Dear Beloved Parishioners,
Novena to the Holy Spirit: Day #5 – May 23, 2023
Invocation:
O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I ought to do, and command me to do it. I promise to submit myself to all that You ask of me, and to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Only let me know Your will. Amen.
Scripture
“Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil…. Do all that your duty requires, and hold your ground. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.”
-Eph. 6:10-17
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Meditation:
The Holy Spirit, Grateful Coolness in the heat.
We speak of the “heat” of battle or the “heat” of strife, likewise of the “heat” of passion, the “heat” of controversy and so forth. Implied in all of these is commotion, exertion, strong passions and struggle.
Coolness, on the other hand, implies a tranquility of mind and heart, together with a prudent deliberation in acting. Such attitudes are most desirable for the spiritual life, and they are in fact indispensable for a life of holiness. Why? Because the reality is: we are engaged in a spiritual warfare against the powers of darkness and against their helpers on earth.
Daily we find ourselves in the heat of strife. Not only are we engaged in a spiritual struggle with dark spirits, we must also battle our own unruly passions that are not yet subjected to the rule of Christ. In all of this, the Holy Spirit enters the combat, breathing the powerful cool relief of grace in the heat of battle.
Many a fierce struggle is fought on the hidden battleground of the human heart. Assaults from evil spirits can assail us at any time and in even the holiest of places. When vile temptations crowd in upon us, we must resist in the power of the Holy Spirit. We must stand firm against the tactics of the devil, using the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Our eternal souls are at stake. We need coolness in deliberation, the effect of the virtues and gifts of prudence, fortitude and temperance.
Satan is not content to fight alone. He has his helpers who are the enemies and persecutors of the Church in our times. The coolness of the Holy Spirit has a vital significance today as anti-Catholic bigotry and subtle persecutions war against the People of God.
But there is an even more subtle battle. The heat of unruly passion, anger, revenge and disobedient pride all wage war against the soul. Whereas before the original fall, these natural tendencies were under the control of reason and subjected to God, now the human will rebels against the will of God, and animal tendencies rise up against the dictates of reason. Concupiscence, or our unruly appetites, are the fertile ground on which the 7 capital sins thrive.
Warfare against these unruly passions will last as long as we live, and without the grace of the Holy Spirit we cannot withstand their devouring fire. He arms the soul with spiritual coolness, courage, and moderation in all the battles of life. He also supplies all those preventives which counteract the urgings of unruly passions. Every increase of grace brings an increase in the desire for heavenly things and for acquiring the virtues of Christ.
The presence of the Holy Spirit, penetrating the very substance of our being, gives us a certain supernatural temper that by its very nature opposes evil influences, and if we cooperate, will make victory certain.
Prayer of the Day: We need the Holy Spirit to be our coolness in the heat; as we fight the battles against the spirits of darkness roaming as well as the unruly passions of our hearts. It is the Spirit of Jesus who will bring our spiritual warfare to a victorious end. Burn away the divisions in our hearts. Free us from all influence of evil and send forth your protection so that we may grow in unity as a vibrant, evangelizing Church. Amen
Concluding Prayer to the Holy Spirit
St. Augustine’s Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.
Pentecost blessings,
Fr. Bill