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Pentecost Prayers

Collect for Pentecost - Prayer to the Holy Spirit - Novena to the Holy Spirit -- Novena to the Holy Spirit Brochure--
Letanía Del Espíritu Santo - Rey Celeste / Heavenly King
Back to Pentecost page | Family celebration | Verses for a Pentecost Novena by St. Edith Stein

Collect for Pentecost

Father of light, from whom every good gift comes,
send Your Spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty wind,
and by the flame of Your wisdom open the horizons of our minds.
Loosen our tongues to sing Your praise in words beyond the power of speech,
for without Your Spirit man could never raise his voice in words of peace
or announce the truth that Jesus is Lord,
who lives with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Amen.
(Pope Pius X, May 8, 1907).

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy spirit, and they shall be created.
R. and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray. O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us by the same Holy Spirit to have right judgment in all things and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to the Holy Spirit

Our Lord instituted the first "novena", or nine days of prayer. On the day of His Ascension, Jesus sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to pray. The Gospel of Luke tells us that on that day "He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, 'Thus it is written that the Christ should sufer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins shuld be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.'" (Luke 24:45-49).

After the Lord's Ascension, the apostles returned to Jerusalem, entered the upper room, and "all these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren" (Acts 1:14). There, about 120 people, led by Peter, prayed for nine days preparation for the day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day after the Resurrection, when the Holy Spirit came to them "with power from on high", as the Lord had promised.

"And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where thy were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resing on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:2-4)

There is no official formulation of prayers prescribed by the Church for a novena to the Holy Spirit, however the following are ancient and traditional hymns and prayers to the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost).

Gloria Patri, et Filii et Spiritui Sancti,
Sicut erat in principio, et nuc et semper, in saecula seculorum. Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

(The Holy Ghost Prayer Book, Prayers and Devotions to the Holy Ghost by Rev. Frederick T. Hoeger, C.S.Sp., Catholic Book Publishing, New York, New York 1939.)

First Day

Holy Spirit, Lord of Light.
From thy clear celestial height,
Thy pure beaming radiance give.

Let us pray. O God who hast taught the hearts of thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Second Day

Come thou father of the poor,
Come with treasures which endure,
Come thou light of all that live.

Let us pray. O Holy Spirit, thou father of the poor , come fill my poverty-stricken soul out of the plenty of thy eternal riches. Warn me, I beg thee, of every opportunity in my daily round of duty, to lay up treasures where no thief approacheth nor moth corrupteth, that I may enjoy them together with thee forever. Amen.

Third Day

Thou of all consolers best,
Visiting the troubled breast,
Dost refreshing peace bestow.

Let us pray. O Divine Consoler, and of all Comforters the best, to thee do we come in trouble and distress. Do thou, in the all powerful name of Jesus, our Redeemer, and out of love for Mary, our sorrowful mother and thy chaste Spouse, come to our assistance and comfort us in all our trials and tribulations. Amen.

Fourth Day

Thou in toil art comfort sweet,
Pleasant coolness in the heat,
Solace in the midst of woe.

Let us pray. O God, who didst give the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, grant to thy people he effect of their pious prayers, that on those to whom thou hast given grace, thou mayest also bestow peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fifth Day

Light immortal, light divine,
Visit thou these hearts of thine
And our inmost being fill.

Let us pray. May the Paraclete, who proceedeth from thee, enlighten our minds, we beseech thee, O Lord; and even as thy Son hath promised, may he lead us into all truth. Amen.

Sixth Day

If thou take thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay;
All his good is turned to ill.

Let us pray. Send down, we beseech thee, O Lord, the Holy Ghost in His might, to the merciful purifying of our hearts and to our sure deliverance from all danger. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Seventh Day

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour thy dew;
Wash the strains of guilt away.

Let us pray. Burn up, O Lord, our reins and our hearts in the fire of the Holy Ghost; that chaste of body and clean of heart, our service may be well pleasing to thee. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Eight Day

Bend the stubborn heart and will,
Melt the frozen, warm the chill,
Guide the steps that go astray.

Let us pray. Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth, come into our hearts; give to all peoples the brightness of they light, that they may be well pleasing to thee in unity of faith. Amen.

Ninth Day

Thou on those who evermore,
Thee confess and thee adore,
In thy sevenfold gift descend.

Give them comfort when they die
Give them life with thee on high,
Give them joys which never end.

