A Pentecost Novena with the Holy Spirit
Pray the nine days from Ascension to Pentecost meditating on Scripture asking for the fire of the Holy Spirit to be poured into our hearts for the salvation of the world.
Day 1
Ascension Thursday
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us.’
-Romans 5.5
Prayer:
Holy Lord, we thank you for the great gift of your Spirit whom you pour into our hearts. Help us to be people of love who turn hardship into perseverance, perseverance into character, and character into hope. Use the hardships of our lives to make us instruments of your love. Amen.
Our Father . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Day 2
Friday
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh. I shall put my spirit in you and make you keep my laws and respect and practice my judgments.’
-Ezekiel 36.26-27
Prayer:
Great Spirit on High, melt our hardness of heart. Give me a welcoming heart which sees the goodness in others which may not be apparent to human eyes. Let me not seek my own advantage but give glory to you and a gentle love to my brothers and sisters. Amen.
Our Father . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Day 3
Saturday
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘The Spirit helps us in our weakness, for while we do not know how to pray as we ought, the Spirit personally joins in with unspoken groans.’
-Romans 8.26
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, Comforter, be with us as we pray to give glory to the Father and to intercede on behalf of the needs of our world. Enable us to join with you in God’s eternal silence. Silently groan with us as we yearn to be drawn into unity with you, the Father and the Son. Amen.
Our Father . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Day 4
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.’
-John 16.13
Prayer:
Spirit of Glory. Lead us to the truth of Jesus. Help us to believe in what he taught and to share in the truth of his life. Help us to know that the fullness of truth lies in the Holy Trinity of the God of love. Make us lovers, mad with divine ecstasy as we succumb to your presence in our hearts. Amen.
Our Father . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Day 5
Monday
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘To the thirsty I shall give water free from the well of life.”
-Revelation 21.6
Prayer:
Spirit of Hunger and Thirst, in our parched land, we yearn for you to fill us with your presence which nourishes us in desert times. At the end of our days, give us living water beyond our imaginings and the bread of eternal life. Amen.
Our Father . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Day 6
Tuesday
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘Take every care to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, one body and one Spirit.’
-Ephesians 4.3
Prayer:
Spirit of Peace, we are so earnest in our own views. Teach us humility. Help us to know that our own thoughts and opinions are only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Give us the knowledge that we are broken vessels in need of a healing which must come from beyond us. Cure us of the temptation to foist our views on others and help us to build up your body through dialogue. Amen.
Our Father . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Day 7
Wednesday
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘The wind blows where it pleases. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’
-John 3.8
Prayer:
Spirit of Freedom, your movements are beyond our comprehension. You are the God of mystery who acts through the surprises of history. Take me beyond the noise of everyday life to hear you blowing through the silence. Give me the grace to listen to you in silence. Today and every day. Amen.
Our Father . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Day 8
Thursday
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.’
-Romans 8.1
Prayer:
Spirit of Freedom, we are entangled in the finitude of humanity, unable to break free from the web of sin on our own. You are our hope. Only through you can I overcome my slavery to my desires and idols. Give me the gift of eternal life so that I might live, not for the moment, but in your infinite presence of goodness, truth and beauty. Amen.
Our Father . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Day 9
Friday
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord.’
-1 Corinthians 12.4
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, Giver of Gifts, help me to recognize and cherish the gifts and actions of other members of Christ’s body. There are glamorous gifts – those of prophecy, working miracles and leadership – and there are humbler gifts – welcoming visitors, overseeing the finances and bringing food to the table. Help us to remember that God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. Amen.
Our Father . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Day 10
Saturday
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’”
-Revelation 22.17
Prayer:
Spirit of Welcome, you invite us into God’s presence, to be one with Jesus. Empower us to embrace that invitation, to always walk in the light of love. Amen.
Our Father . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Day 11
Pentecost
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
‘When Pentecost day had come, they were all together, when suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a rushing wind, filling the entire house in which they were sitting; and there appeared to them tongues as of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them.’
-Acts 2.1-3
Prayer:
Spirit of Fire, come and set our world and our lives ablaze with your transforming power. Fill our lives with fire. Not the fire that destroys what is good, but the fire of love which spreads rapidly through the dry brush making it into a maelstrom of warmth and light and goodness. Amen.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.