Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
St. Ignatius of Loyola said that “love should be manifested in deeds rather than in words.” In the musical Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye asks his wife Golde whether she loves him. She answers by saying, “For twenty-five years I’ve washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned the house, given you children, milked your cow. She asks then, if that’s not love, what is?” Of course love does not simply mean performing a list of duties for someone, but rather love must be wedded to the deed. Love is a feeling that expresses itself in action.
In today’s gospel, Jesus praises good deeds over good intentions that are never carried out. He delivers a sharp message to illustrate the difference between true and false discipleship with a story of a wise and foolish builder. “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined” (Matthew 7: 24-27). Jesus’s answer is clear. True discipleship is only as strong as the foundation on which it is built. What steps have we taken to build a strong foundation so that we can live out our Christian discipleship? Our salvation depends upon our ability to act according to will of God. We are called to be His humble servants. As the prophet Isaiah strongly reminds us in today’s first reading, the poor will walk on the dust of those who have been brought down from their high places and humbled.
Today is the feast of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of missionaries who cofounded the Jesuits with St. Ignatius of Loyola. He preached and ministered to the sick in hospitals and rang a bell on the streets as an invitation to the poor to come and learn about the faith. We are also called to be missionaries. We may not be called to travel to some other far-off land, but there are always those in our midst who need to encounter the gospel. Who do you know who needs to feel the love of God through your actions? During this Advent season, make a plan to show him or her the power of God’s love, even in a small way. Let us pray: God, help us to be like the wise builder, so that no storm can destroy our faith. Let our words of love be demonstrated in our way of living.
-Jessica Gabrielli