First Sunday of Advent
Although this is the first Sunday in advent, the Jesuit historian in me cannot contain the fact that today also is the feast of St. Francis Xavier. Perhaps of all the early Jesuits, Xavier’s renown and works spread far and fast through both the order and the Catholic world. While Ignatius wrote letters telling people what to do, Xavier wrote letters describing what he was doing. Here, for the first-time, stories of exotic lands and a ring of veracity to them, stories of the thousands of souls that had yet to have the gospel preached. In a letter to St. Ignatius, Xavier wrote that he had baptized so many people that he felt his arm would fall off. When he died, they could not bring back the whole body, so they brought back his arm which resides in the Church of the Gesù in Rome to this day. Although few of us will be called to evangelize Asia, as Xavier was, it may be important to note that Xavier was called up second. Another Jesuit who Ignatius thought would do better, fell ill and couldn’t go. Xavier filled in and the rest is history. Xavier did what he could and his efforts provided the foundation for the great enterprise of the Jesuit work in Asia, which continues to this day. Patron of the missions, Xavier reminds us that evangelization is a task that we all can do by a Christian witness in thought, and deed.