Project BLACK MAMBA: Advent

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest, S.J. (1506-1552): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

Co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a companion of St. Ignatius of Loyola (31 July) & one of the first seven Jesuits who took vows of poverty & chastity at Montmartre, Paris in 1534. He was also the first Christian missionary to venture into Japan.

Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:

Francis made the spiritual exercises under the direction of St. Ignatius (of Loyola), & in 1534 joined his little community, the newly formed Society of Jesus. Together at Montmartre they vowed poverty, chastity, & apostolic service according to the directions of the pope.

From Venice, where he was ordained a priest in 1537, Francis Xavier went on to Lisbon & from there sailed to the East Indies, landing at Goa, on the west coast of India. For the next ten years he labored to bring the faith to such widely scattered people as the Hindus, the Malayans, & the Japanese. He spend much of that time in India, & served as provincial of the newly established Jesuit province of India.

Francis went through the islands of Malaysia, then up to Japan. He learned enough Japanese to preach to simple folk, to instruct, & to baptize, & to establish missions for those who were to follow him. From Japan he had dreams of going to China, but this plan was never realized.

'Tis also the feast of Saint Emma of Lesum (circa 977-1038, A.K.A. of Bremen): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the feast of Blessed Edward Coleman, Martyr (1636-1678), martyred in the reign of the king Charles II, a victim of the perjurer Titus Oates's "Popish Plot" hoax: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the feast of Blessed Johann Nepomuk von Tschiderer zu Gleifheim, Bishop (1777-1860): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings
Advent Weekday
The Book of Isaiah, chapter thirty, verses nineteen thru twenty-one & twenty-three thru twenty-six;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-seven, verses one thru six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nine, verse thirty-five thru chapter ten, verses one, five(a), six, seven, & eight;

or, for St. Francis Xavier:
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter nine, verses sixteen thru nineteen, twenty-two, & twenty-three;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter sixteen, verse fifteen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter sixteen, verses fifteen thru twenty.