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 Understanding
After the soul, through mortification, with the grace of God has been cleansed from self-love, and after incessant prayers to the good Spirit, she has the assurance that this Spirit will be given her. "If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11:13). This gift produces wonderful effects in the soul. We get an insight into the divine origin of the truths of our holy faith,into the internal association of revealed truths one to another, into the value which they possess for our lives. It is like a new revelation.
The Gift of Understanding differs from that of Knowledge. Its insight is much deeper and it enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths. This gift shows us the truths of faith under so full a light, that though we do not comprehend their whole nature, we are confirmed in our belief. This gift, so advantageous to all the faithful, is especially useful to preachers and teachers, in order to gain an understanding of the revealed truths they are to explain.
E X A M P L E
Worldly prudence may condemn the voluntary humiliations, which saints sometimes made choice of; but the wisdom of God is above that of the world, and the Holy Spirit sometimes inspires certain heroic souls to seek perfectly to die to themselves by practices, which are extraordinary and which are a rebuke to the sloth of others.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, by perfect contrition, humility, self-denial, contempt of the world, severe trials and assiduous meditation, was prepared by divine grace to be raised supernatural prayer. He afterwards assured Father Laynez that he had learned more of divine mysteries by prayer in one hour at Manresa, than all the doctor of the schools could ever taught him.
One of the most fruitful works of St. Ignatius was the book of his "Spiritual Exercises", begun at Manresa and first published in Rome in 1548 with papal approval. The Spirit which reigns in this book was that of all the saints. Frequent religious retirement had been practiced by pious persons in imitation of Christ and the saints from the beginning, and the use and the method of holy meditation were always known; but the excellent order of these meditations, prescribed by St. Ignatius were new; and though the principal rules and maxims are found in the lessons and lives of the ancient Fathers, they are here judiciously chosen, methodically digested, and clearly explained. In the words of Pope Pious XI, the Ignatian method of prayer "leads a man by the paths of self-abnegation and the removal of bad habits up to the supreme heights of prayer and divine love."
A P P L I C A T I O N
The sun illuminates the entire world and is visible to all, but in spite of the bright sunshine a blind man cannot see the sun, the source of light and energy. It is not the fault of the radiant sun, but due to lack of sight, which the blind lost. In a similar way, we can speak of God: He can be recognized by everybody; even the pagans have a dim knowledge of God. "I am the Light of the World," said our Lord Jesus Christ of Himself. All those who sincerely intend to find God, can find Him. "Seek and ye shall find!" This is the most vital problem of all mankind: to know God and to serve Him faithfully.
The knowledge of God not only unites our mind to that of God, but it also leads to love, because all in God is lovable. Conformity to the divine will must be our aim. It may be said that our degree of perfection corresponds to the extent in which we conform to the will of God, our Sovereign Master. This conformity cures our malice, which is the result of our attachment to creatures. It cures our weakness, the source of so many failings. Instead of relying on our frail selves, we make through obedience God the Almighty our support. Thus freed from malice and weakness, we no longer sin deliberately against God and we gradually effect the reformation of our lives.
PRACTICE: Observe the so-called monthly "Temple Hour", a sort of Holy Hour kept privately at home or in church during which you meditate or seek a deeped understanding by consulting the Holy Spirit in the temple which you yourself are.
Prayer for the Seventh Day
O Holy Spirit, Who didst purify my soul in the holy Sacrament of Confession restoring to it the grace lost by sin, I know but too well that I am frail. I know the power of temptation against the strongest virtue. I therefore humbly beseech Thee to give me Thine divine assistance at the hour of temptation to make me strong against the enemies of my soul. Relying on Thee, I am secured and sheltered against all misfortune. In Thee, O Lord. I have hoped; let me never be confounded. 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.
