Spiritual Reflections at, TX US - COME HOLY SPIRIT...

NOVENA IN HONOR OF THE HOLY SPIRIT... The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian. The Novena begins on the day after the Solemnity of the Ascension, Friday of the 6th Week of Easter, even if the Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to the 7th Sunday. ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT To be recited daily during the Novena On my knees I come before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, "Speak Lord for Your servant heareth." Amen. PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT To be recited daily during the Novena O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven promised to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit on Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord with the sign of true discipleship, and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen FIRST DAY (Friday after Ascension or Friday of 6th Week of Easter) Holy Spirit! Lord of Light! From Your clear celestial height, Your pure beaming radiance give! The Holy Spirit Only one thing is important -- eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared--sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for "The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us." Prayer: Almighty and eternal God, Who wishes to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit, and has given us forgiveness of all sins, send forth from heaven upon us your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen. Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts SECOND DAY (Saturday of 6th Week of Easter) Come, Father of the poor. Come, treasures which endure; Come, Light of all that live! The Gift of Fear: The gift of Fear fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread nothing so much as to offend Him by sin. It is a fear that arises, not from the thought of hell, but from sentiments of reverence and filial submission to our heavenly Father. It is the fear that is the beginning of wisdom, detaching us from worldly pleasures that could in any way separate us from God. "Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and in His sight will sanctify their souls." Prayer: Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set you, my Lord and God, before my face forever, help me to shun all things that can offend You, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Your Divine Majesty in heaven, where You live and reign in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God world without end. Amen. Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts THIRD DAY (7th Sunday of Easter or transferred Ascension) You, of all consolers best, Visiting the troubled breast, Your refreshing peace bestow. The Gift of Piety: The gift of Piety graces our hearts with a filial affection for God as our most loving Father. It inspires us to love and respect for His sake, persons and things consecrated to Him, as well as those who are vested with His authority, His Blessed Mother and the Saints, the Church and its visible Head, our parents and superiors, our country and its rulers. The person who is filled with the gift of Piety finds the practice of the faith, not a burdensome duty, but a delightful service. Where there is love, there is no labor. Prayer: Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for His sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen. Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts FOURTH DAY (Monday, 7th Week of Easter) You, in toil are comfort sweet, Pleasant coolness in the heat, Solace in the midst of woe. The Gift of Fortitude By the gift of Fortitude the soul is strengthened against natural fear, and supported to the end in the performance of duty. Fortitude imparts to the will an impulse and energy which move it to undertake without hesitancy the most arduous tasks, to face dangers, to trample under foot human respect, and to endure without complaint the slow martyrdom of even lifelong tribulation. "The one who perseveres to the end, shall be saved." Prayer: Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from You, my God and greatest Good. Amen. Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts FIFTH DAY (Tuesday, 7th Week of Easter) Light immortal! Light Divine! Visit now these hearts of Thine, And our inmost being fill! The Gift of Knowledge: The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at their true worth--in their relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the pretense of creatures, reveals their emptiness, and points out their only true purpose as instruments in the service of God. It shows us the loving care of God even in adversity, and directs us to glorify Him in every circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things first, and prize the friendship of God beyond all else. "Knowledge is a fountain of life to the one who possesses it." Prayer: Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Your glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to You, and Your eternal rewards. Amen. Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts SIXTH DAY (Wednesday, 7th Week of Easter) If You take Your grace away, Nothing pure in us will stay, All his good is turn'd to ill. The Gift of Understanding: Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our holy religion; by faith we know them, but by Understanding we learn to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the faith that is in us; we begin to "walk worthy of God in all things pleasing, while increasing in the knowledge of God." Prayer:Come, O Spirit of understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Your Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of You and the Father and the Son. Amen. Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts SEVENTH DAY (Thursday, 7th Week of Easter) Heal our wounds--our strength renew; On our dryness pour Your dew, Wash the stains of guilt away. The Gift of Counsel: The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly what must done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers, public servants, and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. "Above all these things, pray to the Most High, that He may direct your way in truth." Prayer: Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Your holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Your commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts EIGHTH DAY (Friday, 7th Week of Easter) Bend the stubborn heart and will, Melt the frozen, warm the chill. Guide the steps that go astray! The Gift of Wisdom: Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of wisdom the Bible says, "All good things came to me with her, and innumerable riches through her hands." It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savor, while the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness as our Saviour says: "Take up your cross and follow me, for my yoke is easy and my burden light." Prayer: Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess them for ever. Amen. Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts NINTH DAY (Saturday, Vigil of Pentecost) You, on those who evermore-- Confess You and Adore, In Your sevenfold gift, descend; Give them Comfort when they die; Give them Life with You on high; Give them joys which never end. Amen The Fruits of the Holy Spirit: The gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, for to serve God is to reign. Prayer: Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Your heavenly fruits, Your charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Your inspiration may merit to be united eternally with You in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen. Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Holy Spirit, most welcome guest of our hearts, reveal to us the profound meaning of the Great Mystery of Jesus Christ and prepare our hearts to celebrate it with faith, in the hope which does not disappoint, in the love which seeks nothing in return. Spirit of truth, You who search the depths of God, memory, and prophecy in the Church,lead mankind to recognize in Jesus of Nazareth the Lord of glory, the Savior of the world, the supreme fulfillment of history. Come, Spirit of love and peace! Creator Spirit, hidden builder of the kingdom, by the power of Your saints guide the Church to cross with courage the threshold of the new millennium and to carry to the coming generations the light of the Word who brings salvation. Spirit of holiness, divine breath which moves the universe, come and renew the face of the earth. Awaken in Christians a desire for full unity, that they may be for the world an effective sign and instrument of intimate union -with God and of the unity of the whole human race. Come, Spirit of love and peace! Spirit of communion, soul and strength of the Church, grant that the wealth of charisms and ministries may contribute to the unity of the Body of Christ; grant that laity, consecrated persons, and ordained ministers may work together in harmony to build the one kingdom of God. Spirit of consolation, unfailing source of joy and peace, inspire solidarity with the poor, grant the sick the strength they need, pour out trust and hope upon those experiencing trials, awaken in all hearts a commitment to a better future. Come, Spirit of love and peace! Spirit of wisdom, inspiration of minds and hearts, direct science and technology to the service of life, justice, and peace. Render fruitful our dialogue with the followers of other religions, lead the different cultures to appreciate the values of the gospel. Spirit of life, by whose power the Word was made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the woman of attentive silence, make us docile to the promptings of Your love and ever ready to accept the signs of the times which You place along the paths of history. Come, Spirit of love and peace! To You, Spirit of love, with the Almighty Father and the Only-Begotten Son, be praise, honor, and glory for ever and ever. Amen. --Pope John Paul II Come, Holy Spirit... fill us with the fire of your love. Make us zealous witnesses to the saving message of Jesus Christ. May we become more fully the Body of Christ in the world. Inspire more to give their lives in service to the Gospel. Amen Source: Fathers of the Holy Spirit

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