Today we begin the Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit.
Join us over these next nine days as we pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and prepare our hearts for Pentecost.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Preparing for Pentecost: Join Us in the Pentecost Novena
As we move closer to Pentecost, the Church invites us into a beautiful and meaningful tradition: the Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we are told that after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, the disciples gathered together in the upper room, devoting themselves to constant prayer (Acts 1:14). For nine days, they waited, prayed, and prepared until the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost.
This moment is not only a powerful part of our Church’s history… it is also the origin of all novenas.
This year, the Pentecost Novena begins on Friday, May 15, and concludes on Saturday, May 23.
During these nine days, we are invited to pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. The novena focuses especially on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts strengthen us, guide us, and help us grow in our relationship with God and one another.
Whether you choose to pray individually, as a family, or with a group of friends, this is a simple and meaningful way to prepare your heart for Pentecost.
To help you participate, printed copies of the novena prayer will be available at the back of the church.
We invite you to join us in these nine days of prayer as we open ourselves more fully to the presence and work of the Holy Spirit.
Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit
O Lord Jesus Christ, who, before ascending into Heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your apostles and disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, to perfect in my soul the work of Your grace and Your love.
Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom — that I may not be attached to the perishable things of this world, but aspire only after the things that are eternal.
The Spirit of Understanding — to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth.
The Spirit of Counsel — that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining Heaven.
The Spirit of Fortitude — that I may bear my cross with You, and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation.
The Spirit of Knowledge — that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the saints.
The Spirit of Piety — that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable.
The Spirit of Fear — that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God, and may avoid anything that may displease Him.
Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples, and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.