In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Acts of Virtue
V. I believe in Thee, O my God,
R. Because Thou art the Eternal Truth.
V. I hope in Thee, O my God,
R. Because Thou art infinitely merciful, faithful and almighty.
V. With my whole heart I love Thee, O my God, and am sorry for having offended Thee,
R. Because Thou art ineffably good and lovable.
V. Out of love for me Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament.
R. Therefore I long for Thee, O my dearest Jesus.
V. Send me from the Father the Holy Spirit with His seven gifts
R. That I may glorify God in all things. Amen.
Preparatory Prayer
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit didst instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant us by the same Holy Spirit to love and relish what is right and just and always to enjoy His comforts. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
O Holy Spirit, thou Spirit of light and love, I consecrate to Thee my understanding, my heart and my will, my whole being for time and eternity. Enlighten my mind to understand the truths of religion and make my understanding to be always submissive to Thy heavenly inspirations and to the teaching of the Catholic Church whose infallible guide Thou art. Inflame my heart with love of God and of my neighbor. Grant that my will be ever conformed to the divine will and that my whole life be in accord with the teaching of our Lord and Savior to Whom with the Father and Thee be honor and glory forever. Amen.
CENACLE NOVENA PRAYER
O Holy Spirit Who art the Love of the Father and the Son, and Who through the love of us didst form the Heart of Jesus in the womb of Mary, Thy Immaculate spouse, bestow uponus Thy sevenfold gifts and twelve fruits in memory of Thy descent upon the Apostles and Mary in the Cenacle, and grant that all men may be united with Thee and amongst themselves in charity and peace.
Come, Holy Ghost fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
(300 days each time)
O Holy Spirit, Consoler and Paraclete, sent from the Father and the Son as the seal of their love for me, I humbly beseech Thee to enlighten and strengthen me to bear the burdens of this day, that I may repair by my devotion and resignation the slights and neglect by which I have grieved Thee from childhood. May my heart become Thy pleasing temple.
O Holy Spirit, sweet Guest of my soul, remain with me and make me ever remain with Thee.
(300 days each time)
O Holy Spirit, Lord of the Harvest, look with compassion upon the people still left without a shepherd to lead them to the Father. Before Thee the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace, may the darkness of sin and night of heathenism vanish and may the Heart of Jesus reign in the hearts of men.
O Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth, come into our hearts; shed the brightness of Thy light on all nations that they may be one in Faith and pleasing to Thee. Amen
(100days once a day)
M E D I T A T I O N
The Gift of Wisdom
St. Bernard calls this gift the knowledge which relishes things divine. The Gift of Wisdom is therefore twofold: a light which illuminates the mind, and a supernatural taste which enables us to relish divine things as by a sort of natural attraction. Hence, it is rightly considered as the most perfect of all gifts, the one which embodies all others, just as charity embodies all the virtues. It makes us both love and relish the divine truths; "Taste and see that the Lord is sweet." (Psalm 3:9).
Wonderful are the effects of this gift. It renders faith unshakable because of the clear insight into divine revelations. It steadies our hope; having understood and relished the doctrine about the incorporation into the Mystical Christ, we have a strong hope in Him, Who is our Head in Heaven and our Mediator. It enables us to practice the moral virtues in their highest degrees. Once we have tasted the sweetness of divine love, we also use the means to persevere in love. We love the Cross, mortification, effort, temperance, humility, meekness, because they are so many means of becoming more and more like the Beloved and of returning His love. Since wisdom is one of the most precious gifts, we must long for it ardently, beg for it insistently, and pursue it with untiring efforts.
Wonderful are the effects of this gift. It renders faith unshakable because of the clear insight into divine revelations. It steadies our hope; having understood and relished the doctrine about the incorporation into the Mystical Christ, we have a strong hope in Him, Who is our Head in Heaven and our Mediator. It enables us to practice the moral virtues in their highest degrees. Once we have tasted the sweetness of divine love, we also use the means to persevere in love. We love the Cross, mortification, effort, temperance, humility, meekness, because they are so many means of becoming more and more like the Beloved and of returning His love. Since wisdom is one of the most precious gifts, we must long for it ardently, beg for it insistently, and pursue it with untiring efforts.
E X A M P L E
The 14th century was a period of remarkable spiritual activity in Germany, where the religious revival took the form of a pronounced Christian mysticism. One of these mystics was Blessed Henry Suso, O.P. In the early days of his conversion, God favored him with some wonderful visions and ecstasies and gave him a foretaste of the joys of heaven.
