1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 / Mark 16:15-20
St. Francis Xavier was from a noble family and when he was studying in the University, he met another student who would often ask him and other students this question: What would a man gain if he wins the whole world but loses his life?
Those words made St. Francis Xavier think and reflect about life and eventually he followed that student who was none other than St. Ignatius of Loyola to form the Society of Jesus, or commonly called the Jesuits.
St. Francis Xavier was also convinced that salvation comes through belief in Christ and he opted to be a missionary in the East.
He worked in Goa, Malacca, Japan and China, converting as many as 30,000 people.
He faced dangers, difficulties and fatigue, but his zeal burnt stronger than ever.
In a letter he wrote to St. Ignatius Loyola, he expressed the desire to go around the universities of Europe to stimulate the zeal for the mission of evangelization.
He also said this: I wish they could work as hard to be missionaries as they do at their books, and so settle their accounts with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.
This makes us reflect on what are our priorities in life and what we are working so hard for.
After all, if God is not loved above all, then He is not loved at all.
Furthermore, what would a man gain if he wins the whole world but has no love for God and for others.
May St. Francis Xavier pray for us that our love for God is expressed by living out and proclaiming the Good News to others.