Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts
SIXTH DAY
If Thou take Thy grace away, Nothing pure in man will stay; All his good is turned to ill.
THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING
Understanding, as a Gift of the Holy Ghost, 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, which bears eloquent testimony, to the faith that is in us, we begin to: “walk worthily of God in all things, pleasing Him 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 of 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 TO THE HOLY SPIRIT To be recited daily during the Novena
On my knees, I, before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, 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, 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, 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, t o 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 hears.” Amen.
Thought for the Day – 1 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Devotion to the Sacred Heart
“We should have a very high regard for devotion to the Sacred Heart. We should excite in our hearts, acts of love, which will compensate, in some way, for the infinite love which Jesus has for us.
Finally, we should try and make our lives correspond with our love by emulating, as far as possible, the holy and immaculate life of Jesus Christ. It is not a waste of time to constantly think to ourselves, “What would Jesus do in this situation?”
Ejaculation: May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere, known and loved! Amen”
Devotion for June – THE MONTH OF THE MOST SACRED HEART of JESUS – Our Only Hope!
In venerating the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church specially praises the infinite love demonstrated by Our Lord Jesus Christ to men. Since His Heart is the symbol of love, by venerating His Heart, the Church celebrates Love.
Among the promises made by our Lord to St Margaret Mary was the assurance that, “Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart, never to be blotted out.”
The Twelve Promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) “Apostle of the Sacred Heart For those Devoted to His Sacred Heart:
I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
I will establish peace in their families.
I will console them in all their troubles.
They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death.
I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy.
Tepid souls shall become fervent.
Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honoured.
I will give to Priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.
Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance – they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments. My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.
From Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque’s Vision of Jesus
Quote/s of the Day – 1 June – The Memorial of St Angela Merici (1474-1540)
“Keep to the ancient way and custom of the Church, established and confirmed, by so many Saints, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And live a new life!”
“Do not lose heart, even if you should discover that you lack qualities necessary, for the work to which you are called. He Who called you, will not desert you but the moment you are in need, He will stretch out His Saving Hand.”
One Minute Reflection – 1 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Wednesday within the Octave of Ascension – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20
“Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15
REFLECTION – “You have heard what the Lord said to His disciples after the resurrection. He sent them out to preach the Gospel and they did so. Listen: “Through all the earth their voice resounds and to the ends of the world, their message” (Ps 18[19],5). Step by step, the Gospel has reached even to us and the ends of the earth. In a few words, the Lord addressing Himself to His disciples, set out what we are to do and what we have to hope for. Just as you have heard, He said: “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved.” He asks for our faith and offers us salvation. What He offers us is so precious, that what He asks of us is as nothing.
“The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, O my God… from your delightful stream, You give them to drink, for with You is the fountain of life” (Ps 35[36],8f.). Jesus Christ is the Fountain of Life. Before the Fountain of Life came to us, we had only a human salvation like that of the beasts of which the psalm speaks: “Man and beast you save, O Lord” (Ps 35[36],7). But now the Fountain of Life has come even to us, the Fountain of Life died for our sakes. Will He refuse us, His Life, Who, for our sakes, gave His Death? He is Salvation and this Salvation is not worthless, like the other one. Why? Because it does not pass away. The Lord has come. He died but he killed death. In Himself, He brought an end to death. He assumed it and He killed it. Where is death now, then? Look for it in Christ and it is no longer there. It used to be there but there it died. O life, Death of death! Take heart: it will also die in us! What was fulfilled in the Head will also be fulfilled in the members and death will die in us, too.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo and Father and Doctor of the Church (Excerpt from Sermon 233 ).
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that as we do believe Thine Only-Begotten Son our Saviour to have this day Ascended into the Heavens, so we may also, in heart and mind thither ascend and with Him, continually dwell. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect). All praise, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of JESUS. (This Ejaculation is Indulgenced – 50 Days, once a day. (See Instructions: – Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901).
