Day 7: Novena to the Holy Spirit
An Inspiring Thought
The Spirit is the Spirit of Life, and the life that the Spirit gives is none other than life in Christ, the life that flows from his paschal mystery. To live according to the Spirit therefore means to have a share in the very life of Christ, to share Christ's own inward dispositions, to be “of one spirit” with him, (1 Corinthians 6:17). For all practical purposes, to be or to live “in the Spirit” is the same as to be or to live “in Christ.”
The same basic juxtaposition appears in another form in Paul, when he writes, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life,” (2 Corinthians 3:6). In this light the Holy Spirit stands out as the very principle of the new covenant, the Christian norm, and the power of Christian living, source of a new life and a new activity that derives directly from the work of Christ.
Turning to John we find the same link between the Spirit and life, and between the life of the Spirit and the work of Christ. For John, too, the “fountains of living water” of the Spirit spring forth from Christ's glorified body. The paschal mystery and the Incarnation, however, are placed differently within the relationship to Christ which is common to both. The life that the Spirit confers is basically the life of the Father, the Trinitarian life, that in the Incarnation “was made visible,” (1 John 1:2).
Seen from the viewpoint of the one who receives it, the life of the Spirit is voluntary, received freely, and in this quite different from natural life, in receiving which the recipient has no option. No one can decide whether to be born or not. In fact, the new life presupposes the act of faith; one comes to the new life “through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth,” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). There is thus a sense in which faith makes us our own parent.
How does one actually enter into this new life? By two means: the Word and the sacraments. The words of Jesus are “Spirit and life,” (John 6:63). The Word is not only “inspired” by the Holy Spirit, it also “breathes” the Holy Spirit, inspires the Holy Spirit into those who receive it. Without the Holy Spirit it is a dead letter, but with the Holy Spirit it gives life, (see 2 Corinthians 3:6). It is a fact of experience: Read the scriptures “spiritually,” that is, in the light of the Holy Spirit and under the Spirit's anointing, and you find them bursting with light and comfort and hope; in a word, with life.
Fr Raniero Cantalamessa
Chaplet of the Holy Spirit:
O God, come to my assistance.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father…
In each mystery ask for a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Repeat this prayer seven times:
“Father, in the Name of Jesus, send forth your Spirit and renew the world.”
Conclude with :
“O Mary, who by the work of the Holy Spirit, conceived the Savior, pray for us.”
The seven mysteries invoking the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:
1- Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, detach us from earthly things and infuse in us a love and taste of heavenly things.
Father, in the Name of Jesus…O Mary, …
2- Come, O Spirit of Understanding, enlighten our minds with the light of your eternal truth and the riches of holy thoughts.
Father, in the Name…O Mary, …
3- Come, O Spirit of Counsel, make us docile to your inspirations and guide us in the way of salvation.
Father, in the Name…O Mary, …
4- Come, O Spirit of Fortitude , and give us strength, constancy and victory in the battle against our spiritual enemies.
Father, in the Name…O Mary, …
5- Come, O Spirit of Knowledge, be the Master of our souls and help us to put into practice Your teachings.
Father, in the Name…O Mary, …
6- Come, O Spirit of Piety, come to live in our heart to possess and sanctify all of our affections.
Father, in the Name…O Mary, …
7- Come, O Spirit of the Fear of the Lord, reign over our will and make us always disposed to suffer every evil rather than to sin.
Father, in the Name…O Mary, …
Invocation to Mary:
O most pure Virgin Mary, by your Immaculate Conception you were made a chosen tabernacle of Divinity by the Holy Spirit. Pray for us.
May the Divine Paraclete come soon to renew the face of the earth.
Hail Mary, full of grace…
O most pure Virgin Mary, by the Mystery of the Incarnation you became true Mother of God by the Holy Spirit. Pray for us.
May the Divine Paraclete come soon to renew the face of the earth.
Hail Mary, full of grace…
O most pure Virgin Mary, persevering in prayer with the Apostles in the Upper Room, you were abundantly inflamed by the Holy Spirit. Pray for us:
May the Divine Paraclete come soon to renew the face of the earth.
Hail Mary, full of grace…
Let us pray:
Send Your Spirit, Lord, and transform us interiorly with Your gifts. Create in us a new heart that we may please You and be conformed to Your will. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The prayer of the novena
Press "Pray" to conclude this day of the novena: the prayer of the novena will load!
Thank you! 365 people prayed
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. Col 4:6