Universalis: Today

Wednesday 3 December 2008
Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

[About today]

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Tomorrow: Thursday of the 1st week of Advent
or Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor
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Come, let us worship Christ, the prince of shepherds.

St Francis Xavier (1506 - 1552): He was born in the Basque country of Spain in 1506. He met Ignatius Loyola when he was a student in Paris, and he was ordained priest in 1537. In 1541 the Pope sent him as part of a mission to India, and he spent the rest of his life in the East, preaching the Gospel in Goa and Malacca. He made many converts and fought against the exploitation of the native population by the Europeans. He spent two years on a successful mission to Japan, laying the foundations of many Christian communities; and in 1552, after entering China secretly to preach the Gospel there, he died of fever and exhaustion on the Chinese island of Shangchwan.
See the article in the Catholic Encyclopaedia.

Mid-morning reading (Terce)	Isaiah 2:11 ©
Human pride will lower its eyes, the arrogance of men will be humbled. The Lord alone will be exalted, on that day.

Noon reading (Sext)	Isaiah 12:2 ©
See now, he is the God of my salvation. I have trust now and no fear, for the Lord is my strength, my song, he is my salvation.

Afternoon reading (None)	Daniel 9:19 ©
Listen, Lord! Lord, forgive! Hear, Lord, and act! For your own sake, my God, do not delay, because they hear your name, this is your city, this is your people.

December 2008
Mon 1	Monday of the 1st week of Advent
Tue 2
Wed 3	Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
Thu 4	Thursday of the 1st week of Advent or Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor
Fri 5
Sat 6	Saturday of the 1st week of Advent or Saint Nicholas, Bishop
Sun 7	2nd Sunday of Advent
Mon 8	The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Solemnity
Tue 9	Tuesday of the 2nd week of Advent or Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin

Calendar used: Europe - England

Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. For on-line information about other Random House, Inc. books and authors, see the Internet web site at http://www.randomhouse.com.

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