Our Morning Offering – 1 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart”
O DIVINE Heart of JESUS Pope Leo XIII Indulgence 100 Days, Once a day Raccolta 167 13 March 1901.
O DIVINE Heart of JESUS, grant, we beseech Thee, eternal rest, to the souls in Purgatory, the final grace, to those who shall die today, true repentance to sinners, the light of the faith to pagans and Thy Blessing to me and mine. To Thee, O most compassionate Heart of JESUS! I commend all these souls and I offer to Thee, on their behalf, all Thy merits, together with the merits of Thy most Holy Mother and of all the Saints, Angels and all the Sacrifices of the Holy Mass, Communions, prayers and good works, which shall be accomplished today, throughout the Catholic world. Amen
Saint of the Day – 1 June – Saint Angelica de Merici TOSF (1474-1540) Virgin, Founder the Company of St Ursula, later called the Ursulines, Third Order Franciscan, Mystic, Apostle of the poor, sick and needy, Teacher, Penitent and Ascetic. Patronages – sickness, handicapped people, loss of parents, courage,
Angela de Merici was born of virtuous parents at Decenzano, a town in the Diocese of Verona, near lake Benago, in the Venetian territory. From her earliest years, she kept the strictest guard over the lily of her virginity, which she had resolved should never be taken from her. She had a thorough contempt for those outward deckings, on which so many women set their hearts. She purposely disfigured the beauty of her features and hair, that she might find no favour, save with the Spouse of our souls.
Whilst yet in the bloom of youth, she lost her parents, whereupon, she sought to retire into a desert, that she might lead a life of penance. Being prevented by an uncle, she fulfilled, at home, what she was not permitted to do in a wilderness. She frequently wore a hairshirt and took the discipline. She never ate flesh-meat, except in case of sickness, she never tasted wine, except on the Feasts of our Lord’s Nativity and Resurrection and, at times, would pass whole days without taking any food at all.
She spent much time in prayer and exceedingly little in sleep and that little, on the ground. The devil having once appeared to her in the form of an angel of light, she at once detected his craft, and put him to flight. At length, having resigned her right to the fortune left her by her parents, she embraced the Rule of the Third Order of St. Francis, received the habit and united evangelical poverty, to the merit of virginity.
She showed her neighbour every kind office in her power and gave to the poor a portion of her own food, which she procured by begging. She gladly served the sick. She gained the reputation of great sanctity in several places, which she visited, either that she might comfort the afflicted, or obtain pardon for criminals, or reconcile them that were at variance, or reclaim sinners from the sink of crime.
She had a singular hungering after the Bread of Angels, which she frequently received and such was the vehemence of her love of God, that she was often in a state of ecstacy. She visited the Holy Places of Palestine with extraordinary devotion. During her pilgrimage, she lost her sight on landing on the isle of Candia but recovered it when leaving. She also miraculously escaped shipwreck and falling into the hands of barbarians. She went to Rome, during the Pontificate of Pope Clement the Seventh, in order to venerate the firm Rock of the Church and to gain the great Jubilee Indulgence. The Pope having had an interview with her, he at once discovered her sanctity and spoke of her to others in terms of highest praise, nor would he have allowed her to leave the City, had he not been convinced that heaven called her elsewhere.
Having returned to Brescia, she took a house near the Church of Saint Afra. There, by God’s command, which was made known to her by a voice from heaven and by a vision, she instituted a new society of Virgins under a special discipline and holy rules, which she herself drew up. She put her Institute under the title and patronage of Saint Ursula, the brave leader of the army of virgins.
She also foretold,, shortly before her death, that this Institute would last to the end of the world. At length, being close upon seventy years of age, laden with merit, she took her flight to Heaven and in the year 1540, on 27 January 27. Her corpse was kept for thirty days before being put in the grave and preserved the flexibility and appearance of a living body. It was laid in the Church of Saint Afra, amidst the many other Relics wherewith that Church is enriched.
