And since the wind for taking us back to Canton was blowing against the prow and was assisting us at the poop for going to Japan, the captain and his crew, though unwillingly, were forced to sail for Japan. Neither the demon nor his minions could block our passage; and on the feast of our Lady in August 1549, God thus brought us to these lands which we had so ardently desired to reach. And since we could find no other harbor in Japan, we sailed to Kagoshima, the land of Paul of the Holy Faith, where we were received with great love by all, both by his relatives and by those who were not.
A Japanese bonze, or priest, begs for alms.
I have frequently spoken with some of the most learned of these bonzes, especially with one who is highly esteemed by all in these regions for his learning, his life, and the office which he holds, and also for his advanced age, since he is some eighty years old. He is called Ninjitsu which means “heart of truth” in the language of Japan. He is like a bishop among them; and if his person was in keeping with his name, he would be blessed. In the many conversations which I have had with him, I have found him hesitant and unable to decide if our soul is immortal, or if it dies together with the body; at times he has told me that it is, and at other times that it is not. I am afraid that it is the same with the other scholars. This Ninjitsu is an amazingly good friend of mine. All, both laymen and bonzes, are delighted with us; and they are greatly astonished to see that we have come from lands so far away as Portugal is from Japan, more than six thousand leagues, for the sole purpose of speaking about the things of God and on how people are to save their souls by believing in Jesus Christ, telling them that our coming to these lands is something that has been commanded by God.
I am letting you know one thing for which you should all give great thanks to God our Lord, namely, that this island of Japan is well disposed for there being a great increase of our holy faith on it; and, if we knew how to speak the language, I have no doubt in believing that many would become Christians. May it please God our Lord that we soon learn it, since we have already begun to have some experience of it; and forty days after we began to learn it, we are explaining the Ten Commandments.
I am giving you such a detailed account in order that you may all give thanks to God our Lord that regions have been discovered in which your holy desires can be employed and fulfilled, and also so that you may acquire many virtues and desires to endure many labors for the service of Christ our Redeemer and Lord, and may always remember that God is more pleased by a good will filled with humility, through which men offer themselves to him, making an oblation of their lives solely for his love and glory, than he prizes and esteems the services that are rendered unto him, no matter how many these may be.
Believe me that those of you who will come to these regions will be well tried for all that you are worth; and no matter how much diligence you may use in acquiring and obtaining many virtues, know for sure that they will not be excessive. I am not telling you these things to make you think that it is difficult to serve God and that the Lord’s yoke is not sweet and light; for, if men disposed themselves to seek God by taking and embracing the necessary means for this, they would find so much sweetness and consolation in serving him that all repugnance which they feel in conquering themselves would be very easily overcome if they knew how much pleasure and contentment of spirit they lose by not exerting themselves in their temptations, which as a rule prevent the weak from enjoying so great a boon as is a knowledge of the supreme goodness of God and a rest from the toils of this life, since to live in it without enjoying God is not a life but a continuous death.
When Paul went to speak with the duke, who lives five leagues from Kagoshima, he took with him a very devout picture of our Lady which we had brought with us. The duke was marvelously pleased when he saw it; he knelt down before the image of Christ our Lord and of our Lady, and he adored it with great respect and reverence. He then ordered all those who were with him to do the same; after this they showed it to the duke’s mother, who was amazed and showed her own great pleasure in seeing it. A few days after Paul returned from there to us in Kagoshima, the mother of the duke sent a nobleman to order another picture like it to be made, if this were possible; but since there were no materials for this in the land, it was made. This lady sent a request that we send her in writing what the Christians believe. Paul thus spent several days in doing this, and he wrote many things about our faith in her language.
May it please God our Lord to grant us a knowledge of the language so that we can speak to them of the things of God, for we shall then, with his grace, favor, and assistance, produce much fruit. We are now like so many statues among them, since they speak and talk much about us, while we, not understanding their language, are mute. We are now learning the language like little children, and may it please God that we may imitate them in their simplicity and purity of mind. We are forced to employ the means and to dispose ourselves to be like them, both in learning the language and in imitating the simplicity of small and innocent children.
The reason why God has granted us the very great and signal grace of bringing us to these pagan regions is so that we do not neglect ourselves, for this land is filled with idolatries and enemies of Christ and we have nothing in which we can hope and trust except in God, since we have here no relatives, or friends, or acquaintances, nor is there any Christian piety, but all are enemies of him who created the heavens and the earth. We are therefore compelled to place all our faith, hope, and confidence in Christ our Lord, and not in any living creature, since all, because of their unbelief, are enemies of God. In other regions where our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord is known, creatures are wont to be a reason for neglecting God and an impediment to his service; for example, a love of father, mother, relatives, friends, and acquaintances, and a love of one’s own country, and having what is needed in sickness and in health, the possession of temporal goods or spiritual friends who help with one’s physical needs; but what compels us more than anything else to place our hope in God is the lack of persons to help us in spirit. Here in a foreign land where God is unknown, he grants us the great grace that creatures help and compel in his divine goodness, for they have no love at all for God and Christian piety
St Francis Xavier, the Apostle of Japan
(translated from a letter by St Francis Xavier in Japan, 5 December 1549)
Bulletin for the First Sunday of Advent, 22 November 2009
