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 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.
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.
·
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?"
Daily
Devotions
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