Novena of Grace to St. Francis Xavier
The Novena of Grace is one of the most beloved novenas in the Church. It began in Naples in 1633, when the dying Jesuit Fr. Marcello Mastrilli was cured after St. Francis Xavier appeared to him and promised his help to all who asked it for nine days. Traditionally the novena is made from March 4 to March 12, the anniversary of the saint's canonization, but it can also be prayed before his feast on December 3 or at any time of need.
St. Francis Xavier, a companion of St. Ignatius of Loyola, carried the Gospel to India, Japan, and the edge of China and is patron of the missions. Pray the prayer below each day, name your intention, and add three Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Bes. Many people also receive Confession and Holy Communion during the nine days.
The Prayer
Most amiable and most loving St. Francis Xavier, in union with thee I reverently adore the divine Majesty. I rejoice exceedingly on account of the marvelous gifts which God bestowed upon thee. I thank God for the special graces He gave thee during thy life on earth and for the great glory that came to thee after thy death. I beseech thee with all my heart to obtain for me by thy powerful intercession the all-important grace of living and dying in a holy manner. I entreat thee to obtain for me also the special grace I desire to receive in this Novena (here mention your intention); and if what I ask is not for the glory of God and for the greater good of my soul, obtain for me that which is most conducive to this end. Amen. V. Pray for us, St. Francis Xavier. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. O God, who didst vouchsafe, by the preaching and miracles of St. Francis Xavier, to join unto Thy Church the nations of the Indies: grant, we beseech Thee, that we who reverence his glorious merits may also imitate his example. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sources: Prayer attributed to Fr. Marcello Mastrilli, S.J., as printed in With God: A Book of Prayers and Reflections (1911), public domain.
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