St. Francis Xavier's solution to sexual hanky - panky:

A practice of "inviting himself to dinner!"


Adapted from this source: Ms. Louise Perrotta's A Tale of Two Saints: Francis Xavier, Ignatius of Loyola and the Power of Friendship in the Lord. "The Word Among Us" February 2009.

"Beginning in 1542 at Goa,on the southwest coast of India, Francis brought the gospel to the tip of India, to Sri Lanka, the Malay peninsula, and the islands near New Guinea -- even to areas where the people were reported to be cannibalistic.

"But especially with the Portuguese merchants and soldiers he encountered, Francis liked the one - on - one evangelistic strategy that Ignatius had used on him [when both men were roommates at the University of Paris].

"Many of these colonists were living with concubines; some even kept a harem of female slaves.

"Francis could have condemned the men outright.

"Instead, he won them over gradually, inviting himself to dinner and talking easily and knowledgeably about a wide variety of subjects.

"Only after getting to know them through a few friendly visits would he turn the conversation to spiritual matters, inviting them to consider the state of their souls and [to] change their way of life.

"Often, he had success..."

A good read! :)