El Oriente en llamas: Biografía novelada de San Francisco Xavier

by Louis de Wohl, Joaquín Esteban Perruca (Traductor)

Biografía novelada de San Francisco Xavier (S.XVI) cuya labor evangelizadora le llevó hasta la India y Japón.

Sobre el trasfondo de París, Lisboa, Roma, India y Japón, esta novela desarrolla el drama de la vida de san Francisco Xavier.

Siendo estudiante en París, comparte habitación con otros compañeros, entre los cuales está Ignacio de Loyola, y allí se enciende con el fuego que quiso llevar consigo para prender al Oriente en llamas.

Durante su estancia en Lisboa, en la corte de los Braganza, impresionó tanto al rey, que éste quiso a toda costa disuadirlo de hacer un viaje que duraba más de un año. Privaciones, tormentas, experiencias terribles fueron causa de la muerte de muchos pasajeros.

Su estancia en Goa, capital de la India Portuguesa, dejó a su figura rodeada de un brillo casi legendario: transformó el ambiente corrompido de aquella colonia.

En el Japón, Francisco supo imponerse a la hostilidad de los monjes budistas y a la arrogancia de la Administración oficial. Y, cuando estaba a punto de partir para China, murió en una isla desierta de la costa.

Genres: Catholic, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Religion, Faith, Spirituality, Historical

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Mr. de Wohl was a Knight Commander of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and his wife (nee Ruth Magdalene Lorch, whom he married in 1953) is a Lady Commander of the same Order. His fifty books include The Living Wood (Lippincott, 1947), Imperial Renegade (id., 1950), The Restless Flame (id., 1951), Throne of the World (id., 1949; published in England as Attila), The Golden Thread (Lippincott, 1952), The Second Conquest (id., 1954), Set All Afire (id., 1953), The Spear (id., 1955), and St. Joan, the Girl Soldier (Farrar, 1957) in the Vision Books series.

Reviews

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical fiction account of St. Francis Xavier who, inspired by Ignatius of Loyola to "set all afire", took the faith to India and Japan. I really enjoyed this quick moving book with accurate depictions of past societies and attitudes. I especially enjoyed the looks into the way that Hindus would have seen the Catholic faith. These days it is considered incorrect to embrace one religion as being True (or "truer") than others. However, de Wohl illustrates just what Christianity brought to the common people which helped open them to the light and love of God.

Since I first read this our family has become enamoured of Indian films from all parts of the country. I was delighted to find that I was familiar with the geography of his travels and with at some movies from a few of the languages and cultures mentioned. It gave me a greater sense of Francis Xavier's experiences.

I also really loved the way that a big obstacle would appear and he would set his jaw and dive in, sure that God would support his efforts on behalf of the downtrodden. It was inspiring. It reminded me of Mother Cabrini. “Are we doing this?” she would ask, “or is it the Lord?”

It also made several points which I found illuminating in the context of a recent conversation with someone who adheres to a metaphysical idea of different levels of consciousness mixed with belief in reincarnation. (Which always makes me think of Bender's, the robot from Futurama, mot juste: "If I'd thought I had to go through a whole other life, I'd kill myself right now.")

A Brahmin is talking to Francis Xavier:

"For the sake of my soul and for the sake of the soul of India, answer me: if God became incarnate on earth and suffered for all men, be they Brahmans or Sudras or any other caste, then is final salvation possible for a man even if he has not achieved perfection by himself?"

"No man can achieve perfection by himself," said Francis gently. "But by cooperating with Our Lord and on the strength of Our Lord's death on the Cross a man will be acceptable to God."

"If he can do that, there is no need for him to be reborn on earth,"" said Ramigal slowly.

I had thought of the example of Jesus telling the "thief" on the cross that he would be with him in paradise that day, but not of the larger answer to the reincarnation question. God fulfills the lack in man so that we don't have to do it all by ourselves. And what a relief that is.

