Of the New Covenant Rediscovering Our Patron Saint by Barry Fischer, C.PP.S
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The MISSIONARIES OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD Cup No. 20, April 2006 of the New Covenant Rediscovering Our Patron Saint by Barry Fischer, C.PP.S. INTRODUCTION This year marks the quincentenary celebration of the birth of St. Francis Xavier, that great Jesuit missionary under whose protection St. Gaspar placed our Congregation. It only seems fitting that in celebrating our patron we dedicate some time to reflecting upon this figure whom many would say is the greatest mis- sionary since St. Paul. What can he teach us today about being missionary and how can we be inspired by his example in our own response to our missionary charism? These are some of the questions which have motivated See page 15 ☛ The Relevance of Xavier in His Quincentennial St. Francis Xavier by Alberto Núñez, S.J. 4 San Francisco Xavier: St. Francis Xavier A School for Education and Mission and C.PP.S. Missionaries by J.M. Borreguero Fernández, C.PP.S. 7 by Robert Schreiter, C.PP.S. St. Francis Xavier, Parish Patron The Missionaries of the Precious of mission work. We do it also by Michael Volkmer, C.PP.S. 9 Blood join the rest of the Catholic because our Founder, St. Gaspar, world in celebrating the 500th made him the special patron of our St. Francis Xavier: anniversary of the birth of the great Congregation. We all know of St. A Precious Legacy for India Jesuit missionary, St. Francis Xavier. Gaspar’s special devotion to St. and the C.PP.S. We do this not only out of great Francis Xavier, a devotion that began by Peter Pradeep 11 respect for the man whom successive already with his mother. We know too popes have named as a special patron See next page ☛ T how serving at Mass at the altar of pounds in Asia port cities, he lived h e this great missionary saint in the “ St. Francis Xavier among the people, directed in his Church of the Gesù led to St. final years international missionary C u Gaspar’s own missionary vocation. can be seen as the teams, and sought out especially the p St. Gaspar and the Missionaries who pioneer of mission- company of the poor and the sick. o We have much to learn today from f have followed him have often point- ary international- ed to St. Francis’ tireless zeal for this great missionary. t ity.” h missionary work as a source of moti- e vation for C.PP.S. Missionaries. In MISSION METHOD N his scant ten years as a missionary in Francis Xavier did not write a text- of Paris and studied there for ten e Asia, he baptized thousands of peo- book of missiology, but his example w years. There he met another country- ple, traveled more than 100,000 kilo- speaks volumes. He fostered a kind man, Inigo de Loyola, who became C meters, and founded many schools. of inculturation long before the term o his spiritual mentor. Along with a v He has been considered the greatest was even known. He recognized the e small group of others, they formed a n missionary the Church has produced importance of language, as has new apostolic congregation, the a since the Apostle Paul. already been mentioned. In his delir- n Society of Jesus. t Important as his influence was on ium from fever shortly before he Xavier volunteered for a new mis- died, those who were with him the young Gaspar, and his image as sionary enterprise to the Indies when recount that he spoke in many differ- the tireless evangelizer has been for those first indicated were unable to ent languages. us, is there still more that we can go. Between 1541 and his death in learn from him? This is a pertinent He stressed the importance of win- 1552, he was to work in India, question for the C.PP.S. at this ning good will among the people by Malaysia, the Spice Islands, and moment in its history – not only kindness, rather than confronting Japan. Along the way he learned because of the quincentennial of our them with a implied superiority. In Tamil, Malayan, and Japanese. giving instructions for work to new Patron’s birth, but also because of Although Basque and Castilian missionaries recently arrived from the call from the XVIII General Spanish were his native languages, Europe in 1548, he said, “Make an Assembly to look more closely at most of his letters are in Portuguese effort where you go and stay to win our understanding and practice of (albeit liberally sprinkled with people over with good works and mission as we begin the third millen- Castilian). He not only learned lan- words of love.” Rather than stress- nium. This article will focus upon guages to a degree not