Novena to the Holy Spirit

Day One

Prayer to the Sanctifying Spirit

O sanctifying Spirit, I kneel before You and adore You from the very depths of my soul, recognizing my nothingness. I thank You for all the graces You have bestowed upon me to this day, and I beg Your forgiveness for having corresponded so poorly to them. O Holy Spir­it, do not consider my sins but only Your infinite mercy and Your very ardent desire to sanc­tify me. From now on, I want to be fully pleasing to You. In the past I have been an ungrateful sinner, but it will no longer be so in the future. As of this moment, I renounce sin and all earthly affections, and I want to dedicate myself en­tirely to Your love.

Indeed, by myself I can do nothing. It is up to You, O sanctifying Spirit, to work this great wonder of making me a saint. This is not difficult for You. In the past You have produced such wonderful masterpieces of holiness. Is it not You who formed the adorable body and soul of Jesus Christ, head and model of all predestined souls? Is it not You also who safeguarded the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary from all stain, and who raised Her to the highest degree of sanctity? And throughout the ages, how many souls have You preserved from sin, or purified after their sins, to lead them, by Your divine gifts, to the summit of perfection. O Holy Spirit, what You have done for others, You can also do for me! Not only are You able, but You want to do it: that is Your special mission, to make saints of us.

Therefore have mercy on me, a poor sinner. Do not reject me, no matter how unworthy of Your goodness I may be. I no longer want to set any obstacles to the workings of Your grace; I lend myself to it without reserve. Wash me in the tears of penance and in the Blood of Jesus Christ. Enlighten me with Your divine light. Kindle me with the holy ardor of charity. Give me love for prayer and for all the virtues You want to see in me. O Father of the poor, O Dispenser of heavenly gifts, hear my humble prayer! I implore it of You, by the mer­its of the Redeemer and the intercession of Your cherished Spouse, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

May I belong entirely to You, as You want to belong entirely to me. Lead me to the land of the blessed, so that after having loved You very much on earth, I may continue loving You in heaven, in union with the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen.

7 Hail Mary, 7 Glory Be.

Day Two

Prayer to obtain the Gift of Fear of the Lord

O Holy Spirit of love and truth, adorable Source of all perfection, I adore You and thank You for all the gifts You have bestowed upon me. I have grieved You and driven You out of my heart so many times in the past! I have often deserved to be abandoned by You and cast into eternal hell. And why did this misfortune come upon me? Be­cause Your holy fear was not in my soul. I regret it sincerely today, I detest all my sins and am deeply sorry for them. I will weep over them till my dying day.

O Holy Spirit, please forget all my acts of ingratitude. I beg of You, grant me this holy fear, which I have lacked so sorely in the past. For the rest of my life, may it keep me in the spirit of compunction and inspire me with such a hatred for sin that I will never again let it enter my heart. Give me a filial fear: to fill me with deep respect for God and the things of God, to make me avoid the slightest faults for fear of displeasing Him, to preserve me from being luke­warm in His service and routine in prayer.

Thanks to this priceless Gift of Fear of the Lord, I will enjoy an abundance of all good things; I will lead a life that is holy, happy, full of virtue and merit; I will make great progress on the path of perfection. I also will obtain the grace of dying as a predestined soul, and of going to heaven to enjoy the ineffable sweetness which You reserve for those who fear You.

O Holy Spirit, I implore You, by the Name and the merits of Jesus Christ, by the intercession of Your Immaculate Spouse, the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant me the precious Gift of Fear of the Lord. Amen.

7 Hail Mary, 7 Glory Be.

Day Three

Prayer to obtain the Gift of Piety

O Holy Spirit, abyss of goodness and sweetness, I adore You and thank You for all the graces You have granted me, especially the grace of having invested me with the sublime dignity of being a child of God. Un­fortunately, I have not always been worthy of such a great privilege. By my countless sins, I have rebelled against my heavenly Father, turned my back on Him and become one of His worst enemies. But You have had mercy on me, O Holy Spirit; You prompted me to repentance and, I hope, obtained my forgive­ness. You have restored my previous dignity to me, my beautiful title of child of God; for this may You be forever praised and blessed!

Please crown Your kindness by sending me the true spirit of the children of God, the spirit of piety, which will give me sentiments of filial love and sweet confidence in God, and a tender and compassionate heart for my neighbor.

O Holy Spirit, divine comforter of souls, I implore You by the merits of Jesus Christ and the intercession of the Virgin Mary, please soften my hard, insensitive heart. Banish from it mistrust of God, and exaggerated fears that take away courage and fervor. Cast from it all envy and harshness toward my neighbor which oppose the love that should prevail among brothers. Then, O Holy Spirit, the service of God will be pleasant to me, its yoke will be sweet and its burden light, relations with my neighbor will be filled with the heavenly sweetness of Your anointing, and I will fly in the way of Your commandments; for You will have dilated my heart.

