The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-11-11
! STeRY Of ST. FRANGIg XAVIER :
=
Written for nermountain Catholic
Written for The lntermOuntain Catholic.

others that he had reigned when here.
AT the same time. Francis he said
II do not mean to extinguish your am
bition, but only to direct it. Ambition
is the soul OF enterprise. But look up
at the heavens, contemplate them in
thought, even, for a moment. and then
tell me how can you, in comparis1r
relish the earth? All that you call good
compared with infinite goodness is as a
drop of water compared with the ocean.
and all that you call beautiful compar-
ed with infinite beauty is as a spark
from a fiery furnace compared with the
inexhaustible light Of the sun.
Francis" he continued. once for all.
1 refer you to yourself to decide wherh-
er it is not better for you to say now.
What avails it to gain the whole world
and to lose my own soul than to bs
obliged to say by and by, when You
are dying, What avaiIed it to have
gained the praises of the world and To
have lost my sOul?'
Brethren. need 1 tell you the result
of this interview? The spirit thar
touched the tongue Of Ignatius opened
also the heart of Xavier. and from that
day forward he was the Apostle of the
Indies. "
THE SAINTS SISTER.
Meanwhile his father had determined
on Withdrawing him from Paris. He
had been there long enough. he thought.
and some friends of the family were
charitable enough to insinuate that he
was not spending his time there either
pTOfitably or we'll. Xavier had an only
sister, at one time lady of honor to the
queen. She exchanged the court for
the cloister. and was mother abbess of
a celebrated religious community at the
period to which I now refer The spirit
of God had revealed to her the future
gIories Of he brother. and she wrote
to the father accordingly. beseeching
him by the love ne bore her. as by the
respect which he entertained for reIi-
gion. not to interfere with Xavier. but
to allow him to continue his studies i'm
Paris until he should have completed
his theological course-for, said she.
and the letter was produced at the
canonization. God has chosen
him to be the Apostle of the Indies and
one of the foremost pillars of the Chri-
tian Church" Thenceforth Xavier was
free.
THE SOCIETY OF JESUS FOUNDED.
1t forms no part of my present bus
mess to trace for you the different
steps which the great St. Ignatius
deemed it advisable to take in the early
of the noble Order of the
Jesuits. 1 may remark. however. that
St. Francis Xavier was only his second
disciple.
Father Faber, a native of Savoy, was
he first. Four others. three of whom
we're SDaniards and one a Portuguese.
followed his standard soon after. They
knew nothing whatever Of each others
designs or vocations until they met
me day by appointment in the rooms
# St. Ignatius, who then and there
disclosed to them collectively his views
Is to the formation of a religious So
.iety, and fixed on the 18th of August,
hen close at hand. as d suitable oCca-
zion for making their VOWS. At day
lawn accordingly, on the Feast of the
Assumption. 1884. Ignatius and his six
assembled in the little sub
erranean chapel of the Chapel Of Our
Blessed Lady of Montmartre, near
Paris
Father Faber, the only priest of the
,arty, celebrated the Holy Sacrifice Of
he Mass, and at the usual time turned
ound with the Sacred Host in his
and, heard each one in succession
ledge himself irrevocably in religion
nd then gave him Holy Communion
ueh was the humble but edifying or
in of the celebrated Society of Jesus
lavier had not yet completed his theo-
lgical course.
He continued, therefore. TO frequent
he divinity class at the University of
aris until the 18th of November, 1886.
aving twice in the meantime renewed
is vows with his companions in the
hapel of Mount Martyr. He then left
n Venice, travelled through Germany
Il foot. suffered incredible pain on the
pad in consequence of certain fearful
usterities to which he thought fit to
inject himself, and at length arrived
Venice on the 7th of January From
enice ne desired to pass over to Pales-
ne. but that warlike republic was still
with Turkey, and the long
lerished idea of a pilgrimage to the
oily Land had in Consequence to be
candoned. You have heard, no doubt,
his doings in the hospitals of Venice
nd of his subsequent labors in the
ternal City itself, where he resided
ON the Lent of 1873 until the 18th of
-arch, 1910, the ,Jeriod at which, in
,mpany with th8 Portuguese Ambas-
ldOr, he set cut for Lisbon, thence to
ill for India, the future field of his
oos.al:c zeal.
THE INDIAN MISSION.
His appointment to the Indian mis-
on was in every sense providential
,hn III, King of Portugal. having
card from many sources. but especial
from a Portuguese priest in Rome,
no had been rector of the College OF
!. Barbara, in Paris, when Xavier re-
ded there, of the extraordinary zeal,
rtue and requirements of Ignatius
Id his companions, applied to Pope
auI III for six missionaries whom ne
light send to propagate the faith in
idia.
The Pope referred to St Ignatius
no was then in Rome. What said
e Saint, you want six missionaries
r India. and we are only ten for the
hole worldr'
He could dispose Of only two. These
ere Father Rodriguez. the celebrated
cetic writer, and Nicholas. surnamed