June 24. Francis Xavier. Francis was born in the family castle in what is now Spain. When he finished his basic education, he earned a master’s degree in philosophy and taught it for four years at the University of Paris. Then he studied theology for two more years. But Francis never imagined that this God he was studying about would turn Francis’s life inside out. The big change came when he made friends with another Spanish nobleman named Ignatius Loyola.
Ignatius had recently encountered Jesus Christ and told Francis how his life had changed. Soon, the Lord Jesus changed Francis too. Francis and Ignatius and five other men took vows and called themselves the Society of Jesus. On this date in 1537, Francis was ordained a priest. Today’s story is set in India, where Francis was a missionary, where—through Francis—God revealed His might and mercy. Here’s the story.
Miracles can happen in the life of a man who believes God.
The bitter weeping of a heartbroken woman rose from the church graveyard. Here, where her daughter had been buried just days before, a mother knelt and cried out to God. She cried out for answers. For comfort. For hope of any kind.
Not long ago, her daughter had become suddenly ill, and she searched Malacca, trying to find the man who had recently led her to faith in Christ. He could have prayed for her daughter, and she would have been healed. If only he had been here.
The woman composed herself and stood to leave her daughter’s grave. As she wiped the tears from her eyes and brushed the dirt from her knees, her heart was resolute. She would find Francis. He would pray for her daughter. God would bring her daughter back to life.
Since Francis had arrived in her city, many people had experienced miraculous healings. And the news of how God was using this humble man to bless the people had been spreading by the day. Everybody was talking about it. But Francis had traveled out of town to take care of some people, and the mother was unable to find him to pray for her daughter before it was simply too late.
The mother searched through Malacca until she learned he had returned to the city, and she felt new hope. She ran.
And when she found him, she fell at his feet and explained to Francis her daughter had died while he was away. And if he would only pray for her to be healed, she was certain her daughter would be brought back to life.
Francis stood speechless.
He knew this dear woman had just recently come to Christ, and he was stunned at the purity of her faith. Moved with compassion for her and for her daughter, he prayed for God to grant her prayer and to console her broken heart. Then he told her to return to her daughter’s grave, that her daughter was alive.
Now the mother was speechless.
She started to tell Francis that her daughter had been dead for three days, but she stopped herself, turned, and ran for the church.
A crowd of people had seen her with Francis, and they ran with her, back to her daughter’s grave. When they got there, several of them helped lift the gravestone away, and the daughter, who had been dead three days, came out alive! And her mother held the girl. And the mother thanked God. All the people praised God.
“I tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do the same things that I am doing. You will do even greater things” (John 14:12 CEV).
Is there anything in your life that God wants to bring back from the grave? Miracles can happen in the life of a man who believes God.
Hardon, John A., S.J. “The Miracles of St. Francis Xavier.” The Real Presence Association. Accessed May 8, 2020.
Hebert, Albert J, S.M. “Resurrection Miracles.” True Stories of 400 Resurrection Miracles. Jeevanjal Ministries. Accessed May 8, 2020. http://www.jeevanjal.org/jeevanjal/rm8.html.