Ramigal converts and later writes to Francis Xavier:

Do you remember the first talk we had, in Tiruchendar, when I mentioned reincarnation, and you taught me that by the Grace of God all could be achieved a single life? Now that I am Father Pedro, I can see so clearly that more than one incarnation can be compressed into a single life. In a sense, a new life started for me when I joined an ancient and wise man high up in the North. But in baptism I was truly reborn from water and in confirmation I was truly reborn from the Holy Spirit....

This struck me mightily when I read it as the "different levels of consciousness" issue was swirling through the back of my mind. Again, God does it all in one go, if we cooperate with him. Wow, Christianity really does have it all! And I kind of love that.

At any rate, it is a fascinating and adventurous tale and one I can recommend.

[KRM · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books by far! It is both fun to read and good to read. Because of this book I chose St. Francis Xavier as my Confrimation Saint.

[Teresa Garcia de Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buenísimo. Se lo regalé a Javi por su santo en 2023 y me lo he terminado leyendo yo antes. La verdad es que me alegra haber puesto a Javier ese nombre y que Javi se llame así. Vaya santo. «Ve y prende fuego a todo».

[Nicole Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously have no idea how anyone could rate this book less than a four. I adored it. At times it almost had me crying. This book pulled me into the life of someone who is now among my favorite Saints.

JMJ, God bless you!

[Maddog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I started reading this book with the expectation that I was going to hate it because it was assigned for school, I ended up finding it very interesting. The story was very well written and kept my attention (most of the time). Overall, I think this book is probably one of the most eye-opening books I have ever read.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is wy favorite De Wohl book so far!

[Pippo · Rating 4 out of 5]

No es el primer libro que leo de Wohl, y probablemente tampoco sea el último. Lleva años cautivándome con su inagotable capacidad para dar vida a personajes del pasado con la vivacidad del presente.

Sus historias toman forma con mayor fuerza que cualquier “Blockbuster” de Hollywood y eso se refleja también en la rapidez con las que se devora las páginas de sus obras.

Esta, sin duda, es una de sus mejores narraciones. Reflejando la locura que habitó en las mentes de aquellos que se lanzaron a recorrer todo el globo, con la insaciable sed de conocer, experimentar y divulgar.

- “Anda. Ve y prende fuego a todo…” - Íñigo de Loyola.

[ShepherdsDelight · Rating 5 out of 5]

92/100 (= 5.5/6) ≈ 5 Stars

-----------------------------------------
Excellent! So super! Like an exploding volcano sent out into the world. Winding up the spring, then "go!". Best Louis de Wohl book so far.

[Eugenides · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic! St. Francis is so inspiring. He is definitely my favorite saint.

[Michael Whelihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. (The cover made it seem like it would be for a younger audience.) The writing was excellent and of course the story was compelling. The author really brought Francis to life and displayed both his humanity and sainthood.
Set All Afire is educational, engaging, and enlightening. It is a veritable odyssey beyond compare. St. Francis Xavier’s endeavors were truly incredible. I am extremely curious how the author gathered all the accounts and how much of it was embellished. Something tells me the events in Xavier’s life were actually even more unbelievable than the book is able to capture. The man travelled more than one would think was possible back in that day and single-handedly spread Christendom to the farthest reaches of the globe. He endured devastating storms, debilitating illnesses, hundreds of thousands of miles, hostile natives, and political corruption while bringing countless souls closer to Christ. Some say no one had converted as many people since St. Paul himself and it’s easy to see why after reading this book. I have a newfound respect for Louis de Wahl and love for St. Francis Xavier.
I do have one gripe with this book. On one of Francis’s voyages, he throws a crucifix into the sea to ask God to get the ship through a terrible storm. The book includes this tale but leaves out the account that when they landed safely, a crab crawled onto the beach carrying the crucifix back to him. There is some particularly beautiful artwork out there that depicts the event and you should check it out.

[Jorge Valero Berzosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lectura muy fluida, sencilla, de estampas breves. Permite conocer bien las etapas de la vida de San Francisco Javier desde que es estudiante en París y conoce a Íñigo de Loyola hasta su muerte a las puertas de China. La novela está bien, pero lo que realmente me fascina es contemplar cómo una persona, con lo limitados que somos, fue capaz de tan ingente proeza. Ciertamente la fe en Cristo y la decisión de entregarle la vida le transformó en héroe (un héroe pobre y obediente). Esos primeros jesuitas convertían a cientos cada mes, allá donde iban, de clases sociales totalmente dispares.
Si la puntuación fuese como “novela para adolescentes” le podría poner una estrella más. De hecho, acabo de empezarlo con mis alumnos de 3oESO.

