May 18, 2021 Reflection -Novena to the Holy Spirit, Day 5
Novena to the Holy Spirit, Day 5 May 18, 2021 Dear Family of Mary! Novena to the Holy Spirit, Day 5 Our Lady speaks about the Spirit and prayer: May 25, 2003 “Dear children! Also today I call you to prayer. Renew your personal prayer, and in a special way pray to the Holy Spirit to help you pray with the heart. I intercede for all of you, little children, and call all of you to conversion. If you convert, all those around you will also be renewed and prayer will be a joy for them. Thank you for having responded to my call.” Our Lady calls us to prayer. Prayer is one of her first priorities for us. Why? Because without prayer we can never give our lives over to God. We can never learn and live God’s will for us. We will never find peace and hope in God. Prayer should be like breathing for us. Prayer is our life source. And notice what she tells us to do: Renew your personal prayer, and in a special way pray to the Holy Spirit to help you pray with the heart. We must renew our personal prayer, which means to make a new and definite commitment to pray every day. And then, ask the Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray with the heart!! Prayer with the heart is a conversation with God. The Holy Spirit is God! He can teach us how to converse with Himself, with Jesus and with the Father. The Holy Spirit can even pray in us, with His own words as it says in Romans: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26) We want the Spirit to pray in us and through us, because He will pray for what is most necessary: “And He who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:27) Truly we need the Holy Spirit to come and pray in us!! Mother, please pray for us to receive the Holy Spirit of Prayer, that we can pray as we ought! The Paraclete, the Fount of Love (A prayer by St. John Henry Newman) My God, I adore You, as the Third Person of the Ever-Blessed Trinity, under the name and designation of Love. You are that Living Love, wherewith the Father and the Son love each other. And You are the Author of supernatural love in our hearts. “Fons vivus, ignis, charitas.” (Fount of life, fire and love) As a fire You came down from heaven on the day of Pentecost; and as a fire You burn away the dross of sin and vanity in the heart and light up the pure flame of devotion and affection. It is You who unite heaven and earth by showing to us the glory and beauty of the Divine Nature, and making us love what is in Itself so winning and transporting. I adore You, O uncreate and everlasting Fire, by which our souls live, by which alone they are made fit for heaven. Amen Come Holy Spirit Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up Thy rest; come with Thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which Thou hast made. O Comforter, to Thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God Most High, O Fount of Life and Fire of Love, and Sweet Anointing from above. Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known; Thou, finger of God’s hand we own; Thou, promise of the Father, Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue. Kindle our senses from above, and make our hearts o’erflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply. Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant us Thy peace instead; so shall we not, with Thee for guide, turn from the path of life aside. Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know; and Thee, through endless times confessed, of both the eternal Spirit blest. Now to the Father and the Son, Who rose from death, be glory given, with Thou, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan (c)Mary TV 2021