St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque is "the Apostle of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus". Although other saints, and theologians, and popes were devoted to the Sacred Heart of our Lord, none were more zealous in promoting devotion to Him in this manner charity than she.

From her writings, a list of 12 promises from our Lord to those devoted to His Most Sacred Heart was compiled and published widely for several decades before becoming somewhat forgotten in recent times.

To souls devoted to His Sacred Heart our Lord promises:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.
12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

Now these promises and others like them are labelled by some as superstitious attempts to control God. It is said that they promise easy grace, but I'm not sure that it is all that easy, or all that controlling. To really and truly conform your Heart to His heart, and to form the habit of abiding with devotion in His love, that is a difficult thing, a life-changing thing. Or so I would imagine, I'm not there yet.

That our Lord will bless and sanctify those who follow him faithfully is not a new message. Our God blesses his friends in this world and the next.

A Novena to the Sacred Heart of our Lord and Savior (Day Eight)

Cor ad cor loquitur

Turn then with trust to your Lord and Savior. Put away distractions and make room in your heart for Him. Try to set your heart in order, before welcoming Him in as an honored guest. He waits, and says to you:

Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock. If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

To him that shall overcome, I will give to sit with me in my throne: as I also have overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

With a peaceful and hopeful heart, speak to Him Who most truly wants good things for you, and who listens gently, patiently, kindly to everything you have to say:

O most holy Heart of Jesus,
fountain of every blessing,
I adore Thee, I love Thee
and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure
and wholly obedient to Thy will.
Grant, good Jesus,
that I may live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in the midst of danger;
comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body,
assistance in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing on all that I do,
and the grace of a holy death.
Within Thy Heart I place my every care.
In every need let me come to Thee
with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus help me.

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Saint Margaret Mary's feast is celebrated on 17 October. For anyone who has not faithfully followed this novena, but wants to start, I'd like to draw your attention to the 12th promise of Christ listed above. Tomorrow is a first Friday of a month, and a fine day to begin or end a novena.

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The house of my soul is too narrow for thee to come in to me; let it be enlarged by thee. It is in ruins; do thou restore it. There is much about it which must offend thy eyes; I confess and know it. But who will cleanse it? Or, to whom shall I cry but to thee? "Cleanse thou me from my secret faults," O Lord, "and keep back thy servant from strange sins."
-- St. Augustine (354-430AD), Confessions, Chapter 5

Sts. Peter and Paul

O glorious Saint Peter, who, in return for thy lively and generous faith, thy profound and sincere humility, and thy burning love, wast honored by Jesus Christ with singular privileges, and in particular, with the leadership of the other Apostles and the primacy of the whole Church, of which thou wast made the foundation stone, do thou obtain for us the grace of a lively faith, that shall not fear to profess itself openly, in its entirety and in all of its manifestations, even to the shedding of blood, if occasion should demand it, and to the sacrifice of life itself in preference to surrender. Obtain for us likewise, a sincere loyalty to our holy mother, the Church; grant that we may ever remain most closely and sincerely united to the Roman Pontiff, who is the heir of thy faith and of thy authority, the one, true, visible Head of the Catholic Church, that mystic ark outside which there is no salvation. Grant, moreover, that we may follow, in all humility and meekness, her teaching and her counsels, and may be obedient to all her precepts, in order to be able here on earth to enjoy a peace that is sure and undisturbed, and to attain one day in heaven to everlasting happiness. Amen.

O glorious Saint Paul, who, from being a persecutor of the Christian name, didst become its most zealous Apostle, and who, to carry the knowledge of Jesus, our divine Savior, to the uttermost parts of the earth, didst joyfully suffer prison, scourgings, stonings, shipwreck and all manner of persecutions, and who didst finish thy course by shedding the last drop of thy blood: obtain for us the grace to accept, as favors bestowed by the mercy of God, the infirmities, sufferings and misfortunes of this life, that we may not grow slack in our service of God by reason of these vicissitudes of our exile, but that we may rather show ourselves ever more devoted. Amen.

