NOVENA TO THE
HOLY SPIRIT
Novena to the Holy Spirit (adapted with the
approval of CFP spiritual advisor Dom Julian
Stead, OSB, from a Novena copyrighted by the
Holy Spirit Fathers, 1912)
(Note: A
Litany to the Holy Ghost is on this
link.)
Procedure:
A novena is nine
consecutive days of prayer for a special
intention. Each day, the Act of Consecration to
the Holy Spirit and the Prayer for the Seven
Gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be prayed after
that day's specific prayer. If you miss a
day, catch up when you remember or continue with
the novena from where you left off.
Name:
In the appropriate blank space in the novena,
insert the name of the person or persons for
whom you are praying.
Intention:
In
the appropriate blank space in the novena,
insert your prayer request.
Generally the
same person(s) and prayer request(s) are prayed
for during the entire nine days.
ACT OF CONSECRATION
TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
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 fairness 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 is
listening." Amen.
(To be recited daily during the Novena
following the day's specific prayer.)
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 ______ (name) that the Holy Spirit may
perfect in their soul, the work of Your grace
and Your love. Grant _____________(name) the
Spirit of Wisdom that they may despise the
perishable things of this world and aspire only
after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of
Understanding to enlighten their mind with Your
divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that they
may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God
and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that
they may bear their cross with You and that they
may overcome with courage all the obstacles that
oppose their salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge
that they may know God and know themselves and
grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the
Spirit of Piety that they may find the service
of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear
that they may be filled with a loving reverence
towards God and may dread to displease Him in
any way. Mark them, dear Lord with the sign of
Your true disciples, and animate them in all
things with Your Spirit so that
_____________________________ (state intention)
as You would have it be. Amen.
(To be
recited daily during the Novena following the
day's specific prayer.)
FIRST
DAY
Holy Spirit, Lord of Light, radiance give
from celestial height.
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 helps our infirmity. We know not
what we should pray for as we ought. But the
Spirit Himself asks for us."
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, Who has deigned to
regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit, and
has given us forgiveness of all sins, send forth
from heaven upon ______________(name) your
sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and
Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and
Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety,
and fill them with the Spirit of Holy Fear so
that __________________________(state intention)
as You would have it be. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
SECOND
DAY
Come, Thou Father of the poor, come now with
treasures that endure; Light of all who 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
their inmost heart, that _________________(name)
may set You, my Lord and God, before their face
forever, help them to shun all things that can
offend You, and make them 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.
Grant _______________ (name) the Gift of Fear of
the Lord so that _____________________ (state
intention) as You would have it be. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
THIRD
DAY
Thou of
all consolers the best, Thou, the soul's
delightful guest, 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. For His sake, it inspires us to love and
respect 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. Love makes all labor sweet.
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess their
heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God,
that ___________(name) may find satisfaction
only in His service, and for His sake lovingly
submit to His authority. Grant _____________
(name) the Gift of Piety so that
_____________________(name intention) as You
would have it be. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
FOURTH
DAY
Thou,
in toil my comfort sweet; Thou, coolness in the
heat; Thou, my solace in time 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 undertake 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 shall be saved."
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold
their soul in time of trouble and adversity,
sustain their efforts after holiness, strengthen
their weakness, give _____________________(name)
courage against all the assaults of their
enemies, that _______________(name) may never be
overcome and separated from You, our God and
greatest Good. Grant __________(name) the Gift
of Fortitude so that
_____________________________(name intention) as
You would have it be. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
FIFTH
DAY
Light
immortal, Light divine, Fire of Love, our hearts
refine, 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 possesses it."
Prayer
Come, O
Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that
______________ (name) may perceive the will of
the Father; show them the nothingness of earthly
things, that _____________ (name) may realize
their vanity and use them only for Your glory
and their own salvation, looking ever beyond
them to You and Your eternal rewards. Grant
__________(name) the Gift of Knowledge so that
_____________________________(name intention) as
You would have it be. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
SIXTH
DAY
Take
Thy grace away and nothing pure within us will
stay; all our good is turned 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 delight
in 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
their minds, that _________________(name) may
know and believe all the mysteries of salvation;
and may merit at last to see the eternal light
in Your Light; and in the light of glory to have
a clear vision of You and the Father and the
Son. Grant __________(name) the Gift of
Understanding so that
_____________________________(name intention) as
You would have it be. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
SEVENTH
DAY
Heal our wounds, our strength renew, on our
dryness, pour Thy dew; wash 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 your way in
truth."
Prayer
Come, O
Spirit of Counsel, help and guide them in all
their ways, that ______________________(name)
may always do Your holy will. Incline their
heart to that which is good; turn it away from
all that is evil, and direct them by the
straight path of Your commandments to that goal
of eternal life for which they long. Grant
__________(name) the Gift of Counsel so that
_____________________________(name intention) as
You would have it be. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the
Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
EIGHTH
DAY
Bend
the stubborn heart, melt the frozen, warm the
chill, and 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
delight in things divine, 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 Savior: "Take up
your cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet
and my burden light."
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to their
soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their
exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach
________________(name) to love these heavenly
things above and beyond all the passing joys and
satisfactions of earth. Help _____________(name)
to attain them and possess them for ever. Grant
__________(name) the Gift of Wisdom so that
_____________________________(name intention) as
You would have it be. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
NINTH
DAY
Sevenfold gifts on us be pleased to pour, who
Thee confess and Thee adore; bring us Thy
comfort when we die; give us life with Thee on
high; give us joys that 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 their heart with
Your heavenly fruits, Your charity, joy, peace,
patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness,
and temperance, that ________________(name) may
never weary in the service of God, but by
continued faithful submission to Your
inspiration may merit to be united eternally
with You in the love of the Father and the Son.
Grant __________(name) all the Fruits of the
Holy Spirit in super abundance so that
_____________________________(name intention) as
You would have it be. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
Confraternity of Penitents
520 Oliphant Lane
Middletown RI USA
02842-4600
401/849-5421
bspenance@hotmail.com
copenitents@yahoo.com
