Saint Francis Xavier his life
Lands of the Far East knew the figure of Christ and thousands of his people followed him thanks to Javier’s superhuman apostolic effort, supported by the Portuguese crown and animated with the encouragement of the papacy. The difficulties of the communications were the cause that the news of his death arrived at Rome with three years of delay. When he fondled the dream of entering China, on the island of Sancián, in a cabin of branches and clay, sick with pneumonia, Javier died with only forty-six years. He was canonized on March 12, 1622 along with San Ignacio de Loyola, San Felipe Neri, St. Teresa of Jesus and the saint of Madrid, San Isidro Labrador.
He is patron of the missions in the East and shares the universal patronage of the Catholic missions with Therese of Lisieux. It is not known with what pretension they put so much emphasis on calling him an adventurer, little constant and impetuous reckless. He may thus judge the lukewarm, the envious, or the indifferent, but they would go no further than unsubstantiated assertions. Perhaps it is only the desire for originality in the exercise of “enlightened” criticism, or the search for the proper name, or the conception of the apostolate conceived by some in such a particular way that it becomes exclusive and exclusive of what others do, as if The breath of the Spirit had to be controlled by his personal scheme. In any case, there have always been “prudent” and even “very prudent” people who, logically, have run the risk of others calling their prudence lazy, and their much prudence cowardly; Because, put to think, there has always been for all tastes, right? After all, things are not as one would like to see them, but as they are; And to be honest, Javier is holy before God and before men, while his detractors, only said things.
Javier belonged to a Navarrese class family. His father, Don Juan de Jassu, is doctor by Bologna in both rights and expert in political negotiations between kings and kingdoms. His mother is Maria de Azpilcueta, of the solar house of the valley of Baztán, heiress of the possession of Javier. The son was born on April 7, 1506 in the castle of his family, when political institutions had not yet been ruined, nor had the family castle been ruined.
Paris knew him as a pupil and possessed him as teacher in the period of eleven years (1525-1536). It resides in the school of Santa Bárbara, sponsored by the king of Portugal. He graduated in Literature, graduated in Philosophy and did theological studies until the year 1536 with the sauce of intellectual struggles fanned by nascent Protestantism that found one of its main barriers in the University of Paris. Contact with students such as the Savoyard Cornelio Fabro and the Valencian Juan de la Peña produces a change of scheme in his mind, opening the field of his earthly ecclesiastical aspirations to another higher level in which the aspiration to holiness already enters. If we add as a colophon the deal with Iñigo de Loyola, the transformation is better understood, even though the distance in political matters between Ignacio and Javier were diametrically opposed.
He made his first vows in Montmartre on 15 August 1534. He then went to Rome with the founder, making a few months of secretary. He received priestly ordination in Venice in 1537 and stands out for his zeal for holiness and availability for the apostolate. One day the Portuguese ambassador, Pedro Mascaras, intervened, and there was a stir. He came from Paris where he was told that this incipient group of followers of Ignacio has the claw and charisma enough to fulfill the aspirations of the king of Portugal, Don Juan III, who at that moment has plans to attend, consolidate and extend his possessions overseas , Both in the Indies and in Brazil.
As Pope Paul III accepts the plan and supports it, there is not much else to talk about. Javier spent a year in Portugal to familiarize himself with the language and customs, without going unnoticed his presence and work in the Court, achieving on their own merit the confidence of the king and his ministers. When embarking for Goa has very broad faculties that will facilitate the accomplishment of his work without obstacles; Is papal legate and nuncio by brief pontificats issued in the Curia and also carries the informal commission of the king to put order and concert in the settlements already installed.
Part in 1542; After great success in Goa for five months, he extended his work to the south of India and to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where he converted tens of thousands of people; Also in Malabar, Travancor, and Meliapur. In 1545 Malacca will see his figure teaching catechism preaching everywhere; Good pulpit will be the squares and the streets. Missionary without geographical limits will go to the islands Amboino, Cerán, Ternate, Tidoro and the islands of Moro. He will not have it easy – despite his papers and credentials – with the difficulties and obstacles that the merchants put him in Ceylon. Not always and everything is to reach new people; Sometimes he returns and visits the first communities, he composes catechisms, he regroups the Christians, he does what he can to organize them and leave them prepared for the clergy to come after them. He is the first missionary of Japan, when Kagoshima steps in August of 1549, accompanied by another Jesuit and a lay brother; After learning Japanese for a year, the tactics are the same, simple preaching of the gospel with patience and charity. In 1551, when he left Japan, he founded a thriving Christian community. Sometimes there were mass baptisms, because their divine impatience provoked a spiritual commotion. He was appointed Provincial when he was in these evangelizing positions.
Shipped to Sancian (Shuangzhong), he was encouraged by the hope of reaching China; Young man caught the affection of God, who was always his employer, when he called. Year 1552. His uncorrupted body is preserved in Goa, in the church of Good Jesus. The missionaries go in the hands of God like Francisco Javier, called the Apostle of the Indies; With confidence placed in the breath of the Spirit; If the candles are unfolded and the blow is strong, it will arrive soon and many.
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