“Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.”
- St Francis of Assisi
Charity and Purity
are the most beautiful ornaments of the heart.
St. Francis Xavier often spent whole hours during
the day and into the night before Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, Who gave
Him the grace and the strength to lead so many souls to Christ. His devotion to Our Eucharistic Lord was so great
that Fr. Stefano Manelli, O.F.M. writes in his book, Jesus, Our Eucharistic Lord:
"What shall we say of St. Francis
Xavier who at times when distributing Holy Communion
felt so carried away by a sense of adoration toward Our Lord Who was in his
hands, that he got on his knees and in that position continued giving Holy
Communion? Did that not present a witness of faith and love worthy of heaven?"
St. Francis
Xavier
Spain ~
1506-1552
One of seven
founders of Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
Considered "greatest missionary since the time of
the Apostles"
Incredible
zeal, baptized thousands, miracle worker
Patron of
mission fields
Known as the "Apostle to the Far
East"
Incorrupt
FEAST DAY - December
3
"St
Francis Xavier sailed the seas ... To spread the word of God ... Among the
unenlightened souls ... On strange and distant sod ... From Spain and
Portugal he went ... To heathen Hindustan ... To Travancore and to Ceylon ...
Malacca and Japan .. He preached the gospel fervently ... And thousands were
baptized ... And though his task was perilous ... He never compromised ... He
hoped to teach in China too ... But when he reached that shore ... His strength
was ebbed by fever, and ... He could go on no more ... And there in 1552 ... St.
Francis passed away ... And many are the miracles ... Ascribed to him
today."
-
James J Metcalfe, Poem Portraits of the Saints (1956)
Click here: St. Francis Xavier -
YouTube (2 mins - Apostleship of
Prayer)
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