St. Xavier ranks among the greatest missionaries in Christian history. Historians place the number of baptisms at roughly 30,000 people. Three qualities of St Xavier are highlighted which are noteworthy in today’s modern world.
A man of prayer: the authors who wrote about his life have defined him as a man of intense prayer. He used to spend long time in prayer, and often even night time after a very busy day of apostolate. A witness wrote about him: “during the day he entirely belonged to God, during the night, he entirely belong to God”.
A man of enthusiasm: Xavier set high standards for himself and had ambitious plans for the future. He was a man of quick perception and sound judgment. And while he was fervent, he was known to be so without losing a realistic grasp of the facts. Yet, his goals were not to be “the best” or “first”, but rather to make an impact. Xavier was known to have conducted his life’s work with great vitality and zeal. For instance, when Loyola asked Xavier to join an expedition to the Far East he was “overjoyed”. Even descriptions of how he moved capture his gusto – “he walked with a joyful, calm face” and “everywhere he went he went with laughter in his mouth”. Xavier’s enthusiasm is underscored when recognising that his work and life were not easy. Seventeenth century sea voyages were filled with life-threatening dangers. Moreover, by the time Xavier finished University studies, his father, mother and a sister had died (his father had passed away when Xavier was only 6 years old) and his other sister and brothers had married. He felt as lonely as “an orphan”. However, it was not only during this time that he felt this way. For much of his life he struggled with feelings of loneliness, depression and chronic feelings of inferiority.
Openness to the influence of others: The third quality associated with Xavier’s personality, including how he related to others as well as himself. It goes beyond enthusiasm and passion. Xavier was known to be a charismatic man. He had a “dashing and robust personality” and has been described as “astounding”, “decisive”, “cheerful”, “vivacious”, “practical”, “prudent”, and a “keen, ambitious” boy in school.