December 3
St Francis Xavier
Thursday, week 1 of Advent
St Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and is widely recognized as one of the greatest Christian missionaries since the time of the Apostles. Born in the early 16th century in the Kingdom of Navarre, he was a contemporary and companion of St Ignatius of Loyola, and together they helped shape the early direction of the Jesuit order. St Francis Xavier's missionary journeys took him across Asia, including India, the Malay Archipelago, and Japan—regions where he tirelessly preached the Gospel, administered sacraments, and sought to meet people in their own cultures. His deep commitment to evangelization was grounded in a profound love for Christ and a desire to share the faith with those who had never heard of Christianity, yet he respected local customs and strove to learn new languages, showing genuine care for the dignity of the people he served.
While not all the stories of St Francis Xavier’s miracles and adventures can be historically verified, his legacy as a tireless apostle is certain. The Church commemorates him as a patron of missions, recognizing both his missionary zeal and his example of Christian charity. The feast of St Francis Xavier invites Catholics to pray for the spread of the Gospel and to reflect on how each person can witness to the faith in their own lives, wherever they are called. His life remains a powerful reminder of the call to missionary discipleship rooted in personal holiness, adaptability, and a deep trust in God’s providence.
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The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingIs 26, 1-6
On that day, this song will be sung
in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city!
The Lord has set up
walls and ramparts for our protection.
Open the gates!
The righteous nation shall enter,
who keeps faith.
Unchanging in your purpose, you preserve peace,
the peace of those who trust in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord is the eternal Rock.
He has brought low those who dwelt on high,
he has humbled the unreachable city,
he has humbled it to the ground,
and made it bite the dust.
It will be trampled underfoot,
under the feet of the poor,
by the steps of the weak.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 117 (118), 1.8, 19-20, 21.25, 26
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His love is everlasting!
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in men!
Open for me the gates of righteousness:
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
"This is the Lord’s own gate:
let the just enter through it!"
I thank you because you have answered me:
you have become my salvation.
Grant, O Lord, grant salvation!
Grant, O Lord, grant victory!
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord!
From the house of the Lord,
we bless you!
GospelMt 7, 21.24-27
At that time,
Jesus said to his disciples:
"It is not by saying to me, 'Lord, Lord!',
that one will enter the kingdom of Heaven,
but only by doing the will of my Father in heaven.
So, the one who hears the words I am saying
and puts them into practice
is like a prudent man
who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the torrents came,
the winds blew and beat against that house;
the house did not collapse,
because it was founded on rock.
And the one who hears these words of mine
but does not put them into practice
is like a foolish man
who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the torrents came,
the winds blew and struck that house;
the house collapsed,
and its collapse was complete."
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org