It’s the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: “The Resurrection of the Body”, today’s news from the Church: “IFOP Examines the Morale of French Priests”, a preview of the Sermon: “Advent Is a Season of Preparation”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop.

• “The Resurrection of the Body” – From Advent to Epiphany
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Saint Francis Xavier is one of the most extraordinary missionaries in the history of the Church, a man whose life reads like an unbroken act of availability to God. Born in 1506 into a noble Basque family, he studied at the University of Paris where he met Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius slowly drew Francis from dreams of academic success toward the deeper adventure of serving Christ. When Francis made the Spiritual Exercises, he emerged with a heart ready to go anywhere. He became one of the first companions of the Society of Jesus, ordained in 1537, and soon found himself appointed as papal ambassador to the Far East. It was a mission he had not sought, yet he embraced it with astonishing generosity.

From 1541 onward, Francis traveled across oceans and cultures with tireless zeal. He preached in India, where he lived among the poorest communities and revived Christian life in places long neglected. He crossed to the Malay Archipelago, evangelizing fishermen, pearl divers, and entire villages one encounter at a time. In Japan, he learned enough of the language to teach the faith clearly and won converts through patience and friendship rather than displays of authority. Throughout his journeys he carried almost nothing but his breviary, a catechism, and the joy that made people trust him instantly. Letters from this period reveal a man both heroic and deeply human, often exhausted and lonely but convinced that souls were worth every sacrifice.

Francis died in 1552 on the island of Sancian off the coast of China, waiting for an opportunity to enter the mainland. He died with the same readiness that marked his life, whispering prayers as he gazed toward a land he never reached. His body, remarkably preserved, was taken to Goa where it became an enduring place of pilgrimage.

Cultural devotion to Saint Francis Xavier spread quickly. In Goa and throughout India, large processions and novenas honor him as a spiritual father. In Japan, small Christian communities held his memory secretly during centuries of persecution, treasuring medals and images of the missionary who first brought them the Gospel. In Europe, he became the patron of foreign missions, sailors, and travelers. For centuries, missionaries carried small statues or relics of Francis as a sign of courage when setting out for unfamiliar lands. His feast on December 3 often includes prayers for evangelization, the renewal of missionary spirit, and the courage to bring Christ to new frontiers.

Saint Francis Xavier, apostle to the nations, pray for us!

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