A saint in a hurry
Xavier, most people think, is just a brand name for innumerable Christian institutions, worldwide. But Xavierites — who studied in Xavier’s schools, colleges and universities — know that their alma maters are named after Saint Francis Xavier, whose uncorrupted body is enshrined in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa. Goans — besides many residing along India’s coastline — love St. Francis immensely and consider him “Goycho patron, Goycho saib”.
Xavier died desolate on the island of Sancian off China’s coast on December 3, 1552. But, come December, thousands of devotees will flood Old Goa to pray for some divine favour. My parents — like most Indian couples who long for the birth of a boy after female kids — prayed to St. Francis, vowing that, if a boy was born, they’d name him Francis. That explains my name!
Xavier — meaning “new house” in Francis’ Basque lingo — is the name of the Castle in which Francis’ family lived. Caught in the crossfire between rival monarchies of Aragon and France, the Xavier Castle was miraculously bypassed by marauding troops. Unlike his elder brothers who took to arms, Francis armed himself with books and academic degrees.
Xavier blended a kaleidoscopic collage of virtues: intelligence, faithfulness, perseverance, joy, warmth, devotion, loyalty, courage, generosity, sportsmanship, and an incredible capacity to love and serve. The wellspring of his words, works and wisdom was, undoubtedly, God. He’d spend hours past midnight or before daybreak in meditation and prayer.
God and prayer were not, initially, on Francis’ priority list. Intoxicated by the heady winds of the Renaissance that swept through the environs of the University of Paris where Francis — first, student and later professor of philosophy — relentlessly sought fame and fortune. However, on meeting another great saint, Ignatius of Loyola, his life changed drastically.
Bombarded by Ignatius with Jesus’ teaching: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” Francis realised that he was obsessed with glories that pass away and perish. Repentant, he vowed to work for God in preaching Jesus’ gospel
of love, joy, equality and peace.
Francis is a saint in a hurry. In his 11 years in Asia, he toiled in Goa, large parts of what is today Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Ceylon, Malacca, Macassar, Indonesia, Amboina, the Moro Islands and Japan. He ate little and travelled much. He learnt the ABCs of Tamil, Malay and Japanese to reach out to people. He dressed in silks to meet emperors but would don tattered robes to befriend the poor and cater to their needs.
Francis teaches us that love for God must overflow into love for all people. We could imbibe from this “Apostle of the Indies” the inspiration to harmonise head and heart, prayer and action.
Francis Gonsalves is the principal of the Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi.
He can be contacted at fragons@gmail.com
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