A Novena to the Sacred Heart of our Lord and Savior (Day Seven)

Cor ad cor loquitur

Our Lord said He would not leave us orphans. For generations upon generations, through the power of the Holy Ghost, God's love has shown through in varied ways in the lives of His saints. We honor two particularly today, Saints Peter and Paul, who were each instrumental in bringing God's Word to the world.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God's love encompasses the world, and He wills that all things be reconciled to Himself. (Colossians 1:20).

It is not just the world at large that He loves, but each of us as individuals that he knows and loves. The very hairs of your head are all numbered (Luke 12:7). God knows you and He loves you.

You are in His presence. You are always in His presence. Take a moment or two to take this thought in. Set aside your cares and all distractions to make room for it, to make room for Him. Be aware that God is present, that He hears you, that He is listening with loving-kindness and will not forget you, then speak to Him from your heart:

O most holy Heart of Jesus,
fountain of every blessing,
I adore Thee, I love Thee
and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure
and wholly obedient to Thy will.
Grant, good Jesus,
that I may live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in the midst of danger;
comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body,
assistance in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing on all that I do,
and the grace of a holy death.
Within Thy Heart I place my every care.
In every need let me come to Thee
with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus help me.

"Teach Us to Pray"

It came to pass, that as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

And he said to them: When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.

And he said to them: Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and shall say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine is come off his journey to me, and I have not what to set before him. And he from within should answer, and say: Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend; yet, because of his importunity, he will rise, and give him as many as he needeth. And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

And which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he reach him a scorpion? If you then, 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 11:1-13 (Douay Rheims)
Show with Haydock Commentary or the Latin Vulgate Bible
Bible passage courtesy of VeritasBible.com

A Novena to the Sacred Heart of our Lord and Savior (Day Six)

Cor ad cor loquitur

Saint Paul tells us that we can pray with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Ephesians 6:18) And our dear Lord tells us to keep praying to our Father in heaven, who loves His children.

Take a few moments to enter into yourself, to calm your heart, to set aside your sorrows and preoccupations as well as you can, and then to speak to God simply and sincerely from where you are:

O most holy Heart of Jesus,
fountain of every blessing,
I adore Thee, I love Thee
and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure
and wholly obedient to Thy will.
Grant, good Jesus,
that I may live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in the midst of danger;
comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body,
assistance in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing on all that I do,
and the grace of a holy death.
Within Thy Heart I place my every care.
In every need let me come to Thee
with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus help me.

Society of the Sacred Heart

The Society of the Sacred Heart is a lay association within the spiritual family of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. Through membership in the Society of the Sacred Heart, lay faithful can participate in the spirituality of the Institute directed to expand the kingship of Our Blessed Lord in all realms of the Church and society under the patronage of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

(Click here for more information).

A Novena to the Sacred Heart of our Lord and Savior (Day Five)

Cor ad cor loquitur

Pause and set aside your sorrows and preoccupations as well as you can for the moment. Remember that "unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it," but "with God all things are possible." Speak from your heart to your Creator:

O most holy Heart of Jesus,
fountain of every blessing,
I adore Thee, I love Thee
and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure
and wholly obedient to Thy will.
Grant, good Jesus,
that I may live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in the midst of danger;
comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body,
assistance in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing on all that I do,
and the grace of a holy death.
Within Thy Heart I place my every care.
In every need let me come to Thee
with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus help me.

(Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us).

Sunday Within the Octave of Corpus Christi

Make us, O Lord, to have both a perpetual fear and a love of Thy holy Name: for Thou dost never deprive of Thy guidance those whom Thou dost establish steadfastly in Thy love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

A Novena to the Sacred Heart of our Lord and Savior (Day Four)

Cor ad cor loquitur

Pause, set aside your sorrows and preoccupations as well as you can for the moment, still your heart, recall that God is sovereign even over this unsettled and rebellious earth, then speak from your heart to your Creator:

O most holy Heart of Jesus,
fountain of every blessing,
I adore Thee, I love Thee
and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure
and wholly obedient to Thy will.
Grant, good Jesus,
that I may live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in the midst of danger;
comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body,
assistance in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing on all that I do,
and the grace of a holy death.
Within Thy Heart I place my every care.
In every need let me come to Thee
with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus help me.

