«For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for not with measure does he give the Spirit» (Jn 3:34).

The verses of today's passage emphasise the identikit of the one who comes from Heaven and speaks of what he has seen and heard.

The Son is loved by the Father, who has given everything into His hand and subjected everything to Him.

The infinite love of God the Father for Jesus, his Son, is highlighted well by this Gospel passage printed in the heart of the Herald of Christ.

Francis admirably celebrated all this when in his composition 'The Canticle of Brother Sun' he began:

«High, almighty, good Lord,

Thine are the praises and the glory and the honour and every blessing» (FF 263).

Moreover, as the beloved son of the Father, he too received abundance of the Holy Spirit, preparing himself for the holy operation in prayer.

The Sources make us reflect on this.

"In prayer he had learnt that the longed-for presence of the Holy Spirit offers himself to those who invoke him with all the more familiarity the further he finds them from the din of the worldly.

That is why he sought out solitary places, went to solitude and abandoned churches to pray, at night.

There he had to suffer, often, the frightful assaults of demons who came into physical conflict with him, in an effort to divert him from applying himself in prayer.

But he, armed with the heavenly weapons, became all the stronger in virtue and all the more fervent in prayer, the more violent was the onslaught of his enemies.

He confidentially said to Christ:

«In the shadow of your wings protect me from the wicked who plot my downfall»" (FF 1179).

Again the Sources document:

"The man of God, remaining all alone and in peace, filled the woods with groans, sprinkled the earth with tears, beat his breast and, as if he had found a more intimate sanctuary, talked with his Lord.

There he answered the Judge, there he pleaded with the Father, there he conversed with the Friend" (FF 1180).

His own brothers realised that the Poor Man of Assisi received the Spirit without measure. Indeed in the Major Legend:

"When the Saint returned to the brothers, he began to scrutinise and unveil the secrets of their consciences, to reassure them about the meaning of that admirable vision, and made many predictions about the future development of the Order.

And since he made many revelations, which transcended the capacities of the human intellect, the brothers had to recognise that the Spirit of the Lord had rested in all its fullness upon his servant Francis: therefore the surest thing for them was to follow his doctrine and his life" (FF 1071).

The Minim became the Herald of the Word.

He spoke the words of God, inflaming consciences to follow Christ Jesus. And on the transparent example of him, relying not on human wisdom but on that bestowed from above.

Thursday of the 2nd wk. in Easter  (Jn 3:31-36)