lookingland (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lookingland) wrote2004-12-03 12:04 pm
lookingland) wrote2004-12-03 12:04 pm
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Today is the feast day of Saint Francis Xavier, SJ <~
Saint Francis and I took a long time warming up to each other. Early on, I had read a not-very flattering biographical sketch about his awkwardness and lack of diplomacy in his missionary efforts. I believed the stories because everything I had heard about Francis Xavier biographically had shown him to be a rather stubborn, self-important, self-righteous person whom Ignatius patiently dragged into the fold with much effort.
But that's the important part: he was eventually dragged into the fold. He underwent a conversion out of Ignatius's fervor and willingness to tolerate his obnoxious behavior for a long, long time. And when he emerged, he emerged more faithful and more obedient, and more ardent about the Church than any of the men who initially served with Ignatius (and that's saying something!) ~ Francis Xavier was chosen for the Eastern missions because Francis Xavier was the most courageous, the most passionate, the most determined, and the most capable of Ignatius's "soldiers".
And he suffered greatly. He suffered in his journeys, he suffered in the foreign lands, and he suffered from terrible privation and loneliness for God's greater glory. And he did fail a lot, but he also succeeded ~ especially in inspiring others to launch out after him as envoys of Christ.
Because of this, he is rightly and brightly sainted, and the patron of not only numerous specific missions, but [i]all[/i] foreign missions in general, patron of missionaries, navigators, plague epidemics and for the Propagation of the Faith.
And he's also just a really swell guy. We get along just great now ~ :hi:
It is not the actual physical exertion
that counts towards a man's progress,
nor the nature of the task,
but by the spirit of faith
with which it is undertaken.
~ Saint Francis Xavier ~
Saint Francis and I took a long time warming up to each other. Early on, I had read a not-very flattering biographical sketch about his awkwardness and lack of diplomacy in his missionary efforts. I believed the stories because everything I had heard about Francis Xavier biographically had shown him to be a rather stubborn, self-important, self-righteous person whom Ignatius patiently dragged into the fold with much effort.
But that's the important part: he was eventually dragged into the fold. He underwent a conversion out of Ignatius's fervor and willingness to tolerate his obnoxious behavior for a long, long time. And when he emerged, he emerged more faithful and more obedient, and more ardent about the Church than any of the men who initially served with Ignatius (and that's saying something!) ~ Francis Xavier was chosen for the Eastern missions because Francis Xavier was the most courageous, the most passionate, the most determined, and the most capable of Ignatius's "soldiers".
And he suffered greatly. He suffered in his journeys, he suffered in the foreign lands, and he suffered from terrible privation and loneliness for God's greater glory. And he did fail a lot, but he also succeeded ~ especially in inspiring others to launch out after him as envoys of Christ.
Because of this, he is rightly and brightly sainted, and the patron of not only numerous specific missions, but [i]all[/i] foreign missions in general, patron of missionaries, navigators, plague epidemics and for the Propagation of the Faith.
And he's also just a really swell guy. We get along just great now ~ :hi:
It is not the actual physical exertion
that counts towards a man's progress,
nor the nature of the task,
but by the spirit of faith
with which it is undertaken.
~ Saint Francis Xavier ~