William of Mt. Virgine

O God, Who to smooth the way of salvation for our weakness hast given Thy Saints to be our example and protection: grant that we may so venerate the merits of thy blessed Abbot William, that we may obtain his prayers and follow in his footsteps. Through Christ our Lord.

A Novena to the Sacred Heart of our Lord and Savior (Day Three)

Cor ad cor loquitur

Take a few moments again to settle your heart. Set aside your sorrows and preoccupations as well as you can while you pray. Recall that despite the unsteadiness of our service to God, He does not waver in His love for us. He has made us to live likewise in generous and constant loving-kindness. Speak from your heart to your Creator:

O most holy Heart of Jesus,
fountain of every blessing,
I adore Thee, I love Thee
and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure
and wholly obedient to Thy will.
Grant, good Jesus,
that I may live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in the midst of danger;
comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body,
assistance in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing on all that I do,
and the grace of a holy death.
Within Thy Heart I place my every care.
In every need let me come to Thee
with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus help me.

He must increase

O Jesus meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, ...
From the desire of being extolled, ...
From the desire of being honored, ...
From the desire of being praised, ...
From the desire of being preferred to others, ...
From the desire of being consulted, ...
From the desire of being approved, ...

From the fear of being humiliated,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, ...
From the fear of suffering rebukes, ...
From the fear of being calumniated, ...
From the fear of being forgotten, ...
From the fear of being ridiculed, ...
From the fear of being wronged, ...
From the fear of being suspected, ...

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, ...
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase, and I may decrease, ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside, ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything, ...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should, ...
Amen.

[Litany of Humility by Cardinal Merry del Val + 1930]

A Novena to the Sacred Heart of our Lord and Savior (Day Two)

Cor ad cor loquitur

Set aside today's excitements and anxieties, and with a calmer heart recall that God so loves you that He willingly lays down His life for you, then speak from your heart to your Creator:

O most holy Heart of Jesus,
fountain of every blessing,
I adore Thee, I love Thee
and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure
and wholly obedient to Thy will.
Grant, good Jesus,
that I may live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in the midst of danger;
comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body,
assistance in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing on all that I do,
and the grace of a holy death.
Within Thy Heart I place my every care.
In every need let me come to Thee
with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus help me.

Corpus Christi

Jesus, living Bread that came down from heaven, have mercy on us.

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi, instituted by the Catholic Church to solemnly commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist.

"I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the Bread of God, which is the Flesh of Jesus Christ, Who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire His blood, which is love incorruptible.

"Come together in common, one and all without exception in charity, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, who is of the race of David according to the flesh, the son of man, and the Son of God, so that with undivided mind you may obey the bishop and the priests, and break one Bread which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote against death, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ."

- Saint Ignatius of Antioch (+ AD 110)

The Feast of the Sacred Heart is on the ninth day starting from today. Let us pray to him with trust and humility.

A Novena to the Sacred Heart of our Lord and Savior (Day One)

Cor ad cor loquitur

Pause, set aside your sorrows and preoccupations as well as you can for the moment, still your heart, recall that God, from the abundance of His love, offers you the medicine of immortality for the healing of your soul. Then speak from your heart to your Creator:

O most holy Heart of Jesus,
fountain of every blessing,
I adore Thee, I love Thee
and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure
and wholly obedient to Thy will.
Grant, good Jesus,
that I may live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in the midst of danger;
comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body,
assistance in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing on all that I do,
and the grace of a holy death.
Within Thy Heart I place my every care.
In every need let me come to Thee
with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus help me.

