Homily (Reflection) for the Memorial of Saint Francis
Xavier, P. (03rd December, 2020) on the Gospel and the Memorial
Is 26:1-6;
Ps 118:1.8-9.19-21.25-27. (R. v. 26);
Matt
7:21.24-27.
Saint Francis Xavier was “born in 1506, in Spain, he was an original member of the Society of Jesus with St Ignatius – he took vows of poverty and chastity, and committed himself to evangelise the pagans. He is one of the greatest of all Christian missionaries, preaching in Goa, South East Asia, Japan – where he landed in 1549. He learned Japanese, and formed a Church that endured long drawn-out persecution. He died while on his way from Goa to China, in 1552. Not only was his preaching effective in drawing people to Christ, but he was able to organise the communities so that they could survive when he left them.”[1]
Topic: The Word of God.
Considering how often people go to church and other religious
exercises, read and preach the word of God among other things, one may tend to
conclude that heaven has come at last. But at the same time, evil of different
kinds keeps increasing everyday in the world. Hence, Jesus’ warning in the
gospel: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matt 7:21). We also read: “Blessed ...
are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Lk 11:28). Again, “You are my friends if you do what I command you”
(Jn 15:14).
The word of God is “living and active, sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and
marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12). Saint Peter also wrote: “You
have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the
living and abiding word of God” (1Pt
1:23).
Can we then say that the word of God has either changed or
has lost its vitality? Never, cf. Rom
9:4-6.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul admonishes us to
“... take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God” (Eph 6:17). But many
Christians have rejected the word of God because of other things like
traditions, cf. Mk 7:13; Matt 15:6; 2Tim
4:9-11. But for the apostles, it is wrong to leave the word of God for any
other thing, Acts 6:2. We ought to
accept the word of God as the Thessalonians did “not as the word of men but as
what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers” (1Thess 2:13).
Bible Reading: Jas
1:19-27; Rom 2:1-16; 9:1-18.
Thought for today: What is God’s word to you?
Let us pray: God, give us the grace to receive
your word as what it really is. And may it be our guiding principle through
Christ our Lord – Amen.
Saint Francis Xavier – Pray for us.
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