[Jesus Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy buena biografía novelada. Me gustó la descripción de los lugares y de las personas. Considero que se apega a la realidad histórica y que involucra tramas interesantes en la vida de San Francisco Xavier, gran personaje.

[Andrew Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Good spiritual encouragement

[pachi trinadori · Rating 5 out of 5]

eu no posta RECOMENDADISIMO, no le tenia tanta fe pero supero totalmente las expectativas. atrapante, interesante y encima de aventuras, no te das cuenta que estás leyendo la vida de un santo. literal fue como leer un libro de Narnia mas o menos, ME ENCANTO.
“¡Cuánto mejor irían las cosas y cuánto ganarían sus almas si renunciaran a sus ambiciones y dijeran: «Señor, aquí me tenéis... enviadme donde vos queráis... ¡incluso a la India!»!”

[Jake Ruefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

More biographies should be written in this style… but this could have used some more biographical details (and dates) throughout.

[Paula Sobrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

qué hombre San Francisco Javier y qué fe. hermosa forma de conocer más de su vida dedicada a la misión. recomiendo mucho. amdg

[Cristina Montes · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting portrait of St. Francis Xavier, a rich athletic student who later became one of the first Jesuits and an energetic missionary in India, Malacca, and Japan. I'm impressed at St. Francis Xavier's love for God and consuming passion for the spread of the Gospel. The book also paints a vivid picture of the times in which St. Francis Xavier lived and the exotic places he visited. The book also has some lovable minor characters (although among them, it's only Yajiro whom I know actually existed).

[Nicholas Ferrucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful novel about St. Francis Xavier. I never really knew much about the saint until I read this book. It's not historically accurate as it's part fiction, but it gives one a general idea of what the saint did in his life time. He had bravery, determination, and faith.

Remembering foreign names is the only problem I had with this book. They're not easy to remember as they're too many of them, at least for me.

[Amanda Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Louis de Wohl. This one is about St. Francis Xavier. I like the way de Wohl chose to tell the story--much of what we learn is from other people's conversations about Francis Xavier. It was refreshing, and St. Francis Xavier inspires us to generosity and faith. Highly Recommend.

[Patrick Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting story about the foundation of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the early missionary work of St. Francis Xavier. If you want an example of what the Christian life should look like, read this.

[Magda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew. A beautiful retelling of Father Francis Xavier’s life and dedication to the spreading of the Christian gospel in the 16th-century Portuguese empire.

[The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most fast-paced of the Louis De Wohl books that I've read so far. The novel is divided into six books, and each book is divided into short vignettes (1-3 pages long) separated by asterisks.

We meet St Francis Xavier at the University of Paris, where his roommates is St Peter Faber. When St Ignatius Loyola enrolls to study at the same college, he shares his Spiritual Exercises with Faber and the other companions, thereby forming a circle. Thus beings the "Society of Jesus." Although Xavier is initially skeptical, he ends up becoming the greatest Jesuit missionary. Before commissioning Xavier, Ignatius exhorts him to "set all afire."

We then follow Xavier on his missionary journey from Portugal to Mozambique Island to Goa. He then goes on to Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Japan. In the end, he dies on an island near China. Along the way, we watch him plant churches, train catechists, establish schools, recruit natives to the priesthood, care for the sick, minister to lepers, promote marriage, defend women, stamp out idolatry, resist Brahman exploitation, fight back against "the Moors," and everything in-between.

In what I found to be the most fascinating encounter in the book, we follow Xavier to the tomb of St Thomas the Apostle, meeting the Indian Christian community whose ancestors had been evangelized by the Apostle himself. Despite centuries of isolation from the rest of the Christian world, their Christian identity remained intact, and ancient devotions, however muddled, were still in practice.

