Jesuit saints

by

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest, Patron of Missions and Missionaries (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we gather together to worship the Lord and to proclaim His glory, and as we all heard from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that as we continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, we should continue to do our part as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen so that we may truly embody our Christian faith in everything  that we say and do, that we may indeed proclaim the Lord in every opportunities that had been provided for us, in all the encounters with those who are around us, we may always be the bearers of God’s Good News and His love, compassion, truth and hope to everyone we meet and work with, to our communities and everyone whom we care for, as is our mission in life to do so.

Today we mark the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the Patron of Missions and Missionaries and hence, the Scripture readings speak strongly about what is the meaning of Christian mission and the role of missionaries in fulfilling and completing what the Lord has entrusted to each and every one of us, His beloved people. In the first reading from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, the Apostle spoke of what he was called to do as a minister of the Good News of God, and that everything which he had done, he did for the greater glory of God and not for his own benefits, while in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus Himself to His disciples and followers after His Resurrection, reminding them all of the missions which He has entrusted to them, to go forth to all the nations and to proclaim His truth and Good News, and how He would always be with them in all of their efforts and works.

Today as mentioned, the Church marks the occasion of the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the Patron of Missions and a member of the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits renowned for his lengthy and great missionary journeys to different parts of the world, especially his works in Asia, in the regions of India and South Asia, then Southeast Asia and the Far East, in Macau, China and Japan. St. Francis Xavier gave inspiration to many others in how he dedicated his life and service to God, in his perseverance to continue the mission despite the challenges and hardships he encountered during his journeys, and his passion and love for his fellow brothers and sisters, in the genuine desire he has to proclaim the Word of God and His Good News to more and more of the people of God all around the world.

St. Francis Xavier was born in what is today Spain as Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta in the town of Javier or Xavier which would later on made him known as Francis Xavier as we know him today. He was one of the companions of the Founder of the Society of Jesus, St. Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first members of the Jesuits, considered as one of its founding members. Back then, during the height of the Protestant reformation, St. Ignatius of Loyola gathered his companions and other like-minded people to commit themselves to the works of evangelisation and other ministries to spearhead the efforts in countering the terrible effects of the so-called reformation, which splintered the Church in many places into several factions and ‘churches’, and heresies and falsehoods were abound because of errant heretics and preachers.

The Jesuits were founded with the aim to help the Pope and the Church to oppose the tide of heresy and disunity, as well as to reform the Church in the right way. St. Ignatius of Loyola sent out the Jesuits in ministering both to the traditional areas of Christendom like in what is today Germany, the hotbed of the reformation, and also to those mission areas beyond Europe, where European explorers and adventurers made many discoveries of distant lands, all of which had not yet heard the message of God’s truth, His Gospels and the Good News of His salvation. St. Francis Xavier was among those entrusted with the responsibility to proclaim the Good News in the foreign and distant lands, and hence, he went forth, never returning to his homeland ever again.

He followed the long journey to the newly discovered areas, embarking on an extensive missionary journeys in parts of India, where missionaries had already laid some foundations earlier on, as well as areas of Southeast Asia like Malacca and the Spice Islands where he went to several islands and communities, preaching about God and gaining some people who were interested to know more about the Lord and became the first Christian converts in those areas. He did not always have it smooth though, as he did face rejection and hardships along the way, and in a well-known story about him, St. Francis Xavier almost met his end in a terrible storm in the sea, where the boat he was in was battered by waves and the strong wind. He prayed to God and thrust his crucifix into the waves, which then fell into the water and the storm stopped miraculously. A crab later on brought the crucifix back to St. Francis Xavier, who blessed it, and that crab later on always had a cross on its back.

That is just one of the many well-known stories regarding St. Francis Xavier, in his many efforts to serve the Lord through his time and work, in proclaiming the Good News to the furthest ends of the world. He went on to proclaim the Gospels in Japan, and was instrumental in laying the foundations for the later very successful Jesuit mission in Japan, which despite its termination later by the very intense persecutions under the Tokugawa Shogunate, for a period of about fifty years, the Church managed to flourish really well in Japan, with an estimated three hundred thousand Christians during the very height of the mission there, several decades after the passing of St. Francis Xavier. St. Francis Xavier himself passed away in Shangchuan Island just on the shores of China as he awaited the opportunity to enter China to begin a mission there. Some of other Jesuits like the famous Matteo Ricci would then continue what St. Francis Xavier had started.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all continue to follow therefore in the footsteps of the courageous St. Francis Xavier in his determination and commitment to serve the Lord in everything that he had done, in all the missions which he undertook even in the most difficult and challenging moments. Let us all be inspired by this great courage and faith which our holy predecessor had shown so that in our own actions, in our own words and interactions with one another, in our own lives as Christians, we will continue to be the shining examples and inspirations ourselves to everyone around us, to all those whom we encounter in our daily lives. May God bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours therefore, for His greater glory, in our respective missions in life. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest, Patron of Missions and Missionaries (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 16 : 15-20

At that time, Jesus told His disciples, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptised will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

“Signs like these will accompany those who have believed : in My Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took His place at the right hand of God. The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

by

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest, Patron of Missions and Missionaries (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 116 : 1-2

Alleluia! Praise the Lord, all you nations; all you peoples, praise Him.

