“What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
St. Francis Xavier was born in 1506 into a noble family, which afforded him an excellent education. At the University of Paris, where he began his studies in philosophy in 1525, he seemed destined for a life of success and wealth. His roommate was none other than St. Ignatius of Loyola, who repeatedly posed to him the question quoted above. Ignatius’s persistence eventually won Francis over and convinced him to let go of his own plans and consider what God might have in store for him. In 1534, Francis joined Ignatius and five other men in professing vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Six years later, this group became a confirmed religious order—the Jesuits—and they traveled across the globe spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.
Like St. Francis Xavier and St. Ignatius of Loyola, we often see saints come in pairs, bonded by friendship or family. This points to the communal and relational nature of the Church: we were not made to go through this journey of life alone. We have the privilege of building one another up and growing closer to Christ together. This reminds us not only of the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who help lead us to heaven but also of our call to invest in others outside our Catholic circle and to share how God has worked in our own lives.
Though we live about 500 years after St. Francis Xavier, the stories of many at Yale may not seem all that different from his early life. God may not be calling us to missionary work in distant countries, but we are called to witness to the Gospel through genuine relationships and to show those around us that there is something greater to pursue than the things of this world. Today’s Gospel passage tells the story of the feeding of the four thousand according to St. Matthew. There is an important detail in this story that can be easily overlooked: “Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.” Those whom Jesus healed did not come on their own. Others brought them to the feet of Jesus to see how he could transform their lives.
How can we bring others to Jesus’ feet today?
