Advent Reflections - Francis Xavier (1506 - 1552)

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; 
for those living in the land of deep darkness, a light as dawned.     Isaiah 9:2                                           

Today, December 3^rd, the church remembers Francis Xavier, a Spaniard of noble birth born in 1506. At the age of twenty, Francis traveled to Paris to study. There, he because friends with another young Spanish nobleman, Ignatius of Loyola, and together the two young men founded the Society of Jesus, also known as The Jesuits.

One of the themes of Advent is the theme of waiting in darkness, and Francis is a fine example of one who knew how to do that. Francis became the first Jesuit missionary and traveled around the world to India, Indonesia, Japan and China. Not knowing the languages, the cultures, or the religions of those he met, Francis spent the rest of his life making the Gospel of Christ known to people in far off places. He never returned home.   

• ·        Imagine taking a voyage around the world with no directions, no airplanes, no Internet. 
• ·        Imagine leaving all that you know and find familiar.
• ·        Imagine the darkness you might feel.  

How would you get there? How would you manage? What would you hold onto? 

As we travel through the season of Advent together, consider darkness – and consider the coming of the Light of Jesus Christ.