Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary arrived in Japan on July 27 1549 becoming the first Christian missionary to reach there. He had heard while in Goa of a highly advanced nation to the east that was little known to Westerners and was anxious to go there. He quickly realised that special methods would be needed to communicate the gospel to the sophisticated people he encountered there. He felt the need to know the local culture, to discover its strengths and weaknesses and relate these to the Christian message. He spent 27 months there establishing a number of small communities.
Lord,
we ask your blessing on the missionary work of the church as we remember Francis Xavier.
We give thanks to the missionaries of the past who explored new pathways and sought creative ways to bring the gospel to the new worlds that they encountered.
Help us to understand the times in which we find ourselves that we too might be bold and creative in proclaiming the gospel.
We pray also for Japan and for the Christian communities that live and witness to the gospel there today.
Amen
By Fr Pat O'Shea - Lower Hutt
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