THE NOVENA OF GRACE Prayer to Saint

Preparatory Prayers V: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. O Jesus, answer our petitions as we kneel before Thee. R: O Heart of Jesus, hear and grant our prayers.

V: Pray for us, Saint Francis Xavier, R: that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

V: Let us pray: Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful. Enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy spirit and they shall be created, R: and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, R: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

All: Most lovable and loving Saint Francis Xavier, in union with you I adore the Divine Majesty. I rejoice on account of the marvelous gifts that bestowed on you and I thank God for the special graces He gave you during your life and for the great glory that came to you after your death. I implore you to obtain for me, through your powerful intercession, the greatest of all blessings--that of living and dying in the state of grace. I also ask you to secure for me the special favor I ask in this novena. (Here you may mention the grace, spiritual or temporal, that you wish to obtain.) In asking this favor, I am fully resigned to the Divine Will. I pray and desire only to obtain that which is most conducive to the greater glory of God and the greater good of my soul.

Our Father --- Hail Mary --- Glory Be

V: Pray for us, Saint Francis Xavier. R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

HYMN TO SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER Oh, Father Saint Francis, we kneel at thy feet, WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US AND PRAY THE NOVENA OF GRACE OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER DAILY FOR THE NEXT 9 DAYS. While blessings and favors we beg and entreat, That thou from thy bright throne in heaven above It is traditional to pray the Novena for a particular intention; to ask for Wouldst look on thy clients with pity and love. what you desire from God. Pray for your own needs, those of your loved ones, the Saint Francis Xavier, Oh pray for us! needs of our parish or the needs of the world. Saint Francis Xavier, Oh pray for us! The first Novena of Grace of Francis Xavier, nine days of prayer, is said to Oh, Father Saint Francis, thy words were once strong have taken place in Goa, India in 1615, when a boy, crippled from birth, was Against Satan's wiles and an infidel throng. cured. After Francis Xavier was named a Saint on 12th of March, 1622, the Not less is thy might where in heaven thou art; Novena of Grace grew in popularity around the world.

Oh, come to our aid, in our battle take part. Grace can be seen as the power within us that gives us the strength to reach Saint Francis Xavier, Oh pray for us! out to others in generosity, care and love. Grace is a traditional term used in Saint Francis Xavier, Oh pray for us! the for favor or free gift from God. In asking God for grace,

we acknowledge that God is the giver of all gifts. Let Us Pray O God, Who by the preaching and miracles of Saint Francis Xavier joined to Your Read the story from the life of St. Francis. Church the nations of the Indies, grant, we pray, that we who reverence his glorious Ponder on the 'Reflection' for a few minutes each day. merits may also imitate his example, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen. Pray the set of prayers below. LIFE OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER 'Reflection' Have I ever felt alienated from my surroundings? Where do I draw my strength

Day 1 Francisco was born in 1506 in Xavier, (Javier) a small village in from when things get difficult?

Navarre in the north of Spain. He was a Basque, the son of local land Day 6 Francis found the behavior of Europeans in India one of the more owners. Their family home was a castle. At the age of 19 Francis went off difficult things to bear. Too many of the Portuguese officials and traders to study in Paris. There he put more effort into sports and the city’s night were determined not to let his pursuit of souls interfere with their life than into studies. He was bright and vibrant with a zest for life. For pursuit of riches. At one point Francis writes: "I am so sick of life that the Francis, life was there to be enjoyed, but one thing he lacked was a clear best thing for me would be to die for the defense of our : to see so many focus. sins committed and to be able to do nothing." Yet Francis continued with 'Reflection' What do I enjoy in life? Does my life have purpose, a clear focus? enthusiasm.

