You can do this:

At Message clause of the menu bar, call to a user function that it set the status bar text:

Define Bar 1 Of _mfile Prompt "\...


Then Write your SetStatusText Procedure:

Function SetStatusText
LParameter tcMsg
_screen.oStatusBar.Object.SimpleText = tcMsg
** or
_screen.oStatusBar.Object.Panels(1).Text = tcMsg
Return tcMsg && This is the VFP status bar text
EndFunc

Lic. Esteban Bruno
Gerente de Sistemas
TASSO S.R.L.