O Mary, tender Spouse of the Holy Spirit, obtain for me the beautiful Gift of Piety. Amen.

7 Hail Mary, 7 Glory Be.

Day Four

Prayer to obtain the Gift of Knowledge

O Holy Spirit, God of light and love, I adore You and thank You for all Your gifts, especially for having given me a mind to know You and a heart to love You. From the depths of my abyss of dark­ness, I cry unto You, beseeching You to shine the bright rays of the Gift of Knowledge upon me. Without this divine light I will go astray again, just as I have done so often in the past, and I will be lost for all eternity, by seeking my happiness in creatures and making them my final end.

On the contrary, with the Gift of Knowledge I will regard created things only as a means to go to God; I will use them only inasmuch as they lead me to Him, and I will abstain from them if they would turn me away from Him. Thus I will have a holy indifference to wealth or poverty, honor or scorn, health or illness, a long life or a short life; I will love and seek only the adorable will of God in all things.

And when it shall please His holy will for me to undergo sorrow and humiliation, being enlightened by the Gift of Knowledge concerning the value of tribulations, I will embrace them joyfully as a means of finding God more surely and of possessing Him more perfectly. Then nothing in the world will ever again deter me from my final end; on the contrary, everything will help me to make progress, to know Him more clearly, to love Him more ar­dently and to serve Him more faithfully, while awaiting the moment when at last I shall possess Him in heaven, see Him face to face in the light of glory, and love Him perfectly throughout eternity. Amen.

O Mary, most worthy Spouse of the Holy Spirit, obtain for me Knowledge which makes the Saints.

7 Hail Mary, 7 Glory Be.

Day Five

Prayer to obtain the Gift of Fortitude

O Holy Spirit, almighty God, who so wonderfully transformed the Apostles; weak and timid as they were, You made them so strong and intrepid that no created power could ever shake them. You upheld the martyrs in their torments, the holy confessors in their labors and combats, and have helped so many souls to drink the cup of sorrow. Look down upon the weakest and most wretched of Your creatures, humbly prostrate before You! Oh, if I had always invoked You in danger and in temptation, I would never have had the misfortune of offending You. But the evil is done, now I have only to regret it and weep over it. In the future, I no longer want to rely on my own strength; that is why I implore Your powerful help.

O Holy Spirit, in You alone do I hope, from You alone do I await my salvation! I beseech You, give me Your Gift of Fortitude to make me invincible. Then I shall no longer fear my enemies, for You will give me the grace to overcome them entirely and always; I shall no ­longer fear labors, however painful they may be, for You will give me the courage to perform them tirelessly; I shall no longer fear scorn and suffering, for Your divine sweetness will help me to bear them with patience and joy; I shall no longer fear even death, for You will uphold me at that supreme moment, and I will generously accept it in union with that of my Saviour on the cross. Then I will go to heaven, to enjoy the glorious fruits of my labors, sufferings and combats. All honor will go to You, O Holy Spirit, as well as to the Father and to the Son. I will bless You for it eternally with the multitude of Angels and Saints.

O Mary, valiant Woman and chaste Spouse of the Holy Spirit, obtain for me the Gift of Fortitude.

7 Hail Mary, 7 Glory Be.

Day Six

Prayer to obtain the Gift of Counsel

O Holy Spirit, who, in Your infinite love, desire to be our guide along the pathways of this wretched life, to lead us sure­ly to our final end, I adore You and thank You for the charitable counsels You have given me to this day. If only I had always followed them, I would not have so many sins to blame myself for at this moment. But all too often I have preferred to let myself be led by the angel of darkness, by my senses and passions. I ac­knowledge and bitterly deplore the sorrow­ful misconduct that has resulted from such in­cred­ible folly.

O Spirit of love and mercy, have pity on me and forgive me! I now return to You, and I desire no other guide but You. Here I am, resolved to follow You wherever it shall please You to lead me. Speak, Lord, Your servant listens! Show me the way by which You want me to walk, indicate Your pathways to me.

May Your Gift of Counsel direct me step by step, so that I may never stray from the way You have shown me. May this Gift always inspire me to do what is most pleasing in Your sight, preserve me from every illusion, and help me to make rapid progress in holiness.

And finally, may it bring me to the possession of my last end, so that I may repose there for all eternity, in the contemplation and love of the Father, of the Son, and of Yourself, O Holy Spirit, who proceeds from Them both. Amen.

7 Hail Mary, 7 Glory Be.

Day Seven

Prayer to obtain the Gift of Understanding

O Holy Spirit, You take pleasure in making Your light shine upon souls that are humble, upright and pure, whereas You refuse to give it to the proud and worldly prudent, and to all who are slaves of their passions; I do not deserve to receive Your light because I am so proud, wretched and sensual. The countless sins I have committed, my attachments to creatures and my unrestrained passions have all gathered thick clouds over my soul which the rays of Your light cannot pierce.

