Pentecost Novena – Day 8: “The Keeper of our Souls”

Once we have opened the doors for the Holy Spirit to unfold His gifts in us, we will come to know Him as the “Keeper of our souls”. We could also call Him the “keeper of the treasure”, because our soul is indeed the great treasure that our Father has entrusted to us, that the Lamb of God has bought with His blood to free it from captivity (1 Pet 1:18-19), and that the Holy Spirit with great power wants to enlighten and make flourish. Read More

Pentecost Novena – Day 7: “Friendship with the Holy Spirit”

It is a joy for the three persons of the Holy Trinity to be with us, to dwell in us and to enlighten us with their divine light. This is also true of the Holy Spirit, who gives us His seven gifts to guide us on the path of holiness.

If we follow His guidance, the fruits of the Holy Spirit will grow in our lives and our Father will be very pleased with them. We only have to imagine how wonderful it is for us to meet someone in whom the fruits of the Holy Spirit have matured. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23).

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Pentecost Novena – Day 6: “The Holy Spirit and Mary”

If the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at Pentecost marks the hour of the birth of the Church, then His descent upon Mary in Nazareth marks the beginning of the work of salvation (cf. Lk 1:35).

The Church teaches us that Mary was preserved from original sin in view of the Saviour who would be born of her. This is the dogma of the Immaculate Conception: that the Virgin Mary, by a special grace of God, preserved the state of paradisiacal innocence.

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Pentecost Novena Day 1: “Come, Holy Spirit!”

Today, after the Feast of the Ascension, we begin the novena in preparation for the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In my reflections over the next few days, I would like to step out of the usual framework of daily meditations and contemplate some aspects and ways in which the Holy Spirit works. The aim is to get to know Him better and thus to prepare ourselves for the Solemnity of Pentecost. As a guide for these meditations I will take the Pentecost Sequence, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful prayers of the Church:

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You will be my witnesses

Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,  until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

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Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Jn 16:12-15

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Read More