St Francis Xavier, A Fiery Apostle

The following comes from the Catholic Exchange:

The last words that St. Ignatius said to Francis Xavier before he was sent as the greatest missionary after St Paul were: Go set all on fire!  He embarked for India, then to Japan and died on the shore overlooking China.  His missionary work was completed in only 11 years and he died of exhaustion at 46 years of age.

Like Francis Xavier all followers of Christ are called to be prophets, evangelizers, and missionaries. Both Blessed Pope John Paul II and the present Pope Benedict XVI insist on followers of Christ encountering Christ as Friend and Lord and then sharing Jesus with others. It is a contradiction in terms to keep the priceless treasure of Friendship with Jesus to oneself. St. Andrew teaches us this lesson. After being called by Jesus, Andrew filled with joy hurries to tell the Good News (“Gospel”) to his brother Peter.

How did St. Francis Xavier in such a short time convert, baptize, and teach the Catholic faith to thousands? What was his secret to success?

1.    SPIRITUAL EXERCISES.   His conversion came about by having been directed and completing the Spiritual Exercises directed by St. Ignatius himself. Ignatius challenged Xavier with the Biblical quotation:  “What would it profit a man to gain the whole world if he lose his soul in the process?”   The Spiritual Exercises done well enlighten, convert, and transform those who do them into fiery apostles.

2.    OBEDIENCE.   The Holy Father asked Ignatius to send some of his followers from the Company of Jesus to India and the Far East and Francis Xavier obeyed. Obedience to God, the Pope, and the Church is always a true sign of holiness by which God blesses with abundant graces.  “Lord, not my will but yours be done!”  (Prayer of Jesus to the Father in the Garden of Olives).

3.    LOVE FOR POVERTY. Upon arriving in India, Xavier’s heart overflowed with love for the poor of the country. His love knew no bounds.  Identification!   Instead of seeking out comfortable lodgings and ease, Xavier decided to live with the poor, sleep like the poor, eat and drink with the poor, and become poor himself.  Jesus’s first Beatitude exemplifies this attitude of heart: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5: 3).

4.    LOVE FOR THE CHILDREN.   Jesus taught love for children. “Let the children come to me for such is the kingdom of heaven.”  Francis Xavier loved the children and they loved him. He taught them their catechism, as well as their prayers. Such was the love the children had for him that barely did he have time to say his prayers or even eat!

5.    APOSTOLIC CREATIVITY.  Xavier was a genius, as teacher and missionary. As a tool for memorization of the catechism, Xavier made use of the song. In simple verse and rhyme Xavier taught the children the basics of catechism. Domino effect!  Then the children would return home and sing the catechism thereby teaching their own parents. Pope John Paul II exhorts followers of Christ to be opened to the Holy Spirit and new apostolic creativity and initiatives.  Jesus said to Nicodemus that the spirit blows where He wills. Like Xavier let us be open to the wind-direction of the Holy Spirit and follow!

6.    BAPTISM.  It all starts with the sacrament of Baptism. After instructions, Francis Xavier would baptize in the hundreds leading to the thousands! At the end of his day at times he could no longer hold up his arm any longer due to the huge numbers of Baptisms he would do.

7.    ORDER THE DISORDER/ORGANIZATION.   This great saint after finishing his time in one place, would leave well-formed catechists to carry on with the mission of forming the people in the community. Helpers and lay leaders! Now more than ever zealous priests need zealous lay leaders to help to carry on the task of evangelization.   “The harvest is rich but the laborers are few.”

8.    INCULTURATION. While travelling to Japan, Xavier had to learn the social mores and customs of another country. In this case dressed in rags caused the Japanese Emperor revulsion. As St. Paul says, “I become all things to all men so as to win as many to Christ as possible.” Xavier donned the most elegant clothes fashionable and gave gifts to the Emperor, thereby winning the Emperor’s friendship and opening up the door to the preaching of the Gospel message in Japan.

9.    PRAYER AND PENANCE.  It is impossible to find a saint who did not take the “two P’s” seriously: prayer and penance! At the end of his exhausting day, Xavier spent hours in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament, praising the Lord, thanking the Lord and imploring for the sanctification and salvation of the people God placed in his path. The consolation that God sent  Francis Xavier during his prayer was so intense (very much like that of his contemporary St. Philip Neri) that he begged the Lord “basta”— “enough” of the consolation lest he die of its intensity! May Xavier attain for us the fire of intensity in our prayers! Penance? He slept very little so as to accompany the Lord and offer himself as victim for the salvation of souls.

