Saint Francis Xavier

December 2, 2022
Author: Hannah DeVivo

Peace be with you!

Tomorrow, December 3rd, is the feast of Saint Francis Xavier. He was one of the founding members of the Jesuit order and considered to be an apostle of the Indies and Japan. Today we will learn about this great saint and how he brought thousands of souls to Christ.

Early Life

Saint Francis Xavier was the youngest child born to a wealthy family in the kingdom of Navarre in 1506. Navarre was a medieval state formed around the city of Pamplona, Spain. Francis grew up in a castle during the conquest of King Ferdinand II of Aragorn. This castle is still partially intact to this day and is owned by the Jesuit Order. Despite being part of a noble family, not all his childhood was easy. Francis grew up surrounded by war and was only six years old when Navarre was conquered.

After primary school Francis went to the University of Paris for his higher education. He earned his master’s degree in 1530 and began to teach philosophy for the university. While there, he met Saint Ignatius of Loyola who was just 15 years older than Francis. Ignatius wanted to start a missionary order that made vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Francis was not initially eager to join, seeing as it would be quite a different life than what he had been accustomed to, and he would have to become a priest.

Francis was eventually won over by Ignatius’ persistence, and doubtless some encouragement from the Holy Spirit. He made the vows with several others in 1534 and was ordained a priest in 1537. Three years later they went to Rome to see Pope Paul III, who approved their Order which was called The Society of Jesus. They longed to go to the Holy land and convert the non-believers there, but God had other plans.

Ministry

At the time that The Society of Jesus (also known as the Jesuit Order) was founded, Portugal was colonizing India. The Portuguese settlers there were not devout Catholics. Instead of evangelizing, they were taking advantage of the locals whenever it served them. There was a severe lack of faith, and they were in dire need of help. The king of Portugal beseeched the Pope for missionaries. Pope Paul III decided to send men from the new Order. Originally, Francis was not supposed to be one of the party, but when one who was chosen fell ill, Francis was asked to take his place.

Amazingly, the natives of India already had a basic knowledge of the Catholic Faith before the Portuguese Catholics had taught them anything. When asked where they learned it from, it was discovered that Saint Thomas the Apostle had evangelized there. While Francis was there, he preached and ministered to the people, especially the sick and poor. He bolstered those who had already been baptized and converted those who had not.

It was here that Francis fully embraced his vocation and the life of poverty. The conditions that Francis lived and taught in were terrible. He had no material comforts, yet his spiritual riches abounded. We learn from his writings that he was happy and in earnest to spread the good news of God. He devoted countless hours to learning new languages and dialects so that he could reach as many people as possible. Over the next ten years, he continued to travel to nearby countries. He converted thousands of people, some of which included Hindus, Malaysians, and Japanese. During that time, he established more than 40 churches, despite much opposition.

In 1549, Francis arrived in Japan. He found the language there to be extremely difficult, but he did not let that stop his mission. He worked hard for almost a full year to learn the language and eventually became proficient enough to share the faith and have discussions about Theology. Not all those who lived in Japan were welcoming of Francis and the religion he brought. In fact, many of the nobles in Japan suppressed the faith, forcing those who were converted to go underground. Despite this, Francis worked tirelessly to gain as many souls as he could for Christ. After living and working there for two years, he planned to go to China and spread the Gospel there.

Death and Legacy

Francis never reached it to China. He died on December 3rd, 1552, as he was travelling. He was buried in China and Malaysia but is now finally at rest in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, India. His body remained incorrupt for many years. He is the patron saint of missionaries, especially missionaries who bring the Faith to far off countries. 

Saint Francis Xavier gave up a life of materialistic ease and comfort to follow Jesus. To those who seek joy in this world alone, it must seem crazy. Francis found a deep and true joy in the life that God called him to. Through him, God reached countless lives and entered the hearts of those who wouldn’t have had the chance to know Him if it wasn’t for Francis’ “yes”. This Advent season, as we contemplate another servant of God who said “yes” without knowing the full perfect plan, let us consider how God is calling us in our lives. Have we cleared a space for us to hear Him to speak, and do we have the courage to answer Him when we do hear what He is calling us to? Let us ask Saint Francis of Xavier for his intercession in a special way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Before You Go

Do you have a special devotion to Saint Francis Xavier?

Have you ever considered or felt called to be a missionary for your Faith?

Did you learn anything new in this article?

I would LOVE to hear from you. Send me an email to Catholic-Living@Autom.com Be sure to follow and subscribe to the links below for more tips and information.