Today is the traditional beginning of the Novena of Grace in honor of St. Francis Xavier, a nine-day devotion that has been popular for centuries. The first Novena of Grace dates back to 1634, when the intercession of St. Francis obtained the miraculous cure of another Jesuit. The novena ends on March 12, the date on which Francis was canonized in 1622.
The novena prayers can be found here on the Sacred Space website. Go here for background on the novena.
