Saturday, December 3, 2022

- November 27, 2022

First Saturday

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER

³ So the sisters sent word to him, saying, “Master, the one you LOVE is ill.” ⁴ When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” ⁵Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

Martha, Mary and Lazarus were three home runs of Christ. They were loved by Christ not because of their wealth but by the fact they knew that all wealth is really just on loan from the Father and that we are to use our wealth to build the kingdom. You cannot love God and money. When our Lord was raised up on the cross we see that our true wealth is in him and until we come to our own natural end we should use our wealth to bring truth, beauty, and love to our communities and families.

The Mass is a reenactment of the death of our Lord. It is thought-provoking to contemplate that Pilates notice above Christ’s head, was printed in three languages Hebrew, Latin and Greek. These three cultures in a sense represented the characteristics of God. The Hebrew’s were Gods people and represented the good of man and brought the idea that the person was created by God and is more valuable than the universe. Latin the language of the Romans brought the idea that truth is the highest value and the Greek culture brought the idea of beauty being the greatest value. In Christ’s death is represented all three values. That a good God died for man; true to the end; and His shame was turned by love to beauty.

We must put our “Trust” in Him for He is the “Resurrection and the Life.”

First Saturday^{^[1]}

The elements of this devotion, therefore, consist in the following four points, all of which must be offered in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

1. Confession: This confession can be made before the First Saturday or afterward, provided that Holy Communion be received in the state of grace. In 1926, Christ in a vision explained to Lucia (Fatima) that this confession could be made a week before or even more, and that it should be offered in reparation.

2. Holy Communion: Before receiving Holy Communion, it is likewise necessary to offer it in reparation to Our Lady. Our Lord told Lucia in 1930, “This Communion will be accepted on the following Sunday for just reasons, if my priests allow it so.” So, if work or school, sickness, or another just reason prevents the Communion on a First Saturday, with this permission it may be received the following Sunday. If Communion is transferred, any or all of the other acts of the devotion may also be performed on Sunday if the person so desires.

3. Rosary: The Rosary is a vocal prayer said while meditating upon the mysteries of Our Lord’s life and Passion and Our Lady’s life. To comply with the request of our Blessed Mother, it must be offered in reparation and said properly while meditating.

4. 15-minute meditation: Also offered in reparation, the meditation may embrace one or more mysteries; it may include all, taken together or separately. This meditation should be the richest of any meditation, because Our Lady promised to be present when she said “...those who keep me company....”

St. Francis Xavier[2]

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:[3]

· 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.

Jesse Tree[4]

Jesse Tree Scriptures (The Symbols Are Only Suggestions)

December 1 Creation: Gen. 1:1-31; 2:1-4 Symbols: sun, moon, stars, animals, earth

December 2 Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9, 18-24 Symbols: tree, man, woman

December 3 Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7 and 23-24 Symbols: tree, serpent, apple with bite