Let us pray. Send down upon us, we beseech thee, O Lord, the Holy Ghost, that, inspired and encouraged by him, we may comply with the duties of our state, carry our daily crosses patiently, and grow daily in Christian perfection. Grant us, we beseech thee through the same Divine Spirit, the intentions of this novena or what is most conducive to our eternal salvation and thy glory. Amen.

Letanía Del Espíritu Santo
(Litany to the Holy Spirit-Spanish)

Señor, -- Tened piedad de nosotros.
Jesucristo,
Señor,
Dios, Padre celestial,
Dios, Hijo, Redentor del mundo,
Dios, Espíritu Santo,
Trinidad Santa, que sois un solo Dios,
Divina Esencia, Dios verdadero y único,
Espíritu de verdad y de sabiduría,
Espíritu de santidad y de justicia,
Espíritu de entendimiento y de consejo,
Espíritu de caridad y de gozo,
Espíritu de paz y de paciencia,
Espíritu de longanimidad y mansedumbre,
Espíritu de benignidad y de bondad,
Amor substancial del Padre y del Hijo,
Amor y vida de las almas santas,
Fuego siempre ardiendo,
Aqua viva que apagáis la sed de los corazones,

De todo mal, -- Libradnos Espíritu Santo.
De toda impureza de alma y cuerpo,
De toda gula y sensualidad,
De todo afecto a los bienes terrenos,
De todo afecto a cosas y a criaturas,
De toda hipocresía y fingimiento,
De toda imperfección y faltas deliberadas,
Del amor propio y juicio propio,
De la propia voluntad,
De la murmuración,
De la doblez a nuestros prójimos,
De nuestras pasiones y apetitos desordenados,
De no estar atentos a vuestra inspiración Santa,
Del desprecio a las cosas pequeñas,
De la glotonería y malicia,
De todo regalo y comodidad,
De querer buscar o desear algo que no seáis Vos,
De todo lo que te desagrade,
De todo pecado e imperfección y de todo mal,

Padre amantísimo, -- Perdónanos.

Divino Verbo, -- Ten misericordia de nosotros.

Santo y Divino Espíritu, -- No nos dejes hasta ponernos en la posesión de la Divina Escencia, Cielo de los cielos.

Cordero de Dios, que borras los pecados del mundo, -- Enviadnos al divino Consolador.

Cordero de Dios, que borras los pecados del mundo, -- Llenadnos de los dones de vuestro espíritu.

Cordero de Dios, que borras los pecados del mundo, -- Haced que crezcan en nosotros los frutos del Espíritu Santo.

Ven, ¡oh Santo Espíritu!, llena los corazones de tus fieles y enciende en ellos el fuego de tu amor.

V. Envía tu Espíritu y todo será creado.
R. Y se renovará la faz de la tierra.

Oremos.
¡Oh Dios!, que habéis instruido los corazones de los fieles con la luz del Espíritu Santo,
concedednos, según el mismo Espíritu,
conocer las cosas rectas
y gozar siempre de sus divinos consuelos.
Por Jesucristo, Señor nuestro. R. Amén

Rey Celeste

Rey celeste,
Espíritu Consolador, Espíritu de Verdad,
que estás presente en todas partes y lo llenas todo,
tesoro de todo bien y fuente de la vida,
ven, habita en nosotros,
purifícanos y sálvanos,
Tú que eres bueno. + Amen.

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Heavenly King

Heavenlly King,
Spirit of Consolation; Spirit of Truth,
Thou who art present everywhere and the fulfillment of everything,
treasury of all goodness and font of life,
Come Thou, dwell within us,
purify us and save us,
Thou who art good. + Amen.


Pope Leo XIII

Prayer for the Church, Priests and Bishops

O Holy Spirit, we humbly implore Thee to help the Catholic Church, and by Thy supernal power, strengthen and confirm it against the assaults of the enemy. By your charity and grace, renew the spirit of Thy servants whom Thou hast anointed, that in Thee they may glorify the Father and His only begotten Son, our Lord. .Amen. (Pope Leo XIII, August 26, 1889)

Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth

Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth, come into our hearts; give to all peoples the brightness of Thy light, that they may be pleasing to Thee in the unity of faith. Amen. (Pope Leo XIII, July 31, 1897)

St. Edith Stein Verses for a Pentecost Novena

Back to Pentecost page | Family celebrations for Pentecost

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