"It is not the actual physical exertion that counts towards a man's progress, nor the nature of the task, but by the spirit of faith with which it is undertaken." St. Francis Xavier
Today's Meditation
“St. Joseph wants you to be docile to the direction of the Holy Spirit so that you can be led in the ways of holiness. What is holiness, anyway? Is it some unattainable spiritual summit you can never hope to reach? No, it is not. Holiness is living in intimate, loving communion with God. More specifically, holiness is observing the two great commandments of love of God and neighbor, avoiding sin, leading a life of virtue, and abiding in sanctifying grace. None of this is possible without the Holy Spirit in your life.
–Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, p. 21
St. Francis Xavier
Saint of the Day
St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552) was born in his family castle in Navarre in what is today Spain. While studying in Paris he met St. Ignatius of Loyola and joined him 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 Jesuit missionary priest. His missionary activity began in Goa, India and extended across the Orient. St. Francis Xavier was known throughout the Far East for his humility, care of the poor, and miracles including healings, speaking in tongues, and prophetic powers. His passion for Christ and zeal for souls won him many converts to the faith. It is said that during his missionary journeys he baptized over 40,000 people. He is considered by many to be one of the Church's greatest missionaries since St. Paul the Apostle. In his travels he left behind flourishing churches that were the foundations of the Catholic Church in Asia. He is the patron saint of navigators, missionaries, African missions, India, Japan, China, and New Zealand. St. Francis Xavier's feast day is December 3rd.
Find a Devotional for this SaintRecommended Reads
First Sunday of Advent
Feast Day
Today is the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is often called a “Little Lent” because just like Lent, Advent is meant to be a penitential season. In the past, Advent was 40 days long (just like Lent) but now is just 4 weeks long. We have four candles on our Advent Wreath to help us count and observe the four weeks of Advent. We also see the violet and rose colors of Lent during the season of Advent because purple is a color used in the liturgy to represent repentance and sorrow for our sins. Another similarity to Lent is that we do not sing the Gloria during the Mass during Advent. The first candle on the Advent wreath – a purple one – is often called the Prophet’s Candle and symbolizes hope because Jesus is coming soon!
See More