Day 2 The turning point for Francis was meeting fellow Basque, Ignatius of 'Reflection' When life seems pointless, or when people who should know better let me Loyola. Ignatius too was a student in Paris, though at 38 a rather mature down, who do I turn to? God can be there for me with an offer of grace - strength for the student. At first Francis was repelled by Ignatius and took him for a middle- struggle. aged religious enthusiast. He made fun of him in public. After five years of Day 7 Francis Xavier spent seven years on the South India coast, patient encouragement Ignatius finally broke through Francis' mask of self- constantly traveling up and down, preaching, teaching, consoling, sufficiency and encouraged him to ask the question, "What am I doing for comforting, begging for the poor, visiting the sick. From there he Christ?" traveled on to Malaya and almost as far as New Guinea; to Japan and 'Reflection' Do I try to fool people into thinking I have 'got it all together'; that I don't need to Sanchian Island, gateway to China. Francis believed that those who others? Do I recognize I need God in my life? were not baptized were destined never to share the delights of

Day 3 Ignatius directed Francis through his 'Spiritual Exercises' - 30 days heaven. Therefore his travel became an urgent task to baptize as many of prayer and reflection on life and its purpose. After this period of people as possible. He baptized thousands of people. But Francis reflection on the story of Christ in scripture and consideration as to his always saw a person as a whole, body, mind and spirit. He was own response to the love of God, Francis threw in his lot with Ignatius. concerned about material needs as well as spiritual ones. As the extent of the With a handful of others they formed a group of companions who continent of Asia, with the populous nations of India, Japan and China became apparent decided to offer their services to God through work in the Church. to him Francis called for more companions to share the work. 'Reflection' How do I show my love for others? Who are the people who help 'Reflection' What animates me? When do I start to get enthusiastic about things? Am I as me to live more deeply, to be who I am called to be? concerned about developing my mind and spirit as looking after my body?

Day 4 After Paris Ignatius and his companions ended up in Rome. They Day 8 During his travels around Asia, Francis wrote letters to Ignatius worked in hospitals looking after the sick, they preached about the love of telling him of all that was happening. These letters betray a deep God and begged for alms. In Rome, Francis became secretary to Ignatius friendship which neither distance nor time apart faded. Return letters who kept up correspondence with a vast number of people. This cannot took between 2 and 4 years; in his ten years away from Rome, Francis have been appealing work for the outgoing Francis. In 1540 the Pope received only 5 messages. Francis had to rely on his relationship with established the companions as a Religious Order in the Catholic Church. God to give him the strength to carry on. There were new companions They were called the '', later to become more popularly along the way, but much of the time he was alone, suffering the known as the Jesuits. King John of Portugal asked the Pope for two Jesuits isolation of living in a country without the local language. Luckily to go to India. Ignatius didn't want to lose Francis, and two others were Francis was a good linguist and in any case his enthusiasm for the chosen, but at the last minute one of them fell ill, and Francis had to be sent in his place. message of Christ shone through even when language failed him. The voyage from Lisbon to Goa took over a year. When he arrived in Goa in 1542, 'Reflection' Who are my best friends? Is there someone I feel I should get in touch with - a Francis had gained a reputation for helping the poor and sick and zealously seeking to neglected friend? encourage people to live a good life. It was recorded that despite two months of Day 9 Francis died at the age of 47 on the island of Sanchian. He continual seasickness and much illness, Francis always looked happy. never made it to China, that was to be the privilege of fellow Jesuit, 'Reflection' When faced with adversity how do I react? When have I most felt happy and Matteo Ricci. Instead Francis died alone of fever, tantalizingly within contented in a deep-down way? sight of the Chinese mainland. He never achieved his ambition. Yet,

Day 5 In 1542 the Portuguese Governor of Goa asked Francis to teach the his ambition, to convert all Asia to Christianity, was greater than one pearl fishers (Paravas) of Cape Comorin in South India. They were nominal person could ever achieve. Francis Xavier, the Patron Saint of the Christians but had received no formal instructions on their new faith because Missions, has always been exceptionally popular with Catholics in Goa no priest had ever learned their language. When he arrived in South India and Asia in general. He is probably the most famous of all Jesuits. He Francis was the only European in this world of scorching heat. He set about was recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church in 1622, the first learning Tamil, the local language, and managed to translate the Creed. He Jesuit to be canonized. experienced the loneliness of working in a foreign culture. He had been 'Reflection' Does love of God and other people come at the center of promised two Jesuit helpers, but they never arrived. After a year he decided to return my ambitions in life? Are there ambitions that I need to hand over to God? to Goa to see what had happened to them. He was so accepted by the people that a number of young Paravas went with him to be trained for Christian ministry.