NOVENA to the HOLY SPIRIT
Foreword
The novena to the Holy Spirit is
the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord
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, strength and love so sorely needed by every
Christian. After this
novena, the faithful are encouraged to continue and pray the novena whenever
they wish.
The Church has enriched this
novena with plenary indulgences:
The faithful who devoutly assist
at the public novena in honour of the Holy Spirit preceding the feast of
Pentecost may gain:
* A Plenary indulgence, if they
take part in at least five of the exercises in the community; and moreover, go
to confession, and
receive Holy Communion and pray for the Holy Father's
intentions on Pentecost Sunday.
Those who make a private novena in
honour of the Holy Spirit, either before Pentecost or at any other time in the
year may gain:
* A Plenary indulgence under the
usual conditions; but if a public novena is held, this indulgence is available
only to
those who are lawfully hindered from being part
in the same.
Act of Consecration to the Holy
Spirit
On my knees 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, so 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 is
listening." Amen.
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit
O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before
ascending into heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work
in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to 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 of 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; the Spirit of Holy 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 Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.
First Day
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 help our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for, as we
ought. But the Spirit
Himself ask for us."
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, Who has
vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit, and has given us
forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to 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 to the Holy
Spirit;
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit
Second Day
Come, You Father of the poor!
Come, with treasures which endure! Come, You Light of all that live!
The Gift of Holy Fear
The gift of Holy 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 the worldly
pleasures that could in any way separate us from God. "They that 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 to the Holy
Spirit;
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit
Third Day
You, of all consolers best,
Visiting the troubled breast, Do refreshing peace bestow.
The Gift of Piety
The gift of Piety begets in our
hearts 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. He who is filled with the gift of Piety finds the practice of his
religion, not a burdensome duty, but a delightful service. Where there is love,
there is no labour.
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 to the Holy
Spirit;
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit
Fourth Day
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. "He that shall persevere unto the
end, he shall be saved."
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of
Fortitude uphold my soul in time of troubles 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 to the Holy
Spirit;
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit
Fifth Day
Light immortal! Light Divine!
Visit You these hearts of Yours, 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 pretence 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 him that 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 to the Holy
Spirit;
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit
Sixth Day
If You take Your grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay; All his good is turned 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, and 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 of 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 to the Holy
Spirit;
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit
Seventh Day
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 be 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 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. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary
(once); Glory be to the Father (seven times); Act of Consecration to the Holy
Spirit;
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit
Eighth Day
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 it is written "all good things come 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
savour, whilst the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the
words of the Saviour: "Take up your cross and follow me, for my yoke is
sweet 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 forever.
Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary
(once); Glory be to the Father (seven times); Act of Consecration to the Holy
Spirit;
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit
Ninth Day
You, on those who evermore, You
confess and You adore, In Your sevenfold gifts, descend: Give them comfort when
they die; Give the 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 becomes 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, to serve Whom is to reign.
Prayer
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my
heart with Your heavenly fruits, Your Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindliness,
Goodness, Faith, Mildness, and Temperance, that I may never weary on 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 to the Holy
Spirit;
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit
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Daily prayer to the Holy Spirit
V. Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the
hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.
R. Send forth Your Spirit and they
shall be created.
V. And You shall renew the face of
the earth
V. Let us pray --- Oh God Who did
instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us
in the same Spirit to be truly wise and to ever rejoice in His consolations,
through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Amen.