The Joy and Justice of Gratitude What set Saint Francis Xavier on fire for love of God and zeal for souls? What prompted him to risk his health and life, leave behind his dearest friends, and go to the ends of the...
Archive - March 2018
Fr.XS.J.Novena of Grace in honor of Saint Francis Xavier, Day 8: March 11
The Sources of His Inspiration I have many times asked seminarians, “What are the two best compliments that one could pay to a homilist?” Over the years, I’ve found that the compliments can be summarized in two...
Novena in honor of Saint Francis Xavier, Day 7: March 10
The Mission of Reparation Is it possible for a Christian to suffer boredom? Let me ask that another way: “Is it possible for a Christian to find the Gospel no longer inspirational?” I ask that because of...
Novena of Grace in honor of Saint Francis Xavier, Day 6: March 9
The Mission of Intercession If we are to conduct ourselves wisely and well during this Novena of Grace, in company with our patron, Saint Francis Xavier, how shall we live and how shall we pray? We have already seen...
Novena of Grace in honor of Saint Francis Xavier, Day 5: March 8
Mission Territory – It Might Not Be What You Think… Many an older religious would gladly say, “I spent most of my life in the Missions.” There was a time when “Mission Territory” was anywhere that wasn’t Europe...
Novena of Grace in honor of Saint Francis Xavier, Day 4: March 7
Do We Want His Help, or Do We Want to Help Him? If you ask a thoroughly secularized child what he likes most about Christmas, what’s his answer likely to be? “Getting presents!” (Note the emphasis on...
Novena of Grace in honor of Saint Francis Xavier, Day 3: March 6
The Story of Francis and Frances One of the perils of admiring the Saints is that we see them as so extremely rare as to be nearly impossible to comprehend, much less imitate. Consequently, we’re tempted –...
Novena of Grace in honor of Saint Francis Xavier, Day 2: March 5
Evangelization – New? Old? Or Perennial? Evangelization – how do you know if you’re doing it right? Let’s start with an example of getting it wrong. There’s a story of a group of Anglican missionaries...
China Update: the Communist Regime is tearing Crosses from the Churches
China: Crosses are again being uprooted and erased from the domes and tympanums of Churches; in Xinjiang, Manas e Hutubi, to be precise, every Christian sign and symbol is being wiped out, even the Crosses and...
Catholic Family NewsNovena of Grace in honor of Saint Francis Xavier, Day 1: March 4
Traditional Jesuit, “Fr. X.” provides CFN readers with daily meditations for the beloved and efficacious Novena of Grace. Why a Novena? And Why a Novena in Honor of Saint Francis Xavier? “The Nine Most...