[Sebastian Fricke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend to read "The golden thread" from the same author, a story about saint Ignatius of Loyola, before reading this one, as this book gives more insights to the life of Ignatius, while the former book gives a bit of a backstory about the spirit of the Jesuits.
This story provides a glimpse into the heroic and extremely courageous journeys some of the missionaries dove into. Practically engulfed in danger from all sides, from hostile powers in the places that they discovered, to malicious forces in their back in form of counterfeit Christians and the unpredictable forces of nature and diseases. The sheer trust in divine providence, that these men showcased is an example to cherished by all Christians!
The writing of Louis de Wohl is, as always, easy to read and this time, due to the story of this particular saint, he masterfully leads the reader from a small university in Paris all the way to far east, through Rome, the oceans and nearly all of India. Truly a motivating life and even if we are not all called to this particular mission, the fire that sparks in Francis' heart helps kindle my own.

St. Francis Xavier pray for us!

[Andrew Buyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set All Afire was likely the most spiritually impactful novel I've ever read. The novel is broken up into many short stories of the life of St. Francis Xavier, shifting scenes and perspectives from which the story is told often. The reason for my four star review instead of five is because the changing perspectives and scenes made the story seem to jump around a lot, which did not help my ADD. There are also a lot of characters introduced with similar names in very short excerpts, which makes the dialogue a little bit hard to follow at times. The story, however, did get me fired up on many occasions, and I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a spiritually enriching and enjoyable read that's not too difficult to understand.

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this novel. It is based on true, fascinating events that surounds the life of saint Francis Xavier, one of the greatest missionary of the Catholic Church (only one greater is saint Paul). An tale larger than life, it is almost incredible what saint Francis was going thru to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and to convert the pagans to catholicism. I loved the novel, it was light and to the point read, only nitpick is that it has a slow start and one to many characters we know little about (they where mostly based on real people to my knowlege). But apart from that i strongly recommend the book. Saint Francis Xavier pray for us!

[Marcia Nesiosup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empecé a leer este libro con mucha ilusión y expectativa pero me he llevado mucho más de lo que pensé. Ver la evolución de Francisco Xavier es una maravilla y ese fuego del que tanto se habla en la historia no pasa desapercibido para el lector. Es imposible terminar de leerlo y seguir siendo la misma persona. Si te sientes decepcionado de la fe o de la iglesia, este libro puede mostrarte la otra cara de la moneda y renovar el espíritu de servicio y comunidad al que estamos todos llamados. Sin duda alguna será uno de mis libros favoritos de toda la vida.

[Mark Bullard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly well written historical novel hopefully inspired by as much truth as can be gathered about the real man Francis Xavier.

It was certainly good enough to make me want to read more by Louis de Wohl.

I only wish there were footnotes distinguishing the researched conclusions (aka "facts") from the fictional filling. There were many times I set the book down to look online to learn more about people and places mentioned in the book. I learned a lot from that process.

Socotra, for instance, was a new revelation for me. What a fascinating place!

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced novel about a fast-paced, driven man of God. Louis de Wohl takes you along with Father Francis as he passionately spreads the Gospel in the Portuguese Empire. Perhaps because this a "later" saint among de Wohl's historical fictions there are a lot of names and places to keep track of. This was a bit disorienting at first, but if one is content to simply focus on the main character's story you will still get a spiritual boost from reading this book.

[Don Mario · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que las estrellas van más por lo increíble de la historia y del personaje que por la maestría del autor.

Es cierto que De Wohl tiene el talento de perfilar un personaje presentándolo en acción. Uno queda con la sensación de conocer la interioridad de Francisco Javier, aunque la narración siempre se centra en lo externo.

Sin embargo, de un santo tan grande me hubiera gustado saber más acerca de su vida de oración. Pero para eso no se lee una novela.

[Mary Ellen Barringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read by this prolific writer. I have a passing knowledge of St Francis Xavier, but this book makes we want to know much more about this great man of God. He took the Gospel from Portugal to India to Japan. His great love for Jesus inspired thousands to believe. St Francis Xavier, pray for us!