How great is His love for us! His faithfulness lasts forever.

by

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest, Patron of Missions and Missionaries (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Corinthians 9 : 16-19, 22-23

Because I cannot boast of announcing the Gospel : I am bound to do it. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! If I preached voluntarily, I could expect my reward, but I have been trusted this office against my will. How can I, then, deserve a reward? In announcing the Gospel, I will do it freely without making use of the rights given to me by the Gospel.

So, feeling free with everybody, I have become everybody’s slave in order to gain a greater number. To the weak I made myself weak, to win the weak. So I made myself all things to all people in order to save, by all possible means, some of them. This I do for the Gospel, so that I too have a share of it.

by

Thursday, 31 July 2025 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen from this world to be His own beloved and holy people, we have been gathered to become this one flock of the Lord’s faithful, to share together His blessings and graces, to enjoy His love and kindness, all that He has assured and given to us. At the same time we are also reminded that if we do not belong to Him and are apart from Him, we shall be judged and condemned to an eternity in darkness and destruction. Hence, this is why it is important that we should always strive to live our lives worthily and commit ourselves to the Lord in each and every moments of our lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the last chapter of the Book of Exodus, we heard of the moment when the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered together during the time of their journey from the land of Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan, at the moment after the Holy Tent of Meeting, or the Tent of God’s Presence had been completed according to the instructions that the Lord had given to them through Moses. At that time, the Lord has been guiding the people day and night on the journey through the desert, but the journey of the Israelites had faced a detour due to their own lack of faith as they doubted the Lord and refused to believe in Him when He led them to the land of Promise, allowing their fears and uncertainties to overcome them and to make them reject God’s assurance and plans for them.

That was why they were forced to wander in the desert for forty years long to atone for their sins. And yet, the Lord still cared for His people and remained with them, no matter what, as He continued to show His Presence among them, by descending upon them at the Holy Tent, the Holy Tent of God’s Presence, enthroned among the Cherubim of the Ark of the Covenant. This was the Holy of Holies within the Holy Tent of God, which would later be replicated when King Solomon built a great Temple for God in Jerusalem. This Holy of Holies is the epicentre and heart of God’s Holy Presence among His people, a tangible reminder of God Who has always been there for His beloved ones, those whom He had called and chosen. And today we are being reminded of this because all of us as Christians, we have been made God’s Holy Temple, the Temple of His Holy Presence.

Each and every one of us have received the Lord Himself in the Flesh, as we received from Him the ultimate gift of His love for us, the gift of the Most Holy Eucharist, His very own Most Precious Body and Most Precious Blood that He has given to us. And because of this, God Himself has dwelled within us, and we have become parts and members of God’s one Church, His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. And God made us all to be the ones in whom He dwelled, in our hearts and in our whole beings, that we are truly the Temple of His Holy Presence, just like the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant once resided, and where God descended in His Holy Presence, to dwell among His people. He is now enthroned in our hearts, and is truly present in each and every one of us.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus teaching more to His disciples and followers with the parables and stories to highlight and explain what the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven is all about. And He told them all of how the Kingdom of Heaven is truly open to all, using the comparison to a net that is thrown wide, gathering everyone in, highlighting how each and every one of us, God’s beloved people, all of mankind, have been beloved equally by God, from the smallest to the greatest amongst us, and to even the greatest of sinners, to those whom we may consider to be unworthy of God. Each one of us, though sinners, are called to God’s grace, to embrace His love and compassionate mercy.

However, at the same time, we are reminded that we have to be good, worthy and righteous in our lives and deeds so that we may truly be worthy of everything that God has prepared for us. Unless we heed His words and embrace our calling to live lives that are truly attuned to the Lord and in accordance with His will, we may find ourselves being found wanting because we lacked the faith and the commitment to live faithfully in the Lord’s path. And that is why we are reminded of this, that we should not remain idle in our faith and way of life. We must turn away from the path of sin and wickedness, from all the temptations of this world, from all the unhealthy attachments which we have for the ambitions and the desires of this world, for all sins and wickedness around us.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the famous founder of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. St. Ignatius of Loyola was born as Iñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola in the castle of Loyola, where he got his epithet from, to a family of minor nobles. His early life was rather turbulent with lots of conflicts, a lot of changes and losses, and he grew through his youth thinking that he would become a great warrior, pursuing ambitions of knighthood and chivalry, as he served in the military, fighting wars and battles that were rampant and frequent at that time. He pursued worldly glory, fame and was ambitious, but he felt something was lacking in his life as he kept on fighting battles after battles, wars after wars.