Trinity Sunday

All those Catholic expounders of the divine Scriptures, both Old and New, whom I have been able to read, who have written before me concerning the Trinity, Who is God, have purposed to teach, according to the Scriptures, this doctrine, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit intimate a divine unity of one and the same substance in an indivisible equality; and therefore that they are not three Gods, but one God: although the Father has begotten the Son, and so He who is the Father is not the Son; and the Son is begotten by the Father, and so He who is the Son is not the Father; and the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son, but only the Spirit of the Father and of the Son, Himself also co-equal with the Father and the Son, and pertaining to the unity of the Trinity. Yet not that this Trinity was born of the Virgin Mary, and crucified under Pontius Pilate, and buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven, but only the Son. Nor, again, that this Trinity descended in the form of a dove upon Jesus when He was baptized; nor that, on the day of Pentecost, after the ascension of the Lord, when there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, the same Trinity sat upon each of them with cloven tongues like as of fire, but only the Holy Spirit. Nor yet that this Trinity said from heaven, You are my Son, whether when He was baptized by John, or when the three disciples were with Him in the mount, or when the voice sounded, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again; but that it was a word of the Father only, spoken to the Son; although the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as they are indivisible, so work indivisibly. This is also my faith, since it is the Catholic faith.

- Saint Augustine (On the Trinity, Book I, Chapter 4)

Pentecost

When the Lord told his disciples to go and teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, he conferred on them the power of giving men new life in God.

He had promised through the prophets that in these last days he would pour out his Spirit on his servants and handmaids, and that they would prophesy. So when the Son of God became the Son of Man, the Spirit also descended upon him, becoming accustomed in this way to dwelling with the human race, to living in men and to inhabiting God’s creation. The Spirit accomplished the Father’s will in men who had grown old in sin, and gave them new life in Christ.

Luke says that the Spirit came down on the disciples at Pentecost, after the Lord’s ascension, with power to open the gates of life to all nations and to make known to them the new covenant. So it was that men of every language joined in singing one song of praise to God, and scattered tribes, restored to unity by the Spirit, were offered to the Father as the first-fruits of all the nations.

This was why the Lord had promised to send the Advocate: he was to prepare us as an offering to God. Like dry flour, which cannot become one lump of dough, one loaf of broad, without moisture, we who are many could not become one in Christ Jesus without the water that comes down from heaven. And like parched ground, which yields no harvest unless it receives moisture, we who were once like a waterless tree could never have lived and borne fruit without this abundant rainfall from above. Through the baptism that liberates us from change and decay we have become one in body; through the Spirit we have become one in soul.

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of God came down upon the Lord, and the Lord in turn gave this Spirit to his Church, sending the Advocate from heaven into all the world into which, according to his own words, the devil too had been cast down like lightning.

If we are not to be scorched and made unfruitful, we need the dew of God. Since we have our accuser, we need an advocate as well. And so the Lord in his pity for man, who had fallen into the hands of brigands, having himself bound up his wounds and left for his care two coins bearing the royal image, entrusted him to the Holy Spirit. Now, through the Spirit, the image and inscription of the Father and the Son have been given to us, and it is our duty to use the coin committed to our charge and make it yield a rich profit for the Lord.

- St. Irenaeus of Lyons (from Against Heresies)

My God,
Infinite Ocean of Tenderness,
Whose torrents are held back by human malice,
free Your divine desire and permeate
all the souls whom You love.
- Fr. "Jean Petit"

Novena to the Holy Ghost, Day Nine

Da tuis fidelibus,
in te confidentibus,
sacrum septenarium.
Da virtutis meritum,
da salutis exitum,
da perenne gaudium.
Amen, Alleluia.

The Fruits of the Holy Ghost
The gifts of the Holy Ghost 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 Ghost, 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 Ghost. 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". [Saint Robert Bellarmine, The Seven Words on the Cross, Book One, Chapter IV]

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 Who art in heaven...

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...

Glory be to the Father... (7 times)

Act of Consecration

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

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We should pray and invoke the Holy Spirit for each one of us, for each one of us greatly needs His protection and help. The more a man is deficient in wisdom, weak in strength, borne down in trouble, prone to sin, the more he should fly to Him Who is the never ceasing fount of Light, Strength, Consolation, and Holiness.