I beseech You, by the merits of Jesus Christ and the almighty intercession of Your beloved Spouse, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, please scatter these clouds by forgiving all my sins and by detaching my heart entirely from earth­ly affections. Despite my unworthiness, send down to my soul the heavenly rays of the Gift of Understanding, so that I may discover the hidden beauties contained in the truths of faith and the mysteries of religion. At the sight of such splendor, my heart will be inflamed with love for God and with zeal to have Him loved by others; it will find its delight in prayer and contemplation; it will yearn unceasingly after the uncreated Beauty, the divine face to face. O Holy Spirit, do not reject my prayer, do not leave me in darkness any longer! Grant me the Gift of Understanding. Then I will lead a new life, a life of love and fervor, while waiting to go and live the life of the blessed with You in heaven.

O Mary, cherished Spouse of the Spirit of Truth, I beseech You, obtain for me the precious Gift of Understanding.

7 Hail Mary, 7 Glory Be.

Day Eight

Prayer to obtain the Gift of Wisdom

O Holy Spirit, by Your wonderful Gift of Wisdom, You raise souls to the highest degree of sanctity by uniting them closely to their supreme end. I am ashamed to appear before You, for I am a wretched sinner. Blind as I have been, I have often placed my last end in creatures, seeking in them the satisfactions my heart craves. I have been wise with a diabolical and carnal wisdom, which is only abomination and folly in Your sight. Today, enlightened by Your divine light, I acknowledge my waywardness, I deplore it from the bottom of my heart and detest it in all sincerity.

However unworthy I may be, please send me Your divine wisdom. It alone can teach me to savor only God and the things of God, to judge all things in relation to Him; then all earthly goods and pleasures will inspire scorn in me. God alone will be the object of all my yearning and all my love! Yes, I will love Him, the one and only Good, the supreme and eternal Good. I will unite myself to Him and be transformed into Him. Unable to possess and resemble Him in beatitude, I will at least possess and resemble Him amid pain and sorrow. Hereafter, may my only ambition be to reproduce the image of the God-Man in me by loving and seeking scorn and suffering. Then I will no longer say, “Who will give me wings, that I may fly away and find my rest?” for Your Gift of Wisdom will have given them to me. Thanks to this precious Gift, I will attain the end of my ardent desires. As Your faithful spouse, I will truly be able to say, “I have found the One my heart loves, and I will hold Him and never leave Him.”

O Mary, Seat of Wisdom, obtain for me this priceless Gift which will help me to find my heaven on earth.

7 Hail Mary, 7 Glory Be.

Day Nine

Prayer to Mary, Cherished Spouse of the Holy Spirit

O Mary, worthy Spouse of the Holy Spirit and beloved Mother of my soul, who from the first moment of Your existence were adorned with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and made them bear admirable fruits by a constant fi­delity and an ever-increasing love, please cast a glance of compassion upon Your child, so poor and un­worthy, as I kneel here at Your feet. To my shame and confusion, I admit that by my sins I have often grieved the Holy Spirit and lost the treasure of His Gifts; I have caused the Passion and Death of Your divine Son; I have turned Your motherly Heart into an ocean of bitterness. O Mother of Mercy, I repent with all my heart! Obtain forgiveness for me, and forget all the sorrow I have caused You. I am resolved to give myself to God without re­serve.

O Mary, who by Your ardent desires and fervent prayers, long ago drew down the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, pray to Him for me! By the merit of Your Seven Sorrows, obtain for me the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as the grace to correspond faithfully to them.

Obtain for me the Gift of Fear of the Lord, which will help me to weep the rest of my life over the sins I have committed, and to avoid all that is displeasing to God in the future.

Obtain for me the Gift of Piety, which will fill me with a tender confidence and a filial love toward the heavenly Father; which, by its sweet power, will help me to find that the yoke of the Lord is sweet and His burden light.

Obtain for me the Gift of Knowledge, which will raise me to God by means of creatures, and teach me the difficult art of using or ab­staining from them, according to whether they lead me to my last end or turn me away from it.

Obtain for me the Gift of Fortitude, which will enable me to overcome all the temptations of the devil, to accomplish my duties perfectly at all times, and to generously suffer all the tribulations of life.

Obtain for me the Gift of Counsel, which will help me to constantly choose the most ap­propriate means to my final end, and in difficult occasions will help me to discern what I must do to be pleasing to God.

Obtain for me the Gift of Understanding, which will reveal to me the splendor of the truths and mysteries of our holy religion.

Finally, obtain for me the Gift of Wisdom, which will help me to know where true happiness lies, to have a sound judgment in all things, and to savor God and His most holy will in everything.

O Faithful Virgin, may I never again lose these precious Gifts but, following Your example, may I preserve them and make them bear fruit until my death. O sweet Mother, after allowing myself to be guided by the Holy Spirit in this life, may I receive the joy of being introduced by Him into heaven; so that, in union with You, I may always love and praise the adorable Trinity, to whom be all honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

7 Hail Mary, 7 Glory Be.

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit