成人快手

Good morning.

I was recently in Rome attending one of the weekly audiences with Pope Francis. He is a Jesuit priest, and it鈥檚 believed that he took his papal name after St Francis Xavier, whose birth we remember today. Born in 1506 Francis was raised in an aristocratic family where he pursued an academic life in his early years.

In 1525, Xavier went to study at the University of Paris. 聽There, he encountered Ignatius of Loyola. 聽And nine years later Xavier, Loyola and five others pledged themselves to the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). In addition to vows of celibacy and poverty, they also took a vow of obedience to the Pope.

Our current Pope and his forebear share the same passion for mission to the margins. 聽Xavier travelled to many places around the world where he was admired for his ability to live and work side by side with the poor.

Though he passed away at a relatively young age, Xavier had accomplished much in his life. In addition to being a founding member of the Jesuit order鈥攈e baptized an estimated 30,000 people. A famed missionary himself, he is now the patron saint of missionaries.

Loving God, may we make this day an opportunity to reach out to those we encounter on the margins of our everyday existence. Give us a greater sense and awareness of them as ones loved by you, and give us a grateful heart for what is new in them. Amen.