“The love of Christ was the strength that drove him to the furthest frontiers, with constant toil and danger, overcoming setbacks, disappointments and discouragement; indeed, giving him consolation and joy in following and serving Him to the end,” Pope Francis said.
“May St. Francis Xavier, who did great things in such poverty and with such courage, give us some of this zeal, this zeal to live the Gospel and proclaim the Gospel,” he added.
“To the many young people today who have some restlessness and do not know what to do with that restlessness, I say, look to Francis Xavier, look at the horizon of the world, look at so many people in need, look at so many people who are suffering, so many people who need Jesus.”
Pope Francis noted that Xavier’s dream was to evangelize China, but he died while on the way to realize his dream.
“In Japan, Xavier, the great dreamer, understood that the decisive country for the mission in Asia was another one: China. With its culture, its history, its size, it exercised de facto dominance over that part of the world,” he said.