He was beatified by Pope Paul V on 25 October 1619.

Canonized by Pope Gregory XV on 12 March 1622.

Known as the "Apostle of the Indies", "Apostle of the Far East", "Apostle of China" and "Apostle of Japan",

he is considered to be one of the greatest missionaries since Paul the Apostle.

 

St. Francis Xavier, priest

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Isaiah 11:1-10

From the stump of Jesse

A shoot will come forth; from his roots a branch will grow and bear fruit.

The spirit of the Lord will rest upon him – a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and fear of Yahweh.

 

Not by appearances will he judge, nor by what is said must he decide, but with justice he will judge the poor and with righteousness decide for the meek.

Like a rod, his word will strike the oppressor, and the breath of his lips slay the wicked.

 

Justice will be the girdle of his waist, truth the girdle of his loins.

The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will rest beside the kid, the calf and the lion cub will feed together and a little child will lead them.

 

Befriending each other, the cow and the bear will see their young ones lie down together.

Like cattle, the lion will eat hay.

By the cobra's den the infant will play.

The child will put his hand into the viper's lair.

No one will harm or destroy over my holy mountain, for as water fills the sea the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh.

On that day the "Root of Jesse" will be raised as a signal for the nations. The people will come in search of him, thus making his dwelling place glorious.

 

Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

Luke 10:21-24

At that time, Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and made them known to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. I have been given all things by my Father, so that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

 

Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them privately, "Fortunate are you to see what you see, for I tell you, that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see, but did not see it; and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"God's revelation."

A trusting relationship is only possible among people who are receptive and humble. A person who has a heart like that of a child (nepios) is the one who is humble enough to receive God's revelation. The learned tend to reject what God is revealing to them due to their pride and arrogance. The Gospel passage narrates how Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, praised the Father.

 

Jesus gave praise to the Father because he hid from the learned but revealed to the childlike the kind of relationship he has with his Father. Jesus' disciples were fortunate to experience and witness Jesus' relationship with his Father. Jesus' relationship with his Father is revealed by Jesus to his disciples that they may also enter into such a relationship.

 

In the process, they were able to see that God, who is the Lord of heaven and earth, is also their Father. We reflect on the fact that the God we worship is not only the powerful God of the universe but also the God who relates to us as a loving Father. In this season of Advent, we are called to humble ourselves before the God Who is our loving Father, that we may be more receptive to his revelation.