On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend;
Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end.
Pentecost Novena – Day 4: “O most blessed Light divine”
O most blessed Light divine,
May that light within us shine
And our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint and ill. Read More
Pentecost Novena – Day 3: “The best of comforters”
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
Pentecost Novena – Day 2: “Come, Father of the poor!”
“Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine”.
The term “poor” includes all of us, especially those who are aware of their own poverty.
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:
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.”
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
Sin, justice and judgement
Jn 16:5-11
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. Read More
The efficacy of the Holy Spirit
Jn 15:26-16:4
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: When the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them. Read More
Love is of God
1 Jn 4:7-10
Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. Read More