next day, while he was celebrating the divine
sacrifice, Fernandez on the sudden came to himself, spoke very sensibly,
and perfectly recovered his former health.
But how wonderful soever the cure of this youth appeared in the eyes of
all men, the resurrection of a young maid was of greater admiration.
Xavier was gone on a little journey, somewhere about the neighbourhood of
Malacca, to do a work of charity when this girl died. Her mother, who had
been in search of the holy man during her daughter's sickness, came to
him after his return, and throwing herself at his feet all in tears, said
almost the same words to him which Martha said formerly to our Lord,
"That if he had been in town, she, who was now dead, had been alive; but
if he would call upon the name of Jesus Christ, the dead might be
restored to life." Xavier was overjoyed to behold so great faith in a
woman, who was but lately baptized, and judged her worthy of that
blessing which she begged. After having lifted up his eyes to heaven,
and silently prayed to God some little space, he turned towards her, and
said to her, with much assurance, "Go, your daughter is alive." The poor
mother seeing the saint offered not to go with her to the place of
burial, replied, betwixt hope and fear, "That it was three days since her
daughter was interred." "It is no matter," answered Xavier, "open the
sepulchre, and you shall find her living." The mother, without more
reply, ran, full of confidence, to the church, and, in presence of many
persons, having caused the grave-stone to be removed, found her daughter
living.
While these things passed at Malacca, a ship from Goa brought letters to
Father Xavier from Italy and Portugal; which informed him of the happy
progress of the society of Jesus, and what it had already performed in
Germany for the public service of the church. He was never weary of
reading those letters; he kissed them, and bedewed them with his tears,
imagining himself either with his brethren in Europe, or them present
with himself in Asia. He had news at the same time, that there was
arrived a supply of three missioners, whom Father Ignatius had sent him;
and that Don John de Castro, who succeeded Alphonso de Sosa, in the
government of the Indies, had brought them in his company. These
missioners were Antonio Criminal, Nicholas Lancilotti, and John Beyra,
all three priests; the two first Italians, and the last a Spaniard:
apostolical men, and of eminent vir
|