Many miracles were wrought at her tomb. The rumour of these miracles spread not only through Brescia and Decenzano but also in other places. The name of Blessed was soon given to Angela and her image used, to be put on the Altars of St Charles Borromeo. A few years after Angela’s death, it was affirmed, that she was worthy of Canonisation. Clement the Thirteenth ratified and confirmed the devotion thus paid her by the Faithful, which had already received the approbation of several Bishops and the encouragement of several Indults of Sovereign Pontiffs. Finally, after several new miracles had been juridically proved, Pius the Seventh enroled Angela in the list of holy Virgins, in the solemn Canonisation celebrated in the Vatican Basilica, on the 24th of May, in the year 1807.
“Angela realised the whole meaning of her beautiful name. In a mortal body, she possessed the purity of the blessed Spirits and imitated their celestial energy by the vigorous practice of every virtue. This heroine of grace, trampled beneath her feet, everything that could impede her heavenward march.” – Abbot Dom Prosper Guéranger OSB (1805-1875)
St Agapetus of Ruthenia Bl Alfonso Navarrete Benito Bl Arnald Arench Bl Arnold of Geertruidenberg St Atto of Oca St Candida of Whitchurch St Caprasius of Lérins St Clarus of Aquitaine St Claudius of Vienne Bl Conrad of Hesse St Conrad of Trier St Crescentinus St Cronan of Lismore St Damian of Scotland St Dionysius of Ruthenia St Donatus of Lucania St Felinus of Perugia Bl Ferdinand Ayala St Firmus St Fortunatus of Spoleto Bl Gaius Xeymon St Gaudentius of Ossero St Giuse Túc St Gratian of Perugia Bl Herculanus of Piegare St Iñigo of Oña St Ischryrion and Companions Bl James of Strepar St Jean-Baptiste-Ignace-Pierre Vernoy de Montjournal Bl John Pelingotto Bl John Storey St Juventius Bl Leo Tanaka St Melosa St Pamphilus of Alexandria St Peter of Pisa St Porphyrius of Alexandria St Proculus of Bologna St Proculus the Soldier St Ronan St Secundus of Amelia St Seleucus of Alexandria St Simeon of Syracuse St Telga of Denbighshire St Thecla of Antioch
Blessed Teobaldo Roggeri (c 1100-1150) Layman Shoemaker, Porter, Apostle of the poor and needy, Penitent, Pilgrim. The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “In Alba in Piedmont, Blessed Teobaldo, who, driven by love for poverty, gave all his possessions to a widow and became a porter out of a spirit of humility, to carry the burdens of others on himself.” Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/01/saint-of-the-day-1-june-blessed-teobaldo-roggeri-c-1100-1150/
St Thespesius of Cappadocia St Wistan of Evesham St Zosimus of Antioch
Martyrs of Alexandria – 5 Saints: A group five of imperial Roman soldiers assigned to guard a group of Egyptian Christians who were imprisoned for their faith in the persecutions of Decius. During their trial, they encouraged the prisoners not to apostatize. This exposed them as Christians, were promptly arrested and executed. Martyrs. Their names are – Ammon, Ingen, Ptolomy, Theophilis and Zeno. They were beheaded in 249 at Alexandria, Egypt.
Martyrs of Caesarea – 3 Saints: Three Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Galerius. We know little more about them than the name – Paul, Valens and Valerius. They diedf in 309 at Caesarea, Palestine.
Martyrs of Lycopolis – 6 Saints: Five foot soldiers and their commander who were Martyred for their faith by order of the imperial Roman prefect Arriano during the persecutions of Decius. In Lycopolis, Egypt.
Martyrs of Rome – 6 Saints: A group of spiritual students of Saint Justin Martyr who died with him and about whom we know nothing else but their names – Carito, Caritone, Evelpisto, Ierace, Liberiano and Peone. In Rome, Italy.
AnaStpaul 
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