PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GITS OF THE HOLY
SPIRITTo be recited daily during the Novena
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 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 Your true
disciples, 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 hast
vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit, and hast
given us forgiveness 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, 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. "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, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
THIRD DAY (7th Sunday of Easter or
transferred Ascension)
Thou, of all consolers best, Visiting
the troubled breast, Dost 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 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)
Thou in toil art 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 under take 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 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
Thee, 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
Thou 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 him that
possesseth 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 Thy glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them
to Thee, and Thy 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 Thou take Thy grace away, nothing
pure in man 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, 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 in Thy Light;
and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee 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 renews;
On our dryness pour Thy 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 thy way in truth."
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and
guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy 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 Thy 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 it is written "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, whilst the
Cross of Christ yields a divine
sweetness according to the words of the Saviour: "Take up thy
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 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)
Thou, on those who evermore Thee
confess and Thee Adore, in Thy sevenfold gift, Descend; Give Them
Comfort when they die; Give them Life with Thee 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, to serve Whom is to reign.
Prayer
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart
with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy 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 Thy
inspiration may merit to be united eternally with Thee 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
Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven
Gifts
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, 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.
To be recited daily during the Novena
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, 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 Your
true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.
(To be recited daily during the Novena
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