Francis Xavier -a human Saint
Don’t divinise him, he is a wonderful model
Francis Xavier is already an icon in India and different parts of the world. As part of the exposition of his relics in 2024(once in ten years), there were also some controversies. When Catholic Church grants sainthood to some person, it is also a statement that this person is truly an person of God, and his following of Jesus can inspire us to be followers of Jesus.
A master’s level student of the University of Paris in the 16th century was converted by his senior friend Ignatius of Loyola. He did the Spiritual Exercises with Ignatius and it transformed his life. He was filled with the love of Christ that he was ready to follow Christ to the ends of the world. But the opportunity to this came by chance. He was the secretary of Ignatius, who was the superior General of the newly formed order named Jesuits.
Two Jesuits were supposed to travel to India from Portugal, and one of them fell sick at the last moment. Ignatius was forced to send someone, and Xavier said, “I am ready”. This manner of availability is beyond our imagination today; he was ready to go after one day of preparation; he was making a journey where the chances of survival was nearly 50% (many lost their lives in the sea). And chances of returning back to Spain or Europe was there, but quite minimum. To prepare for such a journey in one day, that is the availability of this great man.
Once he was in India and in other countries, everything was different for him. Climatic conditions were not the same; language and culture were different. But he adapted the catechism to teach people, as much as he could. And he travelled extensively. Zeal and adaptability went together in this man.
Deep love for Christ; extreme availability; zeal and adaptability; we might add many more qualities; one of the greatest missionary and a great Saint. But it is important also to realize that he was not a perfect person. Saints are models for us; they tried to live their lives as exemplary witnesses, but they are not perfect. He was not keen on admitting Indians to become Jesuits. He had his own reasons (faith of the converted Christians were not strong enough etc.) and we might try to justify it. Some of his styles of evangelization may not be applicable today. When we can critique (and should) him for these, it is also important to say that he was a person of 16th century — a time when various such prejudices existed which continue in different forms today (though may not be officially and openly). So critique made by us shouldn’t forget the values and ethos of times (which can be critiqued), but we can’t blame the people of those times entirely for that.
Some might say that we should only speak of the goodness of him (there are plenty). But these difficulties also help us to realize that the great saint was also a human being; was also man influenced by his times. In that sense, he becomes a better model; not someone so far that we can’t get inspired. It also will help us to look at various other models in the society (political or religious or cultural) and never to make them God. They are wonderful inspirations; they are wonderful humans; they are not perfect. That imperfection is very much okay with saints and models — those illustrious humans.
It may also remind us that we — who wanted to be saints, but have many defects — can still try our best to be the best disciple of Jesus, in our own varied life situations.