Once in the refectory as they were reading aloud that portion of Holy Scripture which speaks of Eternal Wisdom under the form of a gracious and loving mistress, his heart was strangely moved, and from that moment he determined to possess her as her bride. He longed so ardently to see with his eyes, her, whom his heart desired that God granted his wish, allowing him to behold her from afar upraised on a cloud and shining more brightly than the morning star.
Blessed Henry had a very special veneration for the holy Name of Jesus, the letters of which he cut with a pointed style deep into his flesh above his heart, so that the Name moved with every beat of his heart. When any trouble befell him, he looked at the love-token and the trouble was lightened, but he never showed it except once to a chosen friend in a moment of confidence. One day when he was rapt in ecstasy it seemed to him that a light streamed from his heart and that there lay upon his heart a golden cross set with precious stones which flashed for the Name of Jesus. Although he covered himself with his mantle lest others should see, the fiery radiance still shone so brilliantly that his effort of concealment proved unavailing.
Blessed Suso left several devotional books of great beauty, one which, THE BOOK OF ETERNAL WISDOM, was extraordinarily popular during the latter part of the Middle Ages. He also had a great devotion for the Poor Souls.
Blessed Henry had a very special veneration for the holy Name of Jesus, the letters of which he cut with a pointed style deep into his flesh above his heart, so that the Name moved with every beat of his heart. When any trouble befell him, he looked at the love-token and the trouble was lightened, but he never showed it except once to a chosen friend in a moment of confidence. One day when he was rapt in ecstasy it seemed to him that a light streamed from his heart and that there lay upon his heart a golden cross set with precious stones which flashed for the Name of Jesus. Although he covered himself with his mantle lest others should see, the fiery radiance still shone so brilliantly that his effort of concealment proved unavailing.
Blessed Suso left several devotional books of great beauty, one which, THE BOOK OF ETERNAL WISDOM, was extraordinarily popular during the latter part of the Middle Ages. He also had a great devotion for the Poor Souls.
A P P L I C A T I O N
Who would not have a longing for such an intimate intercourse with God? Which soul would not gladly experience in its depth such spiritual consolation? How can we attain to it? To them it is given, who, in uprightness and loyalty seek only God, live and rest in Him, those who desire to promote God's honor and kingdom. A prerequisite for this happy and bessed union with God is purity of heart, humility and a holy simplicity. Our Lord directs attention to this infinite intercourse with the word: "I praise Thee, Father of heaven, that Thou hast hidden this from the wise and prudent and hast revealed it to little ones!" The little ones are the humble and those who have a holy, pure, and childlike mind.
No one comes to the heavenly Father except through Jesus. Living in Jesus also means living in God, the Holy Spirit. As Christ says that He and the Father are one, thus the soul also enters into a wonderful and intimate union with the Three Divine Persons. The soul yet lives in the twilight of faith, but it has an intuition of how it will be, when faith is changed into beholding and the soul may see God, face to face.
PRACTICE: Frequently remember your Guardian Angel and pray for the suffering spouses of the Holy Spirit on purgatory that they may see God soon.
Prayer for the Eighth Day
O Holy Spirit Who knowest well my desire to love Thee more and more. Thou art the love of the Father and the Son, the Love that ever burns and never fails, enkindle in my heart that divine fire which consumes the saints in heaven that I may love Thee with a perfect love on this life and thus merit to love Thee for all eternity. Amen.
Closing Prayer
O Holy Spirit, Creator, be propitious to the Catholic Church and by Thy heavenly power, make it strong and secure against the attacks of its enemies and renew in charity the spirit of Thy servants, whom Thou hast anointed, that they may glorify Thee and the Father and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
O Holy Spirit, Spirit of truth, come into our hearts; shed the brightness of Thy light on all nations that they may be one in faith and pleasing to Thee. Amen.
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory be to the Father...
- - -
O Paraclete Divine, Thou art called the "Forgotten Paraclete" for so few there are who invoke Thy divine intercession. Forgive me, dear Paraclete, for I too have ugratefully neglected Thee.
O Holy Paraclete. Spirit of adoption of the Father, I believe that Thou hast made me a Child of God in the Sacrament of Baptism. Guide Thou my poor prayers for without Thee I know not how or what I should pray to obtain my desire. O Paraclete Divine, Spirit of Fortitude, Thou hast strengthened me in Holy Confirmation. I hope in Thy aid, and entrust my petition to Thee. Do not forsake me, dear Paraclete Divine!
O Spirit of Love! Thou dwellest in my heart by sanctifying grace as the most precious gift that Jesus has given to me from the Father. may I love Thee in every beat of my heart and renew my petition together with Thee and in union with those who have joined in this prayer. In reparaton for my neglect, I shall do all in my power to spread devotion to Thee. O Mother Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit and my Patron, keep me near to my Paraclete. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
0 comments:
Post a Comment