This new story from the popular Vision Books series of saints lives for youth 9-15 years old is about the inspiring life of the great missionary to the Far East, St. Francis Xavier. After his wartorn boyhood in Navarre, Francis Xavier went to the University of Paris, determined to have a good time. He was interested in sports and became broadjumping champion of his college, and did not pay much attention to his studies. At first he scoffed at this fellow student, Ignatius Loyola, a former soldier who wanted to win the world for God. But Ignatius showed him that true champions are a far more heroic breed - those who risk their all to win the world for God. Francis joined Ignatius' followers, and became one of the first members of the Society of Jesus.Francis Xavier was selected by Ignatius to do missionary work in India. To all sixteenth-century travelers, a voyage from Portugal to India meant months of deadly peril from storms, pirates, and diseases. But to Father Francis Xavier, it also meant a chance to win the Orient for Jesus Christ. This great saint's eagerness to spread the Word of God involved him with the pearl divers of the Indian coast, the natives of Malaya and the Spice Islands, the cannibals of Morotni and the hostile feudal lords of ancient Japan. This book captures the true spirit of a daring man who braved the many dangers of India and Japan in amazing adventures of courage and faith.

“In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. Praise be to him!” – Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ In his second encyclical, Laudato Si’: On the Care of Our Common Home, Pope Francis draws all Christians into a dialogue with every person on the planet about our common home. We as human beings are united by the concern for our planet, and every living thing that dwells on it, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. Pope Francis’ letter joins the body of the Church’s social and moral teaching, draws on the best scientific research, providing the foundation for “the ethical and spiritual itinerary that follows.” Laudato Si’ outlines: The current state of our “common home” The Gospel message as seen through creation The human causes of the ecological crisis Ecology and the common good Pope Francis’ call to action for each of us Our Sunday Visitor has included discussion questions, making it perfect for individual or group study, leading all Catholics and Christians into a deeper understanding of the importance of this teaching.