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St.
Joseph’s Parish Havant & Emsworth Novena Prayer For Pentecost
2011
Introduction
The novena in honour
of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since
it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent
His
apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on
the
first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed
by the
Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is
a
powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed
by every Christian.
The Novena begins on
the day after the Solemnity of the Ascension, Friday 3rd June
even though the actual feast is on the Sunday.
The Novena will be
said in public at 7.30 am, 12 midday and 6 pm each day in St.
Joseph’s and St. Thomas Church. It can be said is private at these
times or at any other time suitable to the individual.
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ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
To be
recited daily during the Novena
On my knees
I 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 keenness
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.
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
To be recited
daily during the Novena
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 me that He
may perfect in
my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love.
Grant me the
Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of
this world and aspire only after the things that are
eternal,
the Spirit of
Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of
Your divine truth,
the Spirit on
Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of
pleasing God and gaining heaven,
the Spirit of
Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may
overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my
salvation,
the Spirit of
Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow
perfect in the science of the Saints,
the Spirit of
Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and
amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a
loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to
displease Him.
Mark me, dear
Lord with the sign of Your true disciples, and animate
me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.
Prayer for a New Bishop of the Diocese of Portsmouth
To be
recited daily during the Novena
Lord God,
you are our eternal shepherd and guide.
In your mercy grant to your Diocese of Portsmouth
A shepherd who will walk in your ways
And whose watchful care will bring us your blessing. Amen
For the New Bishop
Heavenly Father,
send your Spirit on the Church
in this time of discernment
for a New Bishop for our Diocese.
May the one chosen to lead and inspire us in the years to
come,
be an ardent and gentle shepherd to us all.
Grant this in the name of Christ Our Lord. Amen.
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FIRST DAY: Friday
3rd June
Holy Spirit! Lord of Light! From Your clear celestial height, Your
pure
beaming radiance give!
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 prays in us."
Prayer
Almighty and
eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us
by water and the Holy Spirit, and hast given us forgiveness
all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us your
sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit
of Counsel and fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and
fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.
Our Father and
Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration.
Prayer for the Seven Gifts.
Prayers for the New Bishop |
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SECOND DAY Saturday
4th June
Come. Father of the poor. Come, treasures which endure; Come, Light
of all that 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 my inmost heart, that I may
set you, my Lord and God, before my face forever, help me to shun
all things that can offend You, and make me 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. Amen.
Our Father
and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration.
Prayer for the Seven Gifts.
Prayers for the New Bishop
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THIRD DAY Sunday
5th June
Thou, of all consolers best, Visiting the troubled breast, Dost
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. 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
labour.
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 and
Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration.
Prayer for the Seven Gifts.
Prayers for the New Bishop |
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FOURTH DAY Monday
6th June
Thou in toil art comfort sweet, Pleasant coolness in the heat,
solace in the
midst 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 under take
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, he shall be saved."
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
and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration.
Prayer for the Seven Gifts.
Prayers for the New Bishop
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FIFTH DAY Tuesday
7th June
Light immortal! Light Divine! Visit Thou these hearts of Thine, And
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 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 possesseth it."
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 Thy eternal
rewards. Amen.
Our Father
and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration.
Prayer for the Seven Gifts.
Prayers for the New Bishop
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SIXTH DAY Wednesday
8th June
If Thou take Thy grace away, nothing pure in man will stay, All his
good is
turn'd 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 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 in all things pleasing,
and
increasing in the knowledge of God."
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
and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration.
Prayer for the Seven Gifts.
Prayers for the New Bishop
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SEVENTH DAY
Thursday 9th June
Heal our wounds--our
strength renews; On our dryness pour Thy dew, Wash the stains
of 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 thy way in truth."
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
and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration.
Prayer for the Seven Gifts.
Prayers for the New Bishop
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EIGHTH DAY Friday
10th June
Bend the stubborn
heart and will, melt the frozen warm the chill. 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 relish things divine, in the
appreciation
of which earthly joys lose their savor, whilst the Cross of Christ
yields a
divine sweetness according to the words of the Saviour: "Take up thy
cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light.
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 forever.
Amen.
Our Father and
Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration.
Prayer for the Seven Gifts.
Prayers for the New Bishop |
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NINTH DAY Saturday
11th June Vigil of Pentecost Mass at 6.30
Thou, on those who
evermore Thee confess and Thee Adore, in Thy sevenfold gift,
Descend; Give Them Comfort when they die; Give them Life with Thee
on high; Give them joys which 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 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
and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration.
Prayer for the Seven Gifts.
Prayers for the New Bishop
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