known among ing their status as cohorts of the Francis Xavier the missionary. the Portuguese missionaries of his powerful Portuguese, they were to Although he has left us a great num- time, but he adapted to the local cir- be marked by their gentleness of ber of letters, he never wrote a sys- cumstances as much as was possible. spirit and of manner. tematic treatise on mission. His life, He was a genuine cosmopolitan, a however, speaks volumes. “citizen of the world.” Xavier stressed the importance of getting to know the situations in In the C.PP.S. today we speak much AN INTERNATIONAL of internationality, and an important which missionaries find themselves, MISSIONARY number of young C.PP.S. Missionar- rather than imposing a uniform Francis Xavier’s life began in the ies have shown themselves willing approach for every setting. Basque country of Navarre. During to work in international teams. St. He insisted on gaining this knowl- the first two decades of his life, his Francis Xavier can be seen as the edge directly. In Goa in 1548, he native land lost its independence and pioneer of such missionary interna- spoke of the need to go to new places was incorporated into the Kingdom tionality. Not content to stay within in order to understand their needs of Spain. He went to the University the confines of the Portuguese com- before sending missionaries there: “If I do not visit these lands myself,” he said, “then I do not know their “ It was Xavier’s capacity to engage all levels needs. Then I lack the necessary of society – to care for the poor and to experience to give the Fathers proper challenge intellectually the elite – that directives. For one of the main requirements of prudence is personal made him a model for subsequent genera- experience.” tions of Jesuit missionaries.” Questions always arise about local 2 customs, and what things should be them. Among the aristocracy, he dis- T h played his learning from the e University of Paris, and saw the C engagement of scholars at the great u universities in Japan as a key place p for bringing the message of the o Gospel. f t It was Xavier’s capacity to engage h all levels of society – to care for the e poor and to challenge intellectually N e the elite – that made him a model for w subsequent generations of Jesuit C missionaries. Two of the greatest of o them – Roberto de Nobili in India, v e and Matteo Ricci in Japan – have n a since stood as models of genuine n inculturation, or making the Gospel t understood according to the minds and hearts of a people. Centuries before Pope Paul VI’s eloquent teaching on evangelization given in his Evangelii nuntiandi, Xavier instructed two generations of Jesuit missionaries in how to bring the message of the Gospel to people in a way that they could understand. Students at the Colegio San Francisco Javier, Fuente de Cantos, Spain maintained from the past among new FRANCIS XAVIER AND C.PP.S. MISSION TODAY Christians. Xavier’s own approach “ His willingness to mirrored the advice that Pope A half millennium later, St. Francis Gregory the Great had given to cross ever new Xavier remains a model of mission- Augustine, the first Archbishop of boundaries, his ary activity for us in the C.PP.S. His Canterbury in the seventh century: if ability to bring to- willingness to cross ever new bound- something is not clearly against the gether interna- aries, his ability to bring together Gospel, it need not be removed. He international teams of missionaries, proposed to Father Torres in Japan in tional teams of his gentleness and genuine love for 1551: “If it is not sinful, then it is missionaries, his the people, his ability to speak to all better to change nothing, lest a gentleness and levels of society – these remain change no longer gives due honor to essential elements for mission today. God.” genuine love for All of this was made possible and Xavier gave special preference to the people, his abi- sustained by his deep prayer life. caring for the sick, for seeking out lity to speak to all His companions tell of him often those imprisoned, and for educating levels of society – spending the night in prayer. In so children. In all of these things, he conforming his own life to the mes- was genuinely a missionary “of the these remain sage and ministry of Jesus, he was people.” But he also could engage essential elements able to accomplish astonishing intellectuals and the highest refine- for mission today.” things in a short but fruitful life as a ments of a culture. He was much missionary. As we look at the chal- impressed with the learning of the lenges of mission for the C.PP.S.