TUESDAY, FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT
Feast of St Francis Xavier, Patron of Misisons
Jer 1:4-9 Ps 71 2 Cor 4:7-15/Eph 3:2-12 Lk 10:1-16
FRANCIS XAVIER, AN ICON OF CHRIST’S MERCY
Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Missions. India, honours him with great solemnity in acknowledgement of the intensity of his zeal for souls. “Many people… are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again, I have thought of going around the universities of Europe… crying out like a madman, riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity: How many souls are being shut out of heaven and falling into hell, thanks to you!” (Letter of Francis Xavier to Ignatius of Loyola).
Jesus, being sent by the Father, called to Himself those whom he wanted, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. (cf. Mk 3:13-15). When Jesus reminded his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit…” (Jn 15:16), the fruit that he was referring to is holiness. Holiness is making oneself available to Jesus so that His mission is carried forward.
The Church’s mission is all about spreading God’s love and life. Being holy and universal, it primarily makes visible the presence of the Lord, who continues to love and save humanity. Thus, the early Christians, in obedience to the command of the Lord, were willing to go when sent to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). This teaching is not limited to preaching but is principally about propagating Christ by conforming oneself to Him, and doing what He did. A missionary is an icon of Christ, an ambassador of Christ, one who is not only sent by Christ Himself but has also experienced His merciful love.
The experience of the love of Christ moved St. Francis Xavier to leave his country and come to Asia to proclaim the gospel. It is God’s love that made St. Francis a tireless missionary. He took upon himself the divine mandate to spread the good news of salvation as a personal obligation and, full of zeal, desired to bring to fulfilment God’s will that “all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). The purpose of the mission is the salvation of humanity through conversion of mind and heart. In other words, it aims for the transformation of the individual and of society.
We live in a world that is in search of the meaning of life on the one hand and is hostile to the divine will on the other. At times, the lifestyle of believers itself becomes a reflection of this dichotomy. The narrow way of the cross is neither attractive nor easy. However, the world needs the selfless service rendered by the Church, eventhough its members at times undergo persecution. Yet the Church has the privilege of being the leaven, the salt, and the light of the world. In this process, we see individuals being transformed and societies becoming better places for people to live in love and service. This is the way God manifests his continual work of redemption; it is a sure sign of his presence and power.
Pope Francis reminds us that missionary work is founded on respect for the dignity and worth of every person as God’s child. It entails respect for the diversity of culture and for the elements of truth and grace that are found among all peoples and cultures that acknowledge the presence of God without compromising the fundamental truth that God, who is love, saved humanity through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross. In all our missionary efforts, however, we acknowledge that we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Cor 4:7). Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Father, has revealed simple yet profound ways of living as God’s beloved ones, by which we bring about the establishment of God’s reign in a world infected by sin and despair. By our lives as missionaries, we make the Kingdom of God present.
Response: My mouth will tell of your justice. (Ps 71:1-2 , 5-6, 8-9, 14-15)
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