And at one moment when he was injured due to being struck by a cannonball, he had to be put out of action for a while, and while healing from his injuries and recuperating, he was seeking for the tales of chivalry and knighthood to satisfy his boredom. But only books on the lives of the saints were available to him, and his experiences reading through them made St. Ignatius of Loyola to go through a moment of conversion, changing his life and path forever. It was from that moment on, that St. Ignatius of Loyola no longer sought worldly glory and ambitions, and instead, he began a new path, seeking for the conversion of hearts and souls. This eventually led to the establishment of the Society of Jesus, as St. Ignatius of Loyola gathered together others who were also passionate about the salvation of souls as he had been.

That was how St. Ignatius of Loyola spearheaded the effort of the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits in taking part in the Counter-Reformation efforts, at a time of great upheaval for the Church, when the Church and the whole Christendom was under great threat from external threats and from within, as at that time, the Church was wrecked and divided by the then raging Protestant reformation and other divisions, while the rising forces of the Ottoman Turks were rampaging across Christendom, conquering many countries where Christians were living in, and at times even threatened the heart of Christendom in Rome and Central Europe. The Jesuits were at the forefront of the efforts of the Church in combatting the heresies and also reaching to the many people who had not believed in the Lord, as they were also sent out to many missions around the world to spread the Good News.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, inspired by the life and examples of St. Ignatius of Loyola and his fellow Jesuits in doing the will of God and in proclaiming the Good News and truth of God, and reminded of the fact that each and every one of us are the Holy Temples of God’s Holy Presence, let us all therefore seek to live our lives worthily in the manner that the Lord Himself has shown and taught us. Let us all continue to strive and persevere in our faith, doing our best to glorify Him by our faithful and worthy lives. May He continue to bless us all in our every good endeavours and efforts, and may He continue to strengthen us in our journey of faith, now and always. Amen.

by

Thursday, 31 July 2025 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 13 : 47-53

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net, let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish into buckets, but throw the bad away. That is how it will be at the end of time; the Angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just, and to throw the wicked into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth.”

Jesus asked, “Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered. So He said to them, “Therefore, every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven, is like a householder, who can produce from his store things both new and old.”

When Jesus had finished these parables, He left that place.

by

Thursday, 31 July 2025 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 83 : 3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11

My soul yearns; pines, for the courts of YHVH. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young, at Your altars, o YHVH of hosts, my King and my God!

Happy are those who live in Your house, continually singing Your praise! Happy, the pilgrims whom You strengthen, they go from strength to strength.

One day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be left at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.

by

Thursday, 31 July 2025 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Exodus 40 : 16-21, 34-38

Moses did this; he did exactly as YHVH had commanded him. The Holy Tent was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. Moses set up the Holy Tent. He fixed the bases for it, put up its frames, put its crossbars in position, set up its posts. He spread the tent over the Holy Tent and on top of this the covering for the Tent, as YHVH had commanded Moses.

He took the Covenant and placed it inside the Ark. He set the poles to the Ark in place and put the mercy seat on it. He brought the Ark into the Holy Tent and put the screening veil in place; thus he screened the Ark of YHVH, as YHVH had commanded Moses.

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the Glory of YHVH filled the Holy Tent. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because of the Glory of YHVH that filled the Holy Tent. At every stage of their journey, whenever the cloud rose from the Holy Tent, the people of Israel would continue their march. If the cloud did not rise, they waited and would not move their camp until it did.

For the cloud rested on the Holy Tent by day, and a fire shone within the cloud by night for all the house of Israel to see. And so it was for every stage of their journey.

by

Tuesday, 3 December 2024 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest and Patron of Missions and Missionaries (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church marks the Feast of the great patron saint of all missions and missionaries, namely that of St. Francis Xavier, a well-known Jesuit saint and missionary who had worked and laboured for many years to spread the Good News of the Lord in the Gospels and Scriptures to the far ends of the world as was known then. Thanks to his efforts and works, the foundation and groundwork for many more evangelising missions and efforts had been laid down, and many more would follow this great and faithful saint in their own missions and efforts to evangelise the world. That is why today, we remember his memory and actions, works and commitment to God, while at the same time reflecting and pondering upon our own mission in life.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful throughout the city and region of Corinth, where St. Paul spoke about the matter of his missionary works and efforts, everything that he had done for the sake of God and His people, how he could not and ought not to boast about all of his works and achievements, as everything that he had done, all were done for the glory of God and for the salvation of the people that he had been sent to. The Corinthians like many other people throughout the world at the time, had received the news and words of God’s salvation through the Apostles and many other missionaries, but they all served the Lord humbly, and while performing the miraculous signs and proclaiming the words of wisdom and wonders, all these they dedicated to God and not to themselves.

