Holy Spirit Novena
The Holy Spirit is the unseen moving force of God in the world -
unseen but not unheard. It was the Holy Spirit who inspired the
prophets of the Old Testament to lead the people to God. It was the
Holy Spirit who inspired the evangelists to write the Gospels and
Epistles. It is today the Holy Spirit who guides the faithful:
"and I will send the Holy Spirit to inspire you."
Pope Leo XIII at the turn of the century wrote, "We ought to
pray and invoke the Holy Spirit, for each one of us greatly needs his
protection and help." The more we are lacking in wisdom or in
inner strength, the more troubled or upset we are, the more we need
to turn to the Holy Spirit for strength for comfort and consolation.
The Church emphasizes very urgently the honour and also the duty to
pray and invoke the Holy Spirit in every phase of our life. "Lay
people dedicated to Christ and anointed by his Holy Spirit (in
baptism and confirmation) are marvelously called and equipped to
produce in themselves ever more abundant fruits of the Spirit."
The new Catechism of the Catholic Church lists the twelve fruits of
the Holy Spirit as charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self control and
chastity. Imagine a world where people strive to achieve such worthy
goals. We can help to create that world, because by changing
ourselves, we can change the world.
We are assured by the Church that all of our work, prayers, apostolic
endeavours, our mental and physical relaxation, if carried out in the
Spirit, and even the hardships of life, if patiently borne - all of
these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Spiritans are happy to offer you this novena so that you may pray to
and invoke the Holy Spirit daily for the seven gifts: Wisdom,
Understanding, Right Judgement, Courage, Knowledge, Reverence, and
Wonder and Awe.
Welcome to the site of the TransCanada Province of the Spiritans. We are a Roman Catholic Religious Congregation of over three thousand members, founded in 1703. Our missions are spread worldwide. While we may be found involved in many diverse ministries, we have dedicated ourselves to working with the poor and in those situations where the Church has difficulty in finding ministers. We hope you enjoy your visit to our site and that while browsing you will keep us in your prayers. May God bless you.
