St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552) was born in his family castle in Navarre in the city of Javier in what is today Spain. While studying in Paris he met St. Ignatius of Loyola and joined him together with St. Peter Faber in the foundation of the Society of Jesus. Instead of devoting himself to academic pursuits as he had planned, and in which he enjoyed great success, he became the first...
Today is the first day of the new liturgical year for the Church. We are entering the Season of Advent, a time of preparation for Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin word “adventus” which means “arrival”. The Romans used this word to signify the ceremony of an Emperor’s first arrival at a city. Indeed, the season of Advent is a matter of preparing for...
Today we remember the countless Franciscan men and women who have lived out the Gospel of Jesus Christ by following the patterns of life left by Francis and Clare of Assisi. This date was chosen for the feast as Pope Honorius III confirmed the Rule of St. Francis on November 29, 1223.
According to tradition, St. Francis of Assisi prayed the following prayer:
“O Lord Jesus Christ,...
Readings: Isaiah 63:7-9; Col 1:12-20; Luke 1:39-56
Hebrew poetry often starts with a personal statement that soon becomes more communal in nature. That is exactly what happens in the text that we read from the prophet Isaiah in today’s first reading. The prophet begins by recalling the favors of the Lord, using the first-person singular pronoun: “The favors of the...
Several times in the Acts of the Apostles, we are told that the apostles found joy in the fact that they had been mistreated by the Pharisees and elders of Jerusalem. In his Letter to the Colossians, St. Paul tells us that he rejoices in his afflictions. Yet I am sure that the words of today’s Gospel text struck fear in the hearts of the apostles as Jesus told them that “They will...