The
baptismal name of Francis Xavier was Francisco de Jaso y Azpilicueta and he was
born on April 7, 1506. In 1525, having completed a preliminary course of
studies in his own country, Francis Xavier went to Paris, where he entered the
Collège de Sainte-Barbe. Here he met the Savoyard, Pierre Favre, and a warm
personal friendship sprang up between them.
It
was at this same college that St. Ignatius Loyola, who was already planning the
foundation of the Society of Jesus, resided for a time as a guest in 1529.
Ignatius soon won the confidence of the two young men; first Favre and later
Xavier offered themselves with him in the formation of the Society. Four
others, Lainez, Salmerón, Rodríguez, and Bobadilla, having joined them, the
seven made the famous vow of Montmartre, on August 15, 1534.
After
completing his studies in Paris and filling the post of teacher there for some
time, Xavier left the city with his companions on November 15, 1536, and turned
his steps to Venice, where he displayed zeal and charity in attending the sick
in the hospitals. On June 24, 1537, he received Holy orders with St. Ignatius.
The following year he went to Rome, and after doing apostolic work there for
some months, during the spring of 1539 he took part in the conferences which
St. Ignatius held with his companions to prepare for the definitive foundation
of the Society of Jesus. The order was approved verbally on September 3, 1539,
and before the written approbation was secured, which was not until a year
later, Xavier was appointed, at the earnest solicitation of the John III, King
of Portugal, to evangelize the people of the East Indies. He left Rome on March
16, 1540, and reached Lisbon about June. He remained there for nine months, and
was noted for his apostolic zeal.
On
April 7, 1541, he embarked in a sailing vessel for India, and after a tedious
and dangerous voyage landed at Goa on May 6, 1542. The first five months were
spent in preaching and ministering to the sick in the hospitals. He would go
through the streets ringing a little bell and inviting the children to hear the
word of God. When he had gathered a number, he would take them to a certain
church and would there explain the catechism to them. About October, 1542, he
started for the pearl fisheries of the extreme southern coast of the peninsula,
desirous of restoring Christianity which, although introduced years before, had
almost disappeared on account of the lack of priests. He devoted almost three
years to the work of preaching to the people of Western India, converting many,
and reaching in his journeys even the Island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
Many
were the difficulties and hardships which Xavier had to encounter at this time;
yet he persevered and never gave up. In the spring of 1545 Xavier started for
Malacca. He worked there for the last months of that year, and although he was
successful, he was not as successful as he would have liked to be. About
January 1546, Xavier left Malacca and went to Molucca Islands, where the
Portuguese had some settlements, and for a year and a half he preached the
Gospel to the inhabitants of Amboyna, Ternate, Baranura, and other islands in
that area. It is claimed by some that during this expedition he landed on the
island of Mindanao, and for this reason St. Francis Xavier has been called the
first Apostle of the Philippines.
By
July, 1547, he was again in Malacca. Here he met a Japanese called Anger
(Han-Sir), from whom he obtained much information about Japan. His zeal was at
once aroused by the idea of introducing Christianity into Japan, but for the
time being the affairs of the Society of Jesus demanded his presence at Goa,
and so he went there taking Anger with him. During the six years that Xavier
had been working among the people, other Jesuit missionaries had arrived at
Goa, sent from Europe by St. Ignatius; moreover some who had been born in India
had been received into the Society. In 1548 Xavier sent these Jesuits to the
principal centres of India, where he had established missions, so that the work
might be preserved and continued. He also established a novitiate and house of
studies, and having received into the Society Father Cosme de Torres, a Spanish
priest whom he had met in the Malucca. He started with him and Brother Juan
Fernández for Japan towards the end of June, 1549. The Japanese Anger, who had
been baptized at Goa and given the name of Pablo de Santa Fe, accompanied them.
They landed at the city of Kagoshima in Japan, on August 15, 1549. The entire
first year was devoted to learning the Japanese language and translating into
Japanese, with the help of Pablo de Santa Fe, the principal articles of faith and
short treatises which were to be employed in preaching and catechizing. When he
was able to express himself, Xavier began preaching and made some converts, but
these aroused the ill will of the Bonzes, who had him banished from the city.
Leaving Kagoshima about August, 1550, he penetrated to the centre of Japan, and
preached the Gospel in some of the cities of southern Japan. Towards the end of
that year he reached Meaco, then the principal city of Japan, but he was unable
to make any headway here. He retraced his steps to the centre of Japan, and
during 1551 preached in some important cities, forming the nucleus of several
Christian communities, which in time increased with extraordinary rapidity.
After
working about two years and a half in Japan he left this mission in charge of
Father Cosme de Torres and Brother Juan Fernández, and returned to Goa,
arriving there at the beginning of 1552. He then turned his thoughts to China,
and began to plan an expedition there. During his stay in Japan he had heard
much of the Celestial Empire, and was anxious to spread the Gospel there. In
the autumn of 1552, he arrived in a Portuguese vessel at the small island of
Sancian near the coast of China. While planning the best means for reaching the
mainland, he was taken ill, and as the movement of the vessel seemed to
aggravate his condition, he was removed to the land, where a hut had been built
to shelter him. In these poor surroundings he breathed his last.
One
can only wonder at the apostolic zeal of Francis Xavier who in the short span
of ten years traversed so many seas and visited so many countries to preach the
Gospel. He is regarded as the Patron of Missions primarily for these reasons.
He was canonized with St. Ignatius in 1622.
The
Gospel text of today is taken from the last Chapter and last verses in the
Gospel of Matthew and is commonly known as the “Great Commission”. The risen
Jesus meets his disciples on a mountain in Galilee and after making a
revelation to them issues a command. The command is to “make disciples” which
in Matthew is not done merely by baptising, but primarily by teaching people to
do what Jesus has done. This is what Francis Xavier. The assurance that Jesus
gave his disciples of his abiding presence is the assurance that motivated Xavier
to persevere. It must also be our reason for perseverance since Jesus is the
same yesterday, today and forever.
