Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
How true are these words of Christ today?
On the surface, it might seem that in this post-Christian “enlightened” society, there are more who don’t desire to see what we see or hear what we hear. Whether Christianity seems too challenging or bigoted or naïve or unscientific or inconvenient or irrelevant, it’s clear that many aren’t looking to Jesus Christ for fulfillment.
And yet we can see so much brokenness in our world. People are looking in all the wrong places for meaning – for love – and haven’t found it. The fact is they do desire what we have seen and heard. They do desire Jesus, but they may not know it yet.
St. Francis Xavier, whose feast is today, went to the ends of the earth on a mission in search of souls who didn’t know they didn’t know Christ. Thousands were converted and baptized by his hand alone. We have that same opportunity today: To seek those so lost they don’t know they’re lost. But how often do we not bother?
In today’s Office of Readings we read a letter from St. Francis Xavier to St. Ignatius:
Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again I have thought of going round the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman, riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity: “What a tragedy: how many souls are being shut of heaven and falling into hell thanks to you!”
This Advent, let’s resolve to make this threefold prayer to help bring some of our family and friends to the Manger to adore Him at Christmas: Let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to provide us with opportunities to share the Faith, that we recognize those opportunities, and that we find the courage to seize any opportunity when it comes our way.
St. Francis Xavier, ora pro nobis!
Anna Mitchell is the co-host and producer of the Son Rise Morning Show on EWTN Radio. Find podcasts or download the Sacred Heart Radio app at www.sonrisemorningshow.com. Follow her on Twitter @morninganna
