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Novena Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Lord Jesus Christ, before ascending into heaven,
you promised to send the Holy Spirit upon your Church,
to complete the work you began
in those whom you loved and called.
Renew in us, we pray, that same Holy Spirit.
Grant us the Spirit of Wisdom,
that we may desire the imperishable over that which passes,
the Spirit of Understanding,
that our minds may be enlightened by the light of your divine truth,
the Spirit of Right Counsel,
that our choices may always be pleasing to you,
the Spirit of Fortitude,
that we may willingly bear the cross with you
and overcome all obstacles to salvation,
the Spirit of Knowledge,
that we may overcome doubt and grow in faithfulness,
the Spirit of Piety,
that we may always find sweetness in our prayer and service,
the Spirit of Wonder and Awe,
that we may rightly fear your justice as we trust in your mercy.
Mark us, most loving Lord,
with the gifts of true discipleship,
that we may be animated by your Spirit,
and recommit ourselves to the work
of spreading the Good News of your Gospel.
You live and reign with the Father
and the same Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.
The following is an excerpt from Kansas City-Kansas Archbishop Joseph Naumann’s call for a Novena to the Holy Spirit using the prayer above. The Nine Days leading up to Pentecost start Thursday, May 10. For a pdf of the prayer and the Archbishop’s entire column, click here.
I am asking our priests, deacons, religious and laity during 2018 to pray for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Catholic community in northeast Kansas.
Specifically, I am asking everyone to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide our efforts to create within the archdiocese and all of our parishes and ministries a culture of evangelization. At the same time, I ask that we beg the Holy Spirit to help each of us become, what Pope Francis terms, “missionary disciples”!
A culture of evangelization means for our parishes, institutions and ministries to become less focused on merely maintaining the status quo and more and more dedicated to sharing the truth, beauty and goodness of our Catholic faith with others.
With a large number of nonpracticing Catholics and an even larger number of individuals who claim no religious affiliation, those of us blessed with the joy that only Jesus and life in his church can bring to our hearts have an obligation to share the gift of our faith with others.
In preparation for the solemnity of Pentecost on May 20, I will be encouraging individuals and parishes to pray a Holy Spirit novena, begging the Holy Spirit to rekindle the fire of his love here in northeast Kansas.
For now, I ask each member of the archdiocese during the coming year to consider praying daily, or as frequently as possible, one of the prayers to the Holy Spirit found below. I ask that you pray for the Holy Spirit to help us in our efforts to build a culture of evangelization and to help each of us become more and more missionary disciples.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created
and you shall renew the face of the earth.
O God, who has taught the hearts of the faithful by
the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant that by the gift of the same Spirit
we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
by Cardinal Mercier
O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore you.
Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me.
Tell me what I should do; give me your orders.
I promise to submit myself to all that you desire of me and
to accept all that you permit to happen to me.
Let me only know your will. Amen.
A Prayer to the Holy Spirit
by St. Augustine of Hippo
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
that I always may be holy. Amen.
Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is honored to have been named one of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report, the best private college in Kansas by The Wall Street Journal, and one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by First Things magazine and the Newman Guide. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. Benedictine College is dedicated to transforming culture in America through its mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.
