Posted in INDULGENCES, PENTECOST

Indulgenced Pentecost Novena

Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts – 10 May

Foreword

The Novena in honour of the Holy Ghost 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 Ghost on the first Pentecost. 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 Catholic today. To encourage devotion to the Holy Ghost, the Church has granted the following indulgences:

The faithful who devoutly assist at the public Novena in honour of the Holy Spirit, immediately preceding the Solemn Feast of Pentecost, may gain a Partial Indulgence for themselves or, as an offering for the intentions of the faithful departed.

  1. An Indulgence of 10 years on any (and every) day of the Novena.
  2. A Plenary Indulgence, if they take part in at least five of the exercises and go to Confession, receive Holy Communion and pray for the Holy Father’s intentions.

Those who make a private Novena in honour of the Holy Ghost, either before the Solemn Feast of Pentecost or at any other time in the year, may also gain a Partial Indulgence for themselves or, as an offering for the intentions of the faithful departed.”

  1. An Indulgence of 7 years on any (and every) day of the Novena.
  2. A Plenary Indulgence under the usual conditions but, if a public Novena is held, this Indulgence is available only to those who are lawfully hindered from being part of the same.

FIRST DAY (Friday after Ascension)

Holy Spirit! Lord of Light!
From Thy clear celestial height,
Thy 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 helpeth our infirmity.
We know not what we should pray for as we ought.
But the Spirit Himself asketh for us.

Prayer

Almighty and eternal God,
Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us
by water and the Holy Ghost
and hast given us forgiveness of all sins,
vouchsafe to send forth, upon us from Heaven,
Thy 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 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 Thee, Eternal Spirit of God.
I adore the brightness of Thy Purity,
the unerring keenness of Thy Justice
and the might of Thy Love.
Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul.
In Thee, I live and move and am.
I desire never to grieve Thee
by unfaithfulness to grace
and I pray with all my heart to be kept
from the smallest sin against Thee.
Mercifully guard my every thought
and grant that I may always watch for Thy Light,
listen to Thine Voice
and follow Thy gracious inspirations.
I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee,
by Thy 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 Thee, Adorable Spirit,
Helper of my infirmity,
to keep me in Thy grace
that I may never sin against Thee.
Give me grace O Holy Spirit,
Spirit of the Father and of the Son,
to say to Thee, always and everywhere,
Speak Lord for Thine servant hears.
Amen.

Posted in QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 10 May – Concerning Our Preparation Against the Enemies Who Assail Us at the Hour of Death

Thought for the Day – 10 May – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LXII: … Concerning Our Preparation Against the
Enemies Who Assail Us at the Hour of Death

“Although our entire life on earth is a continual warfare, it is certain the last day of battle will be the most dangerous – for he who falls on this day, falls never to rise again!

In order, therefore, to be prepared, we must prepare ourselves now; for he who fights well through life, will, with greater facility, emerge victorious in the final assault.
Meditate too on death, considering its significance, for such consideration will remove the terror which strikes when death is nigh and give your mind greater freedom for the combat.

Worldly men cannot stand the thought of death – they refuse to think of it, lest they be distracted from the earthly pleasures in which they have placed their affection.
The thought of losing transient things is naturally repugnant and painful to one who is oblivious to eternal things.
Thus the affections of worldlings are more firmly riveted to this world, day by day.
And day by day, the contemplation of the loss of worldly things strikes increased terror most frequently into the hearts of those who have enjoyed worldliness the longest.

In order to be prepared for the awesome step, from time into
eternity, imagine yourself sometime, all alone in the face of the agonies of death and consider the things which would most likely trouble you at that hour.
Then, imprint deeply in your heart the remedies I shall propose to be employed when the situation is at hand.
For the blow which can be struck but once, should be well rehearsed, as, a final error, means an eternity of regret and misery!

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli