Sixteenth-century Jesuit missionary who carried the Gospel to India, Japan and across Asia. Patron of missions.
Life
Saint Francis Xavier was born in 1506 at the castle of Xavier in the Kingdom of Navarre, Spain. While studying in Paris he met Ignatius of Loyola, whose influence changed his life, and he became one of the first companions who founded the Society of Jesus.
In 1541, at the request of the king of Portugal, he set out on mission to the East and arrived the following year in Goa, India. He preached the Gospel in southern India, Malacca and the Moluccas, baptizing great numbers of people, and in 1549 he went to Japan, the first to bring Christianity there.
Dreaming of a mission to China, he died of illness in 1552 on Shangchuan Island off the Chinese coast. He was canonized together with Ignatius in 1622 and is patron of the missions. The Church remembers him on December 3.
Spirituality
Francis Xavier's spirituality is a burning zeal for the Gospel. He did not fear unfamiliar languages and cultures, danger or hardship, longing to bring Christ to the ends of the earth. The root of that zeal was the deep prayer and obedience he learned with Ignatius.
Reflection
Francis Xavier brought the Gospel to Asia, and we are descendants of the Church in Asia. Today, would you pray for missionaries in the field, or offer them some small support?