Poverty provides the armor of humility and charity so that we can walk with God and love as He does.

We must learn to 'tread' upon all of the things of this world so that, unencumbered, we can know and walk with our loving God. He freely provides all we need to live life abundantly - His peace and joy! Humility allows one to be with God and Charity flows freely from a heart uncluttered with worldly desires.

Francis and his friars went to Rome on several occasions and they could not help but be impressed by what they saw. Rome was one of the great cities of the world with great buildings and monuments. Since it was the residence of the Pope of the Holy Catholic Church it was also a place where many important people gathered, not just from the church but from around the secular world including Kings, Princes, Lords and various ambassadors.

Most of the brothers who accompanied Francis were poor and simple men. They had, before this, probably never left Assisi or the surrounding countryside. Uneducated, men of the earth used to working with their hands, accustomed to the quiet of the countryside - would have thought the small hill-top city of Assisi was a bustling metropolis. Therefore, they would have been amazed at what they saw in Rome - the power, glory and riches of the great city would have surpassed anything they could have imagined.

Francis would have also been impressed by all there was to see. However, he had the eyes of a spiritual man in his head. "That which is highly valued by men is despised by God," said Jesus. Francis knew that the glory, power and riches of this world wouldn't and couldn't last.

Jesus' disciples had once pointed out to Him the architectural glories of Jerusalem. His response, "You see all these fine buildings!? Everything you see will be thrown down!" Jesus made it clear that what our hearts should be set on was not 'earthly'. He advised us to "Seek the riches of the kingdom of heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves cannot break in to steal. For where your treasure is that is where your heart will be as well!" The great eternal treasure that Francis sought was in the kingdom of heaven.

Let us go to St. Peter and St. Paul, and ask them to teach us and help us get possession of the measureless treasure of holy poverty; for it is a treasure so exceedingly valuable that we are unfit to hold it in the base vessels we are. It is that heavenly virtue by which all earthly transitory things are trodden under foot and every hindrance is removed from the soul, so that it can commune freely with the eternal God. It helps the soul while still on earth to converse with the angels in heaven, it was the companion of Christ on the cross, it was buried with Christ, it rose again with Christ and with Christ it ascended into heaven. It is the virtue too which renders the flight to heaven easy for those who love it. It protects us with the armor of true humility and charity.

No sightseeing for Francis! On arriving Francis wanted to do only one thing: pray! He wanted to go to St. Peters to the tombs of the two great princes of the Church, St. Peter and St. Paul, and beg them to help the brothers learn how to find and keep Holy Poverty. He wanted to beg them to ask the Lord Jesus to give them this great spiritual tool that would enable them to focus whole-heartedly on spiritual things and empower them to spurn the world and move forward with God.

Francis describes Poverty as being a 'measureless treasure'. How can 'not having any thing' be a measureless treasure? Well, of course Francis was talking about something 'spiritual'. St. Paul said 'that which we can see is temporal and quickly passes away. While that which we cannot see is spiritual and eternal. It's value and glory never fade away!" Jesus had said, "Why do you seek things that rust will corrode and moth consume and that thieves can steal from you? Through giving of alms store up for yourself the true treasures in heaven . . ."

You might argue that no matter how 'spiritual' the treasures are they can't pay the bills or fill the belly that is hungry! What good are spiritual treasures when 'money is what makes the world go round!' as we often here from the 'world'. St. Paul said, "That which is spiritual has the promise of blessings in this life but also of the eternal life that is to come." The 'Pearl of great price' and the 'treasure hidden in the field' are none other than Christ Jesus Himself - He who is greater than anyone and anything! Remember that Jesus, the Lord of all things, also owns all there is - temporally and eternally. Therefore, if you have Christ you also have everything else as well - everything You need and could ever desire!

What makes "Poverty" such an extremely valuable treasure? Francis says it is the 'virtue by which all earthly transitory things are trodden under foot and every hindrance is removed from the soul, so that it can commune freely with the eternal God.' Francis explained that Poverty is that knowledge and power that enables one to crush the love and desire for all material temporal things under foot. He didn't mean to literally 'step on' things (though he did tell us to step on and over money that was found on the ground!) but that our attraction and love for things would be so crushed that these things would not get in our way in finding and walking with Christ. Since Jesus is the greatest of all treasures the only thing Francis feared were those things that could get in the way of having Him. We all know that no thing should ever be allowed to stop us from being with God.

Remember what Jesus said about how rich people, by virtue of being rich, were in a dire situation? "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!" He also said, "Unless a man gives up everything to follow Me, he cannot have any part in Me!" Remember the parable of the Sower and the seeds and how the word of God (the seed) had 'bore no fruit' in that person's life who was "filled with the lust for things, distractions over other things and the worries and cares of this life." It is the things of this world and our love for them that make us barren spiritually. Those who have embraced spiritual Poverty are free to grow in holiness and produce the fruits of righteouness.

Francis argues that one proof of poverty's great value is the fact that Christ cherished it. When Christ was crucified everything He had was taken from Him, specifically the clothes on His back. Right before being crucified, He was stripped of them by the Roman executioners and made to hang on the cross, naked. Poverty was buried with Christ in that God provided providentially both the shroud and the tomb. Finally, Poverty arose and ascended into heaven with Him in that He did not rely upon 'anything' to rise and ascended with 'no thing'. Poverty enabled Jesus to fly right up to heaven without hindrance. Francis assures us that, if we love poverty like Jesus did, we shall also experience this free 'flight to heaven.'

He goes on to state that poverty is a great source of protection in our spiritual lives. He says it provides 'the armor of true humility and charity'.

This world tells us that 'the one with the most stuff wins!' We all know that if one does not have 'any thing' in this world then one is considered unimportant. Poverty protects us by helping us to lay a true foundation in holy humility. If you have nothing then You are utterly dependent on God for everything. It is a GOOD thing to realize that, no matter what a person has, EVERYONE is dependent on God for everything. Poverty drives home that point most clearly and powerfully! The rich THINK THEY ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT and don't need God. They are terribly decieved but may discover this only when it is too late!

How does Poverty protect us with charity? If you realize that all things are gifts from God, then you realize it is more important to focus on the Giver rather than on the gift. Also His generosity inspires us to be as generous ourselves! Further, whatever is given to you is a gift and gifts, of course, were made to be given. Through poverty we learn not only to not cling to things but to freely give to anyone who has a greater need than ourselves. We also learn to share with others without worring about ourselves because, once again, we know the Giver is able to provide all that we need. There is no need to cling to the gifts of God if one is clinging to God Himself, the Giver of all gifts! It is no accident that it is the poorest of the poor who are the most generous with others.

Do you look at the finer things of 'the world' with real longing? Is your heart focused on trying to get these things? Francis believed what Jesus said about what was truly valuable. He cherished Poverty because it was the means whereby he could free himself from what was essentially worthless to get those truly valuable things - things that make this life wonderful and assure us of the eternal treasures hereafter as well. Are you praying like Francis for an appreciation of poverty and seeking it with all of your heart?

PRAYER: Father Francis, you turned your back on the world - everyday - and sought to know and walk with Christ. You had learned what was truly valuable, cherishing the words of Jesus, "A man's life does not consist of the things he possesses." Things could never satisfy the longings of our hearts - the spiritual longing to know and walk with Jesus. Pray for us father Francis that we might turn our back on this world. Help us to understand, love and delight in Holy Poverty so that we also can be free to follow Christ, just like you did. God is good, the only and true good, and it is His goodness that we want above all. Amen.