Novena to the Holy Spirit
Following the Ascension of Our Lord, tradition says that the disciples gathered in the upper room together with Our Blessed Mother for the novena, nine days of prayer in anticipation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was given to the disciples to empower them to “be my witnesses … even to the ends of the earth.” (Acts1:8)
Today, as disciples of Jesus, we too join together in prayer for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our parish, our faith communities, our families, and in ourselves. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to be effective witnesses of love of God for our world.
This novena to the Holy Spirit has been designed for either individual or communal prayer. The spiritual impact of serious prayer and reflection is immeasurable.
Invocation To The Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and enkindle in them (in us) the fire of Your love. O
Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, and console me. Tell me what to do, direct my
every choice. I promise to submit myself to all You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know
Your will. Grant this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Day One
Needing the Spirit “Drawing Near” Ezekiel 36:26-28: I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from
your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my Spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful
to observe my decrees. You shall live in the land I gave your fathers, you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Meditation: Our need is God’s opportunity. But we must acknowledge our need. Often this means helplessness before some weakness or
sickness and an admission of our need for help. Next comes faith in the power of God’s Spirit, available to us to meet that need. Our faith
must find some expression before any need will be met. That expression of faith is all God is looking for, and He will manifest His power in
our lives. Faith is the key that allows us to receive the storehouse of God’s resources.
Prayer for the Day: Lord, I know I can come before You with confidence that by Your grace you accept me. I ask You Lord to make
my life what You desire of it. Cleanse me, heal me, restore me and through Your divine power draw me near to You in everything.
Thank You for supplying me with all I need through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Day Two
Needing the Spirit “Beloved of God” Romans: 8:2, 5, 14- 16: For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the
law of sin and death. Those who live according to the flesh are concerned with things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit
the things of the spirit. For those who are lead by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall
back into fear. But you received a spirit of adoption by which we cry, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we
are children of God.
Meditation: And greater works than these shall you do. Each individual has the ability to do good works through the power of God’s Spirit.
This is one of the wonders of the world, the miracle of the earth, that God’s power goes out to bless the human race through the agency of
so many people who are actuated by His grace. We need not be held back by doubt, despondency and fear. A wonderful future lies before
any person who depends on God’s power; a future of tremendous power to do good work.
Prayer for the Day: Lord, You said in Your Word that those who are led by the Spirit of God are Your own children. Lord, I turn
from setting my mind on the things of the flesh and I ask to be focused on things of the Spirit that I might please You. Holy
Spirit, come to the aid of my weakness and intercede for me in accordance with the mind of God. Oh, how I long to call You
“Abba!” Help me be open to the Spirit that I can truly testify that I am Your beloved child. Amen.
Day Three
Needing the Spirit “Peace” Galatians 5:22-25: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control: against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with
its passions & desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
Meditation: This is the time for my spirit to touch the Spirit of God. I know that the feeling of the Spirit-touch is more important than all the
sensations of material things. I must seek a silence in which my spirit can receive and become aware of the touch of the Spirit of God. Just a
moment’s contact and all the fever of life leaves me. Then I am well, whole, calm, and able to rise and minister to others. God’s touch is
a potent healer. I must feel that touch and sense God’s presence.
Prayer of the Day: Blessed Jesus, please give to me stillness of soul and let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me Lord of gentleness, Lord of peace. Give me great power of self-control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of
meekness, want of kindness; deliver me, dear Lord. Amen.
Day Four
Desiring the Spirit “Belief” Luke 11:9- 13: And I tell you, ask and you will receive: seek and you will find; knock and the door will
be opened to you. For anyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then
who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask
him.
Meditation: God is all around us. His Spirit pervades the universe, and yet we do not let His Spirit in. We try to get along without His help
and we make a mess of our lives. We can do nothing of any value without God’s help. Our human relationships depend on God. When we
let God’s Spirit rule our lives, we learn how to get along with others and how to help them. Prayer for the Day: Lord, I believe that Jesus
Christ is Your Son, and that we are saved through His grace. Grant that the Holy Spirit may strengthen my belief that I may glorify Him
in all my works. Amen.
Day Five
Desiring the Spirit “Thirst” John 7: 37- 39: On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone
who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: Rivers of living water will flow from within him.” He said this
in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive. There was of course no Spirit yet, because Jesus had not
yet been glorified.
Meditation: You need to be constantly recharged by the power of the Spirit of God. Commune with God in quiet times until the life from God,
the Divine life, by that very contact flows into your being and revives your fainting spirit. When weary, take time out and rest. Rest and gain
power and strength from God and then you will be ready to meet whatever opportunities come your way. Rest, allowing every care and
worry and fear to be enveloped by grace. Then the tide of peace and serenity, love and joy will flow into your consciousness even in the
midst of suffering. (2 Cor. 1:3-7)
Prayer of the Day: Lord, allow my thirst to be satisfied. May your Spirit direct my heart to be awakened.
Allow me to seek You in all things and bring forth Your kingdom on earth. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Day Six
Desiring the Spirit “Trust” Luke 1: 35-38:
The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence the Holy Offspring to be born will be called
Son of God. Know that Elizabeth your kinswoman has conceived a son in her old age, she who was thought to be sterile is now in her sixth
month for nothing is impossible with God. Mary said, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.”