10. APOSTOLIC ZEAL.  The favorite prayer of Xavier was “Give me souls!”  Another saint who had a similar motto was Saint John Bosco whose motto was posted on the wall of his office: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.” St. John of the Cross asserts: “Authentic charity is manifested by apostolic zeal.” Indeed if we truly love God then we should love what God loves— the salvation of immortal souls.   In the Office of Readings for the Feast of  St. Francis Xavier, in a letter written to St. Ignatius, there is a passionate appeal for more workers to gather in the harvest, specifically reproaching the proud and learned at the Universities of Europe (especially Paris).  The words of Xavier explode with apostolic zeal and intense suffering for the salvation of immortal souls.   Let us meditate attentively the words of St. Francis Xavier:

“Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason: there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again I have thought of going round the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman. Riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity: What a tragedy:  how many souls are being shut out of heaven and falling into hell, thanks to you! I wish they would work as hard at this as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.” (Office of Readings, Dec. 3, Feast of St. Francis Xavier)

O Come O Come Emmanuel - Trace Bundy and Josh Garrels

Pope Francis: a humble heart knows God, theology is done on one’s knees

(Vatican Radio) Those who study the mystery of God are brought to their knees because God reveals more to a humble heart. Those were the Pope’s words during his Homily at Mass Tuesday morning at the Casa Santa Martha.

The eyes of the poor, said Pope Francis, are most likely to see Christ and, through him, to see the face of God. Others who claim to fathom this mystery with the resources of intelligence must first get down on their "knees", in an act of humility , otherwise "they will not understand anything."

During his Homily the Pope focused on the Gospel of St Luke from the morning’s liturgy, reflecting on Christ’s relationship to the Father, both praising and thanking him.

"He makes us know the Father, introduces us to this inner life that He has. And tp whom does the Father reveal this? To whom does he give this grace? 'I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little ones'. Only those whose hearts are like the young are capable of receiving this revelation, the humble of heart, the meek, who feel the need to pray, to open up to God, who feel poor; only he who goes forward with the first Beatitude: the poor in spirit. "
 Therefore, poverty is a privileged gift that opens the door to the mystery of God. A gift that sometimes, noted Pope Francis, that may be lacking in those dedicated to a life of study.

"Many may know the science, theology well, so many! But if they do not practice this theology on their knees, humbly, like children, they will not understand anything. It will tell them many things, but they will not understand anything. Only with this poverty is one capable of receiving the revelation that the Father gives through Jesus, through Jesus. Jesus is, not like a captain, an army general, a powerful ruler, no, no. He is like a bud. Just like we heard in the First Reading: 'On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse'. He is a bud that is humble, mild, and came to the humble, and to the meek, to bring salvation to the sick, the poor, the oppressed.”
 Pope Francis continued by saying that the mystery Jesus is that of humbling oneself. It is a mystery that  "brings salvation to the poor, brings comfort to those who are stricken by many diseases, sins and difficult situations." "Out of this context”, concluded Pope Francis you cannot understand the mystery of Jesus":

"We ask the Lord, in this Advent season, to bring us nearer to his mystery and to do so the way that He wants us to do: the way of humility, the way of meekness, the way of poverty, the road where we feel sin. So that he can come to save us, to free us. May the Lord give us this grace. 

What is Advent?

Remebering Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Today we remember the holy man of the desert, Blessed Charles de Foucauld! This was a man of great faith who lived a contemplative life in the desert amidst great physical and political difficulties. To learn more about him please click here.

Charles de Foucauld was born on September 15, 1858 in France. He lost his faith early in life, but at the age of 28 had a powerful conversion experience. From that moment on, all of his life was fixed on living the Gospel and his love for Jesus.

After a variety of experiences as a Trappist monk and a time spent in the Holy Land, he conceived of a new form of religious life, a life closer to the daily lives of the poor. As Jesus at Nazareth, he wanted to live amidst the people, rooted in a culture, sharing the condition of those who live from day to day by the work of their hands-- of those who have no security at all and who are the poorest of the poor.

He did not envision preaching the Gospel in words as such, but by crying it out with the witness of his whole life; a life lived in shared friendship, silence and prayer. He wanted to go beyond all of the boundaries of religion and race and to become known as a "universal little brother"; the little brother of his beloved Jesus.

Brother Charles hoped to found small fraternities of brothers..."What I dream of is something very plain and few in number, similar to the little communities of the first Christians...living the life of Nazareth, through work and the contemplation of Jesus...a little family, a little home, very small, very plain"... This dream would not be realized until after his death.

Brother Charles of Jesus died on December 1, 1916 at Tamanrasset in the midst of the Sahara. An innocent, defenseless victim of an assassin's bullet he fell to the sand like the grain of wheat which dies so that it can bring forth its fruit... Throughout the world today there are many little groups (religious brothers and sisters) which claim as their spiritual father-- Charles de Foucauld.

The Prayer of Abandonment of Brother Charles of Jesus
Father, I abandon myself into Your hands;
do with me what You will.
Whatever You do I thank You.
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only Your will be done in me,
as in all Your creatures,
I ask no more than this, my Lord.
Into Your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to You, O Lord,
with all the love of my heart,
for I love You, my God, and so need to give myself--
to surrender myself into Your hands,
without reserve and with total confidence,
for You are my Father.

Greater by Chris Tomlin

"He who saves one life... saves the world entire!"

This is a powerful scene from Schindler's List. Schindler's List is a 1993 biographical film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is a dramatized account of the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than one thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories.