We have an interesting gospel passage today on this feast of St. Francis Xavier. It is St. Mark's account of the ascension of Jesus. Just before ascending into heaven Jesus tells the apostles to "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. Signs will accompany you." And so they went, they preached, some believed and were baptized and saved; others apparently chose not to believe and to be condemned; and signs accompanied them which confirmed the words they spoke (but were not powerful enough apparently to persuade the doubters).
St. Francis Xavier was a 16th century Jesuit priest who traveled to India and Japan – doing what the Lord was asking him to do. He preached the word, and by means of it – many thousands of people were baptized – and many signs and wonders no doubt took place as he lived and worked among the poorest of the poor. Francis felt compelled – because it was his vocation – to preach the gospel as "an obligation that was imposed on him" (as St. Paul likewise says in the first reading today of himself). It was not a matter of a boastful preacher – but of a humble servant of the word – not just any word, but the very powerful Word of God himself – which was alive and active!
It is my obligation, my duty and my joy – to do what I (along with St. Francis Xavier; and my fellow priests and bishops of today) have been commissioned to do – to preach the gospel, and to confirm it with signs. Signs, of course, are a tangible and visible manifestation of the faith of the person or people who hear the words that are preached to them and explained to them in homilies. Miracles are always the response of faith! Miracles are not relics of the past! Miracles can happen any place, any time!
There is no reason why - in our own day in age – some powerful manifestations of God's caring, loving, healing providence cannot be experienced – why miracles cannot happen! After all is that not what the miracle of miracles – the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the very body and blood of Christ that will occur here in just a few moments (and in thousands of locations throughout the world on a regular basis) is all about. If you believe in that miracle, you can also believe in other ones that demonstrate and prove God's love for you and others!
If we let God love us the way he wants to love us – miracles will abound – so that we will know God is with us until the end of the world!
Go and teach all nations, says the Lord; I am with you always, until the end of the world!
No comments:
Post a Comment