you deserve to become perfect in your turn, so that his eyes find in you no sign of imperfection" (FF 2872).

Clare, 'àltera Maria', unwillingly conveys to Agnes in these few lines what she lives by Grace, offering the testimony of the Marian perfume of a handmaiden wide open to the Gift.

And Francis, on the other hand, on his path of conversion had so well understood the beneficial effects of Grace, that he put into action the same gratuitousness he received towards his brothers, especially towards those who showed the greatest need.

The Sources, in fact, narrate of a friar who in his heart pondered whether he could consider himself worthy of the Grace of heaven to those whom the Saint treated with familiarity.

Whereupon Francis, enlightened by the Spirit, addressed this friar saying:

"Let no thought disturb you, O son, for I hold you the dearest of all those who are particularly dear to me, and I gladly make you a gift of my familiarity and love".

The friar was amazed and, having become even more devout since then, not only did he grow in love towards the Saint, but by the work and Grace of the Holy Spirit he was enriched with ever greater gifts (FF 1196).

Feria proper of December 20  (Lk 1:26-38)

The Lucan passage considered in this feria of Advent is the announcement of the angel Gabriel to the priest Zechariah who was officiating in the temple: despite the advanced age of both spouses, they were to have a son named John.

But his lack of faith rendered him mute until the day of the fulfilment of that event, which also redeemed his wife Elizabeth from the infamy of the time for her barrenness.

As a new John, Francis was given to the world to announce salvation, to bring glad tidings to all.

His mother, Mona Pica, of marked interiority and openness to the new, immediately sensed that her son would be great before the Lord.

In the Franciscan Sources, his birth is presented as a new beginning of Christlikeness, spread through the folds of life.

In them we read: "The servant and friend of the Most High, Francis, was given this name by divine Providence, so that by his originality and novelty the fame of his mission might spread more easily throughout the world. His mother had called him John, when he was reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, and from a son of wrath had become a son of grace*.

A mirror of righteousness, that woman presented in her conduct, as it were, a visible sign of his virtue. In fact, she was made to share, as a privilege, a certain resemblance to the ancient Saint Elizabeth, both by the name she bestowed on her son and also by her prophetic spirit.

When neighbours expressed their admiration for Francis' generosity of spirit and moral integrity, she would repeat, almost divinely inspired:

«What do you think he will become, this son of mine? Know that by his merits he will become a son of God».

[...] Therefore, the name of John is appropriate to the mission he then carried out, that of Francis to his fame, which soon spread everywhere after his full conversion to God.

Above the feast of any other saint, he held that of John the Baptist to be most solemn, whose distinguished name had imprinted in his soul a sign of arcane power.

Among those born of women there arose none greater than this, and none more perfect than this among the founders of religious orders" (FF 583).

Francis put all his enthusiasm into understanding and realising the suggestions of the new Grace: to announce the perfection of the Gospel, preaching penance to all, with simplicity.

And since for the Poverello the voice of the smallest had the same weight as the voice of the great, indeed it is privileged, in the Spirit, because of that priority given to the smallest by the Gospel, the Lord took him at his word for his making himself the least in everything and among everyone.

"Often the Lord manifests what is best to the least" (Reg. c. IV. 18).

«And many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord» (Lk 1:14b-15a)

* Francis was baptised in the church of Santa Maria del Vescovado. The baptistery was later moved to the cathedral of San Rufino, where it still stands today.

Feria proper on December 19  (Lk 1:5-25)