Readings

December 3: [Francis Xavier, Priest and Missionary, 1552]

The Collect of the Day

Francis Xavier

God of all nations; Raise up in this and every land, evangelists and heralds of your kingdom, that like your servant Francis Xavier we may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Francis Xavier

God of all nations; Raise up, we beseech thee, in this and every land, evangelists and heralds of thy kingdom, that like thy servant Francis Xavier we may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Francis Xavier was one of the great missionaries of the church. Born in Spain in 1506, he studied locally before taking up university studies in Paris in 1526, receiving a master’s degree in 1530. While in Parishe met Ignatius Loyola and, with a small group of companions, they bound themselves together for the service of God on August 15th, 1534, the beginning of what would later become the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits. After further theological study, Francis and Ignatius were ordained together in 1537.

Francis went to India as the nuncio to the east for King John III of Portugal, arriving at Goa on the western coast in 1542. Helater moved south and traveled to Sri Lanka and the Molucca Islands, now Indonesia. For seven years, he labored among the people there, winning many converts to the faith, baptizing, teaching, and trying to ease the suffering of the people. His efforts were not always well received. New Christians were often abused and enslaved and sometimes killed.

In 1549, Francis moved on to the southern region of Japan and immediately set about learning the language and preparing a catechism to support his missionary efforts. In time, he moved north to the imperial capital, Kyoto, and made an effort to see the Mikado, the Japanese emperor. Civil strife and localized resistance made Francis’ Japanese efforts difficult, but he came away from the experience witha deep sense of respect for the people and their culture.

After returning to India 1551, Francis was appointed the Jesuit Provincial for India, but he was not satisfied only to maintain the work already begun. He immediately set out for China, at the time closed to foreigners, in hopes of launching new missionary efforts there. He set up camp near the mouth of the Canton River in August 1552, hoping to secure passage into the country. Later that year he took ill and died, at age forty-six, on December 3rd, 1552. His remains were later transferred back to Goa, India.

Lessons and Psalm

First Lesson

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Psalm

1For God alone my soul in silence waits; *from him comes my salvation.

2He alone is my rock and my salvation, *my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.

3How long will you assail me to crush me, all of you together, *as if you were a leaning fence, a toppling wall?

4They seek only to bring me down from my place of honor; *lies are their chief delight.

5They bless with their lips, *but in their hearts they curse.

6For God alone my soul in silence waits; *truly, my hope is in him.

7He alone is my rock and my salvation, *my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.

8In God is my safety and my honor; *God is my strong rock and my refuge.

9Put your trust in him always, O people, *pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.

10Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath, *even those of low estate cannot be trusted.

11On the scales they are lighter than a breath, *all of them together.

12Put no trust in extortion; in robbery take no empty pride; *though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.

13God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, *that power belongs to God.

14Steadfast love is yours, O Lord, *for you repay everyone according to his deeds.

Gospel

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Mark 16:15–20

15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

1 Corinthians 9:16–23

16 If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel. 19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.