The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-11-11

dies
St Francis Xavier was born on the
9th of April, in the year 1866. His
father was chief councillor of state un-
der John III. King of Navarro, and his
mother belonged to one of the most an
cient and honorable families of that
| kingdom
Xavier. it should be remarked was
not his family name 1t was rather
| the name of a castle celebrated old
feudal castle, that had been granted
to distinguished member of his
mothers family 500 years at least before
our saint was born. To perpetuate the
memory of this royal gift it seems to
have been determined on among his
maternal relatives that some one of
their descendants should always bear
the name of Xavier.
Francis was the youngest child of a
very numerous family, and hence, while
the seniors in due course took the sur
name of the mother. ne got the title
! of Xavier from the good old castle of
an ancestor. His brothers all followed
the profession of arms, but he devoted
himself even from an early age, to the
gentler pursuits of literature and was
| designed, no doubt by his parents for
some one of the learned professions.
| While at home under private tutors he
mastered the ordinary elements of the
Greek and Latin languages, and in his
eighteenth year was sent to the Uni
versity of Paris, then in it's greatest
l-,rIs,t
knowledge of the world and to explore
the intricacies of scholastic philosophy.
Gifted with uncommon parts and
great assfduty, he quickly distin-
guished himself among his companions,
attained some of the highest honors
which the university could bestow, and
was raised in rapid succession through
many minor offices TO the important
chair of logic, or dialectics, a class
which he conducted with considerable
credit and effect His address was
good, his mind cultivated, his youth
attractive, and so his lectures were
popular and his success seemed GER
tain.
FRANCIS XAVIER AND IGNATIUS
LOYOLA.
What wonder, then, that his vanity
should have been somewhat infiamed.
and that ambition bid him hope for a
distinguished career. in the world?
OF noble birth. of ample fortune, and
of great intellectual promise. there
were few things, in point of fact, to
which he might not. have legitimately
aspired. Somewhat above the middle
size, his forehead. we are told. was
ample and elevated his color fresh and
healthful, his eyes were blue and ex-
pressive. his features regular, and his !
manner such as became the lordly |
houses from which he was descended. |
Such was Xavier's personal appear
ance
Ignatius of Loyola and he resided to- |
gether in the College of st. Barbara |
Like Xavier, Ignatius was of gentle I
blood; like him. too he was born at |
the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. and /
the castle of Pampeluna, in which he
received the salutary wound that led |
to his conversion. was situated not /
more than a few leagues from the town /
of Navarro.
Ignatius went to Paris in 1928; KAY |
Ter in 1924. Xavier had thus the start
of him in the technicalities of unfver-
sity training. But Ignatius, or the
other hand. was his senior by more
than a dozen years, and was vastly be-
yond him as regards natural intellect,
worldly experience, true wisdom and
knowledge.
Ignatius had been to Rome and Ven
ice and had performed a pilgrimage. to
the Holy Land. He had already, in
fact sketched out in his master mind
the leading outlines of that iIlustrious
order with which he was destined ere
long to enrich the Church, and his
only earthly anxiety appears to have
been to fit himself for the high mis-
sion to which he felt he had been
called and to secure a few worthy CO.
operators in his noble undertaking. He {
saw in the youthful Xavier one ad- /
mirably suited for his purpose. But.
then, how could he wean him from the
world, or dissipate the illusions which ;
it inspired?
OF WORLDLY GREATNESS
The humility of Ignatius found but
little favor in his sight He was ambi-
-ious of cSe thing only, and that one
hing was worldly fame. TO answer the
ends of Ignatius on the other hand, he
should renouncs the world, and devote
himself to life of labor and self-sac-
'ifice for the sake of God and of his
,hurch. How was this difficulty to bel
1t was grave one. but the
uture founder of the Jesuits was not
low in solving it. He attended the lee
ures of the young professor, appeared
ratified at his success, procured him
cholars. interested himself in every
hing that concerned him, and thus, by
Iegrees, he won his way first to his
confidence and finally to his heart. 6
They gradually grew more and more J
Their intimacy, founded on
husiastic friendship. They met often, '
onversed freely. sometimes on serious s
opics pertaining to the things of God; | s
nd as they were one day engaged in '
mis- manner, Ignatius. not of course, a
Without an impulse from above APP T
roached his companion and, laying his Il
Iand gently on his shoulder. said: /
Francis, have you ever thought well
n the words of the Scripture, What V
oes it avail a man to gain the whole +
world if he lose his own soul?' f
Francis was silent and thereupon Ig- Y
atius continued, full of eloquent emo
ion saying: "
Francis, if there be no life but this q