Pentecost Novena 2021 Pentecost Novena - 1st day: Who is the Holy Spirit for me? Asking for the grace of healing and for overcoming the covid-19 pandemic Adapted from the book “Vocations and Missionary Prayers”, pages 49 to 65 - Missionary Servants of the Holy Spirit. Opening Prayer In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen! Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and everything will be created! And you will renew the face of the Earth. O God, who instructed the hearts of your faithful with the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that under the inspiration of this same Spirit we may always know what is right and true and have a continuing sense of God’s joy bringing presence and power through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen! Grace to ask I present to God my intentions and the grace that I want to ask the Holy Spirit for during this Pentecost Novena. And I pray especially for all the people who are suffering as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic: patients, family members, health professionals and all who take risks for the sake of other people. Divine Holy Spirit, you who are the love that unites the Father and the Son in the unity of the Trinity, come to the aid of our Church, our families, our communities and each of our brothers and sisters who suffer as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. May we, inspired by you, find the path to solidarity, love, respect and reconciliation. Help us overcome all the challenges that we face because of the coronavirus and to live your project of the Kingdom of God that is love and communion. We yearn for a new time and a new life, That it may convert our hearts, turn our conflicts, difficulties and sufferings into a sign of hope and lead us along the path to health and peace. Amen I am called to live in deep union with the One and Triune God and to let myself be guided by the action of the Holy Spirit. Word of God The Holy Spirit is the interpreter that the risen Jesus sends so that we understand the truth that He wants to communicate. Reading: Jn 16, 12-15 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into the whole truth, because the Spirit will not speak in his own name, but will say what he hears and announce to you the things that are going to happen. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” Internalization of the Word: I reread the Gospel passage and let the it penetrate my heart. Who is the Holy Spirit for me? How do I relate to Him? Thanksgiving Thank you, Lord, for your infinite love! Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your Spirit that dwells in my heart. Thank you, Lord, for the Spirit of Truth that teaches me to discern what is good. Thank you, Lord, for the people who have been healed from Covid 19. Thank you, Lord, for the health professionals and scientists who work tirelessly to cure diseases. Thank you, Lord, for so many people who risk their lives offering essential services so that we do not lack what we need to live. (Continue with spontaneous prayers of thanks.) Concluding Prayer Divine Holy Spirit, pour out upon us your gifts of wisdom, understanding, science, strength, piety, counsel and fear of God so that we, enlightened by your grace, may discover what the Father's will is for us and assume with greater commitment the mission that Jesus entrusts to us in this time of pandemic. Amen! Blessing: Lord, bless and protect us, Make your face shine on us and grant us your mercy and your peace. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen! Pentecost Novena - 2nd day: The fruits of the Holy Spirit Asking for the grace of healing and of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic Adapted from the book “Vocations and Missionary Prayers”, pages 49 to 65 - Missionary Servants of the Holy Spirit. Opening Prayer In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen! Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and everything will be created! And you will renew the face of the Earth. O God, who instructed the hearts of your faithful with the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that under the inspiration of this same Spirit we may always know what is right and true and have a continuing sense of God’s joy bringing presence and power through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen! Grace to ask: I present to God my intentions and the grace that I want to ask the Holy Spirit for during this Pentecost Novena. And I pray especially for all the people who are suffering as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic: patients, family members, health professionals and all who take risks for the sake of other people. Divine Holy Spirit, you who are the love that unites the Father and the Son in the unity of the Trinity, come to the aid of our Church, our families, our communities and each of our brothers and sisters who suffer as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. May we, inspired by you, find the path to solidarity, love, respect and reconciliation. Help us overcome all the challenges that we face because of the coronavirus and live your project of the Kingdom of God that is love and communion. We yearn for a new time and a new life, That it may convert our hearts and turn our conflicts, difficulties and sufferings into a sign of hope and lead us along the paths to health and peace. Amen. I am invited to live according to the Spirit. But how do I know if it is really the Spirit of God who guides and leads me? The tree is known by its fruits (cf. Mt 7:18). In the same way, I recognize if what I do comes from God because of the good fruits produced. The main fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. Word of God Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Galatians, helps us to identify what comes from selfishness and what from the action of the Holy Spirit. Reading: Gal. 5, 16-26 “ Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the your selfish desires. For these selfish desires are opposed to the Spirit and what the Spirit desires is opposed to selfishness. The two are in conflict, so you don't do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you will no longer be subject to the Law. Furthermore, the works of selfish instincts are well known: fornication, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, wrath, rivalry, division, sectarianism , envy, drinking, orgies and the like. I repeat what I have already said: those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, benevolence, faith, meekness and self-control. There is no law against these things. Those who belong to Christ have crucified selfish instincts along with their passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk under the impulse of the Spirit. Let us not be ambitious for glory, competing with each other and being jealous of each other.” Internalization of the Word: From this reading, what are the works of selfish instincts that I see around me in the environment in which I live? What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit that I experience in myself, in my family and in the community? The fruit of charity: it will unite us entirely with you through love. The fruit of joy: it will fill us with holy consolation. The fruit of peace: that will produce in us tranquility of the soul. The fruit of patience: that we may suffer everything for the love of Jesus and Mary. The fruit of kindness: it will lead us to generously meet the needs of those who suffer. The fruit of endurance: it will make us wait patiently on you at any time. The fruit of gentleness: that will help us endure with all meekness what others have to worry about. The fruit of modesty: that will help us to live with simplicity. Finally, the fruits of continence and chastity: they may keep our hearts pure and our gaze transparent. Holy Spirit, make us your home, a sacred temple where you live. Stay with us during our journey on earth, so that we can live with you forever in the Kingdom of Glory. Amen! Concluding Prayer Divine Holy Spirit, pour out upon us your gifts of wisdom, understanding, science, strength, piety, counsel and fear of God so that we, enlightened by your grace, may discover what the Father's will is for us and assume with greater commitment the mission that Jesus entrusts to us in this time of pandemic. Amen! Blessing: Lord, bless and protect us, Make your face shine on us and grant us your mercy and your peace. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen! Pentecost Novena - 3rd day: Discerning the action of the Holy Spirit in my life Asking for the grace of healing and of overcoming the covid-19 pandemic Adapted from the book “Vocations and Missionary Prayers”, pages 49 to 65 - Missionary Servants of the Holy Spirit.