Meditation : Once I am “born of the Spirit.” the Spirit is my life’s breath. Within me is the Life of life. It is the same Life that throughout the
ages has helped God’s children through peril, adversity, and sorrow. I must try never to doubt or worry but follow where the Life of the Spirit
leads. How often am I unaware of how God goes before me to prepare the way, to soften the heart, or to overrule resentment? As the
life of the Spirit grows, natural desires are placed within a new horizon – to be governed by the will of God.
Prayer for the Day: Lord, let
me open my heart to fully trust in You and Your will. With You all things are possible. Grant that I may serve you and witness to Your word
with a willing spirit and a humble heart. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Day Seven
Receiving the Spirit “Repentance” Acts 2:38: Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins: and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Meditation: Seek conscious contact with God more and more each day. Become aware of God’s abiding Presence during the day. Be
conscious of His Spirit helping you. All that is done without God’s Spirit is passing. All that is done with God’s Spirit is life eternal. It is the
flow of life eternal through the mind, body and spirit that cleanses hearts, restores and renews. Come to know God’s eternal life in you
and renewing you.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, you said in Your word that I am to repent; turn from sin and turn to You. Then I will receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit. Lord, cleanse me from all ungodliness and unrighteousness so that I may walk in the newness of life according to the
Spirit of holiness. T hank You for your forgiveness and for hearing this p rayer, for I pray in the Holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Day Eight
Receiving the Spirit “Submission” Hebrews 12:9: If we respected our earthly fathers who corrected us, should we not all the
more submit to the Father of spirits and live? Romans 5:3- 5: More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces
endurance, and endurance produces character and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has
been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Meditation: I believe that complete surrender of my life to God is the foundation to serenity. God has prepared for us many mansions. I do
not look upon that promise as referring only to the after-life. I do not look upon this life as something to be struggled through in order to get
the rewards of the next life. I believe that the kingdom of God has begun within us and we can enjoy eternal life here and now.
Prayer for
the Day
I come before You on my knees Lord, for I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth
that Jesus is Lord of my life. Lord, you promised that as many as receive Y ou, you give them the power to become children of God, who are
born of God. In submission to You, I receive You as Lord, and I pray to be filled continually with Your Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ
the Lord. Amen.
Day Nine
Receiving the Spirit “Liberating the Spirit” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11: There are different gifts but the same Spirit; there are
different ministries but the same Lord; there are different works but the same God who accomplishes all of them in everyone. To each
person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one the Spirit gives wisdom in discourse, to another the power to express knowledge. Through the Spirit one receives faith; by the same Spirit another is given the gift of healing, and still another
miraculous powers; prophesy is given to one; to another the power to distinguish one spirit from another; another receives the gift of
tongues; another the interpreting of tongues. But it is one in the same Spirit who produces these gifts, distributing them to each as he wills.
Meditation: Gently breathe in God’s Spirit, that Spirit which if not barred out by selfishness will enable you to do good works. This means
rather, that God will be able to do good works through you. You can become a channel for God’s Spirit to flow through you and into the
lives of others. The works that you do will only be limited by your spiritual development.
Let your spirit be in harmony with God’s Spirit and
there is no limit to what you can do in the realm of human relationships.
Prayer for the Day: Accomplish Your work in me O God, that
the many gifts You have given me through the Holy Spirit may lift up the people around me and bring glory to you. Let Your Spirit be free
in me to fully serve You with all my heart and unite me to work with others in unselfish love. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
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.
St. Augustine’s Prayer to the Holy Spirit
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.
Come, Holy Ghost (Veni Creator Spiritus)
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, and in our hearts take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heav'nly aid, to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
O Comforter, to Thee we cry, Thou heav'nly gift of God most high,
Thou Fount of life, and Fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.
O Finger of the hand divine, the sevenfold gifts of grace are thine;
True promise of the Father thou, who dost the tongue with power endow.
Thy light to every sense impart, and shed thy love in every heart;
Thine own unfailing might supply to strengthen our infirmity.
Drive far away our ghostly foe, and thine abiding peace bestow;
If thou be our preventing Guide, no evil can our steps betide.
Praise we the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit with them One; and may the Son on us bestow the gifts that from the Spirit flow.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Christ Jesus, before ascending into heaven, You promised to send the Holy Spirit to Your apostles and disciples. Grant that the same Spirit
may perfect in our lives the work of Your grace and love. Grant us the Spirit of fear of the Lord that we may be filled with loving
reverence toward You; the Spirit of piety that we might find peace and fulfillment in the service of God while serving others; the Spirit of
fortitude that we may bear our cross with You and, with courage overcome the obstacles that interfere with our salvation; the Spirit of
knowledge that we may know You and know ourselves and grow in holiness; the Spirit of understanding to enlighten our minds with the
light of Your truth; the Spirit of counsel that we may choose the surest way of doing Y our will, seeking first the kingdom. Grant us the Spirit
of wisdom that we may aspire to the things that last forever. Teach us to be Your faithful disciples and animate us in every way with Your
Spirit. Amen.