This is a very important reminder to each and every one of us as servants and followers of God in our respective missions and evangelising efforts that we should not take credit for our efforts and works, and we must always put God at the very centre of our lives and existence. Otherwise, it is easy for many of us to fall into the temptations of power, glory, fame and ambition, which had indeed happened to some among our predecessors, allowing the evil one to tempt them with the false glory and worldly achievements and ambitions. We must not walk down that path, and we have to resist all the pressures, coercions and temptations to enter into the falsehoods of evil, of the many desires and attachments of this world. We have to keep our faith and trust strongly in the Lord.

Then from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples and followers of the commandment which He gave and entrusted to them, in evangelising the people all around the world, proclaiming the Good News of God’s salvation and grace to everyone. The Lord reassured and reminded them that He would always be with them, and He would guide them in all things that no permanent harm shall come to them. Indeed, they might have to suffer and endure a lot of persecutions, oppressions and hardships in their paths, such as what the Lord Himself had predicted for them. But He would not leave them to struggle all alone, as He would send them the strength, courage and wisdom through His Holy Spirit and Presence, guiding and assisting them all the way.

That is why each and every one of us as Christians must not hesitate or be discouraged from following the Lord faithfully and doing what He has entrusted to us to do, in our various missions in life, in whatever area we are in, whether we are member of the ordained ministry like the bishops and priests, or whether we are members of the religious orders and those who have given themselves to a life of prayer and consecrated life to God, or whether we are parts and members of the laypeople, as married couples and family members, as single persons living our lives with holiness and efforts to proclaim the Lord’s truth and Good News through each and every one of our own exemplary living. All of us must always be courageous and trust in God’s Providence, making good use of the opportunities which He has provided to us.

St. Francis Xavier himself was called by the Lord to his great endeavour in being a missionary, devoting himself and his whole life to the mission that God had entrusted to him. He was born in the town of Xavier in the kingdom of Navarre, in what is now part of Spain, which was how he got the name St. Francis Xavier. He was born into an influential noble family and was raised at a time of great turmoil and conflict, around the same time as St. Ignatius of Loyola, who was also born around the same area, the one who founded the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits. St. Francis Xavier studied in Paris for his education and during that time, he encountered both St. Peter Faber and St. Ignatius of Loyola, which eventually led to the former becoming one of the founders of the Jesuits.

The Jesuits became instrumental in the efforts of Counter Reformation throughout Europe at the time, and they also became part of the missionary activities and journeys sponsored early on by the Kingdom of Portugal, which at that time was launching many exploratory efforts to the Far East. St. Francis Xavier was one of those appointed as a missionary, dedicating himself to the missions in India, in the Southeast Asia region, Macau and Japan. He travelled extensively during those years, visiting places after places, teaching the people whom he encountered about the Lord and His Good News, journeying by foot and by boat to visit those various communities, teaching to them about Christ and His salvation.

St. Francis Xavier never wavered in his conviction and efforts to glorify the Lord and to proclaim His truth to many more people, and to the very last moments of his life, he remained adamant in his desire to evangelise to the people who have not yet known the Lord, dying at the Shangguan Island on his time while waiting to enter into the great country of China. It would be another Jesuit, Fr. Matteo Ricci who would begin the work of evangelisation in China. St. Francis Xavier was also known for his miraculous deeds, much as what the Lord Jesus had said to His disciples in our Gospel passage today, as a popular story attributed to the saint spoke of him calming a great storm during one of his missionary trips in Southeast Asia. St. Francis Xavier prayed and threw his crucifix into th waves in the hope of calming the storm, and it subsided. Later on, by the shore, a crab appeared to St. Francis Xavier and his fellow missionaries, holding up the crucifix that was lost to the waves. St. Francis Xavier blessed the crab and henceforth, that crab is known as St. Francis’ crab, having a crucifix on its back.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the missionary zeal and the courageous efforts shown by St. Francis Xavier throughout all his years of ministry in the distant lands, showing no fear and great courage throughout all of his efforts in proclaiming the Good News of God to many more people throughout the whole world. Let us all also realise our own missions in life, and dedicate ourselves to do our best to proclaim God’s Good News to all through our own exemplary living, and then also at the same time, supporting the good efforts and works of the Church and its many missionaries. May the Lord bless us all and empower us with the courage, strength and wisdom to do His will, now and always. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 3 December 2024 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest and Patron of Missions and Missionaries (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 16 : 15-20

At that time, Jesus told His disciples, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptised will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

“Signs like these will accompany those who have believed : in My Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took His place at the right hand of God. The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.