Pope Leo XIII

Novena to the Holy Ghost, Day Eight

Flecte quod est rigidum,
fove quod est frigidum,
rege quod est devium.

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 divine things, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savor, while the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Saviour: "Take up your cross and follow Me, for My yoke is sweet and My burden light." [Matthew 11:29-30]

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 Who art in heaven...

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...

Glory be to the Father... (7 times)

Act of Consecration

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

(Go to Day Nine)

Novena to the Holy Ghost, Day Seven

Lava quod est sordidum,
riga quod est aridum,
sana quod est saucium.

The Gift of Counsel
The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly what must be 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 your way in truth." [Ecclesiasticus 37:19]

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. Amen.

Our Father Who art in heaven...

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...

Glory be to the Father... (7 times)

Act of Consecration

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

(Go to Day Eight)

Novena to the Holy Ghost, Day Six

Sine tuo numine,
nihil est in homine,
nihil est innoxium.

The Gift of Understanding
Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Ghost, 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, pleasing Him in all things, and increasing in His knowledge." [Colossians 1:10]

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 Who art in heaven...

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...

Glory be to the Father... (7 times)

Act of Consecration

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

(Go to Day Seven)

Novena to the Holy Ghost, Day Five

O lux beatissima,
reple cordis intima
tuorum fidelium.

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 pretence 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 possesses it." [Proverbs 16:22]


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 Thine eternal rewards. Amen.

Our Father Who art in heaven...

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...

Glory be to the Father... (7 times)

Act of Consecration

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

(Go to Day Six)

Novena to the Holy Ghost, Day Four

In labore requies,
in aestu temperies,
in fletu solatium.

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 undertake without hesitation 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 to the end, he shall be saved." [Matthew 24:13]

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 Who art in heaven...

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...

Glory be to the Father... (7 times)

Act of Consecration

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

(Go to Day Five)

Novena to the Holy Ghost, Day Three

Consolator optime,
dulcis hospes animae,
dulce refrigerium.

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." [Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermones in Cantica canticorum, LXXXV #8]

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 Who art in heaven...

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...

Glory be to the Father... (7 times)

Act of Consecration

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

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O almighty and everlasting God, make us bear towards Thee always a devoted will, and serve Thy majesty with a sincere heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost through all the ages of ages. Amen.

(Go to Day Four)

Novena to the Holy Ghost, Day Two

Veni, pater pauperum,
Veni, dator munerum;
Veni, lumen cordium

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 the 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." [Ecclesiasticus 2:20]

Prayer
Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set Thee, my Lord and God, before my face forever, help me to shun all things that can offend Thee, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Thy Divine Majesty in heaven, where Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Our Father Who art in heaven...

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...

Glory be to the Father... (7 times)

Act of Consecration

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

(Go to Day Three)

Novena to the Holy Ghost, Day One

Veni, sancte Spiritus
Et emitte coelitus
Lucis tuae radium.

The Holy Ghost
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 Ghost is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gift 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 helps our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asks for us." [Romans 8:26]

Dear Christian, before you read the prayers that follow, please pause and recollect to Whom you should address these prayers. It is useless to merely read these prayers to yourself, they must be prayed to be of value, they must be spoken from your heart to your Creator, Who knows you, Who hears you, Who in love offers you life and the freedom to choose between light and darkness. What choice will He see you make?

Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, Who has vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit, and has given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Thy sevenfold gift, the gifts of Wisdom and Understanding, the gifts of Counsel and Fortitude, the gifts of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the gift of Holy Fear. Amen.

Our Father Who art in heaven...

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, ...

Glory be to the Father... (7 times)

Act of Consecration

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

(Go to Day Two)

Ascension Thursday

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God: that we, who believe Thine only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have ascended on this day into heaven, may also ourselves dwell in mind amid heavenly things. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, forever and always. Amen.