[Rank]
S. Francisci Xaverii Confessoris;;Duplex majus;;4;;vide C5

[Rule]
vide C5;mtv
9 lectiones;

[Oratio]
O God, who wast pleased, by the preaching and miracles of blessed Francis, to add the nations of the Indies to thy Church; mercifully grant that, as we venerate his glorious merits, so we may also follow the example of his virtues.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio4]
Francis was of noble family, and was born in the castle of Xavier, in the diocese of Pampeluna, (in the year of our Lord 1506.) He was a companion of St. Ignatius at Paris, and one of his earliest disciples. Under his teaching, he learnt to become so wrapt in the contemplation of divine things, that he was sometimes lifted in ecstasy off the ground, which happened to him several times when he was saying Mass in public before large congregations. He earned these refreshments of the soul by the sharpest punishment of the body. He gave up the use not only of meat and wine, but also of wheaten bread; he lived on the vilest food, and ate only once every two or three days. He used an iron scourge till his blood ran freely; he shortened the hours of his rest, and lay only on the ground.

[Lectio5]
The hardness and holiness of his life had made him meet to be called to be an Apostle, and when John III, King of Portugal, asked Pope Paul III to send to the Indies some members of the then new Society of Jesus, the Pontiff, by the advice of St. Ignatius, sent Francis to enter on that vast field of labour with the powers of Apostolic Nuncio. He arrived (in India on the 6th day of May, in the year 1542.) When he began his work, it seemed as though God Himself taught him the many and difficult languages of the natives. It even happened that when he preached in one language to a mixed congregation of different nationalities, each one heard him in his own tongue wherein he was born. He travelled over countless districts, always walking, and often bare-footed. He introduced the faith into Japan, and six other countries. In India he turned many hundred thousands to Christ, and regenerated many chiefs and kings in the holy font. And notwithstanding that he was doing all these great things for God's service, so deep was his lowliness that when he wrote to St. Ignatius, the General of the Society, he did so on his knees.

[Lectio6]
God was pleased to support his zeal for spreading the Gospel with many and great miracles. He gave sight to a blind man. On one occasion the supply of fresh water failed when he was at sea, and five hundred sailors were in danger of perishing by thirst, but the servant of God, by the sign of the Cross, turned salt water into fresh, and they used it for a considerable time. Some of this water was also carried into different countries, and a great number of sick persons were instantaneously cured by it. He called several dead men to life, among whom was one who had been buried the day before, and who was disinterred by command of the saint; and likewise two others who were being carried to the grave, and whom he took by the hand and restored living to their parents. He had the spirit of prophecy, and foretold many things, remote both in place and time. Utterly worn out with his labours, he died full of good works in the island of San-Chan in the Canton River, (upon the 2nd day of December, in the year of our Lord 1552.) His body was buried in quick lime, and, being again taken up, was again buried in the same, but at the end of many months it was found entirely incorrupt, and sweet, and, when cut, blood flowed freely from it. From China it was carried to Malacca, and, as soon as it reached that place, a plague, which was raging there, ceased. At length, when he had become famous throughout the whole world for new and wonderful miracles, Gregory XV added his name to the list of the Saints.

[Lectio94]
Francis was born of noble family at Xavier in the diocese of Pamplona. In Paris, he joined the companions and disciples of St. Ignatius, and in a short time became a shining example of austerity of life and untiring contemplation of divine things. Paul III made him apostolic nuncio to India, and he traveled about through countless provinces, always on foot and often barefoot. He brought the faith to Japan and six other regions. In India he converted many hundreds of thousands to Christianity, cleansing many princes and kings in the holy waters of baptism. His humility was so great that, when he wrote to St. Ignatius, his general, he always did so on his knees. By many and wonderful miracles, the Lord confirmed his zealous work in spreading the Gospel. Finally, on the Chinese island of Sancian, he died on the 2nd of December, rich in merits and worn out with his labors. Gregory XV enrolled him among the Saints, and Pius X, appointed him the heavenly patron of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith and of its work.
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[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Mark
!Mark 16:15-18
In that time, Jesus said to his disciples: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. And so on.
_
Homily by Pope St. Gregory (the Great.)
!29th on the Gospels.
By the words every creature we may understand every tribe of the Gentiles. Of aforetime it had been said, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, (Matth. x. 5,) but now, Preach the Gospel to every creature, that, since the Jews had proudly rejected the preaching of the Apostles, that might become our gain which was the seal of their condemnation. But when the Eternal Truth sendeth forth His disciples to preach, what doth He but scatter seed over the field of the world? He scattereth abroad a few grains for seed, that He may afterward reap an abundant harvest in our faith.

[Lectio8]
The great harvest of faithful souls throughout the whole world would never have sprung up, if the hand of the Lord had not first scattered those chosen grains of preachers over the reasonable soil of men's minds. Then is written, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not, shall be damned. Now, perchance, thou sayest in thine heart I believe, and therefore I shall be saved. True, if to thy faith thou dost add works. He only hath a living faith whose life doth not give the lie to his profession. It is of this that Paul speaketh, where he saith of certain vain believers, They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him. (Tit. i. 16.)

[Lectio9]
And these signs shall follow them that believe In My name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. My brethren, these signs do not follow us. Do we, then, not believe? Nay. The truth is, these things were needful when the Church was young. That she might grow by the increase of the faithful, she needed to be nourished with miracles. So we, when we plant a young tree, continually water and tend it, till we see that it hath taken firm root in the earth but when once it hath taken firm root, it can grow of itself. Hence Paul saith of tongues Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. ~(i Cor. xiv. 22.)
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