Novena to the Holy Spirit 2020

Novena to the Holy Spirit

Dearest Holy Spirit, confiding in Your deep, personal love for me, I am making this novena for the following request, if it be Your Holy Will to grant it:(mention your request*). 

Teach me, Divine Spirit, to know and seek my last end; grant me the holy fear of God; grant me true contrition and patience. Do not let me fall into sin. Give me an increase of faith, hope and charity, and bring forth in my soul all the virtues proper to my state in life.

Make me a faithful disciple of Jesus and an obedient child of the Church. Give me efficacious grace sufficient to keep the Commandments and to receive the Sacraments worthily. 

Give me the four Cardinal Virtues, Your Seven Gifts, Your Twelve Fruits.
Raise me to perfection in the state of life to which You have called me and lead me through a happy death to everlasting life.I ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen. 
(novena obtained from EWTN website)

*May the Holy Spirit blow through our hearts, families, parish and the Children's Rosary as in the first Pentecost bringing us a renewed Spirit of prayer and love of God and neighbor. 

The Friday after Ascension Thursday is the day Mary and the Apostles began the very first novena to the Holy Spirit.  May we too begin a novena calling down the Spirit to blow through our hearts, families, and parishes as in the first Pentecost bringing a renewed Spirit of prayer and love of God and neighbor.

The photo above was taken on Divine Mercy Sunday of this year. The prior day we had, had snow in Connecticut and on Divine Mercy Sunday it was very warm with many trees in full bloom for spring. The sun was beating down on the two snowmen. Children had clearly worked hard to make these magnificent creations. Yet a thought kept coming: there is no time to lose. When you look at a snowman in the sun, you feel time passing and you are acutely aware that with each passing minute more of the snowman is gone. By the afternoon, the littler of the snowmen had only two bumps and was disappearing fast. 

We have precious time these days. Many are home with their families. Let us take this time to pray. Following in the example of Our Blessed Mother and the apostles, let us prepare for the Holy Feast of Pentecost in prayer. The Novena to the Holy Spirit is one way to prepare ourselves. We hope you will join us in prayer.