Tuesday, December 3, 2019


Giving Tuesday
SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER


Isaiah, Chapter 11, Verse 2-4

2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, 3 and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, 4 But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide fairly for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

This is the source of the traditional names of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Septuagint and the Vulgate read “piety” for “fear of the Lord” in its first occurrence, thus listing seven gifts.[1]

Giving Tuesday[2]

Giving Tuesday aims to celebrate and promote charity and generosity. After two of the largest shopping days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday aims to provide people with a day to give back to the world. Giving back can be through donations, volunteering time or any other form of charitable action. Giving Tuesday was first celebrated in 2012. Since its inception, there has been a 470% increase in online donations for the cause. It is celebrated annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as a reminder of the importance of generosity over consumption.

Giving Tuesday Facts & Quotes

·         Last year, Giving Tuesday saw a year over year increase of 300% on total donations and a 28% increase in new monthly donors.
·         In 2015, there were a total of 1.3 million social media mentions of Giving Tuesday. It officially went viral.
·         In 2015, the mean gift size (meaning the average between everybody who donated) on Giving Tuesday was $107.47.
·         Over 71 countries around the world support and participate in Giving Tuesday.
·         You may have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There's another day you might want to know about: Giving Tuesday. The idea is pretty straightforward. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, shoppers take a break from their gift-buying and donate what they can to charity. – Bill Gates, creator of Microsoft.

Giving Tuesday Top Events and Things to Do

·         Watch a movie on the joys of gifts and giving. Some suggestions are: Pay it Forward (2000), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), and Millions (2004).


·         Spread awareness on social media by using the hashtag #GivingTuesday, #TuesdayGiveawayDay and #TuesdayMeansDonate.
·         Volunteer your time at a local homeless shelter or volunteer organization. Giving can be much more than simply giving your money or things away. Giving your time is equally as valuable and, in some ways, more important.
·         Read a book about the joys of sharing. Some suggestions are: The Giving Book, giving: How Each of Us Change the World and The Giving Tree.
·         Donate to a charity of your choice. Charity Navigator can help you find a charity that suits you.

St. Francis Xavier[3]


FANCIS XAVIER, surnamed the apostle of the indies, was born of noble parents April 7, 1506, at Xavier, a castle near Pamplona, in Spain. In his eighteenth year he became one of the first members of the society of Jesus, at Paris, and from that moment gave himself up so earnestly and perseveringly to meditation, self-denial, and the practice of Christian virtues that by no desire was he so much animated as by that of laboring and suffering for the glory of god and the salvation of men, wherever and however it might please god. In the year 1541 he was sent as missionary to India. Of his labors and sufferings there his works bear witness. He preached the gospel in fifty-two kingdoms, great and small, of India and Japan, and baptized about a hundred thousand pagans and Mahametan’s. Wherever he came, the idols temples were thrown down, and churches built to the true god. He died in 1552, poor and destitute of all bodily comforts, but rejoicing in the lord, with these words, “Lord, in Thee have I hoped; let me never be confounded.” let us learn from St. Francis Xavier to labor, according to our ability, for the glory of god and the salvation of our neighbor. Although we cannot become missionaries, we yet can pray, and we can join the association for the propagation of the faith.

The introit of the mass is as follows: “I spoke of thy testimonies before kings and was not ashamed. I meditated also on thy commandments, which I loved exceedingly. Praise the lord, all ye nations; praise him, alive people: for his mercy is confirmed upon us, and the truth of the lord remaineth forever.”

Gospel. Mark xvi. 16-18.

At that time Jesus said to his disciples: go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not, shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues: they shall take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick and they shall recover.

Prayer.

O god, who, by the preaching and miracles of blessed Francis, wast pleased to add unto thy church the nations of the Indies, mercifully grant That we who venerate his glorious merits may also follow the example of his virtues.

Things to Do:[4]

·         What does it mean to be an apostle? Consider how you might imitate St. Francis Xavier in apostolic works in your own situation. Read this letter from St. Francis to St. Ignatius to get an idea of his zeal.
·         Read some more about St. Francis and ideas for Celebrating the Feast of St. Francis Xavier.
·         St. Francis was sent to India and Japan. Pray for the Church in these countries, and learn more about the modern Church in India here and here, read about the history of the Church in Japan.
·         Find out about and support the Holy Childhood Association (St. Francis always started with the children first).
·         Teach your children to pray St. Francis' favorite prayer, "Give me souls" when they have some suffering to offer up.
·         Spend some time meditating on St. Ignatius' response to St. Francis before his conversion, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his soul?"
·         Say the Litany of St. Francis Xavier.
·         Make a big pot of soup for the Feast of St. Francis Xavier.
·         Study some beautiful art depicting St. Francis Xavier at Olga's Gallery.

Daily Devotions
·         Drops of Christ’s Blood
·         54 Day Rosary day 33
·         Pray for our nation.



[1]http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/11:1
[3]Goffine’s Divine Instructions, 1896
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