Prayer to the Holy Spirit:
O Holy Spirit, Beloved of my soul, I adore You.
Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen and console me.
Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it.
I promise to submit to everything that You ask of me
and to accept all that You allow to happen to me.
Just show me what is Your will, O Holy Spirit.
(by Cardinal Mercier)
Day 5: Ask the Holy Spirit for an increase of the
Gift of Right Counsel.
Understanding better the Holy Spirit and the seven Gifts:
§ Pray the Prayer to the Holy Spirit every day and at every opportunity.
§ Think about what these titles and symbols tell us about the Person of the Holy Spirit. The meaning and Scriptural references are in the noted Catechism paragraphs.
Title (CCC 692-693) Symbols(CCC 694 – 701)
Paraclete Water
The Spirit of Truth Anointing
The Spirit of the Promise Fire
The Spirit of Adoption Cloud and light
The Spirit of Christ The seal
The Spirit of the Lord The hand
The Spirit of God The finger
The Spirit of glory The dove
§ To understand why your relationship with the Holy Spirit is so important, look up the Theological Virtues of faith, hope and charity, which you received in Baptism (1Corinthians 13:13; CCC 1812-1829). These Virtues make it possible for you to develop a relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You grow in these Virtues by asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen them in you and by making acts of faith, hope and charity in your daily life. Faith is believing in God and all that He has revealed to the Apostles and handed down to us through the Church. Hope is trusting God’s faithfulness and love for you. Charity is loving others for the sake of God.
§ The seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are strengthened in you in the Sacrament of Confirmation so that you can “spread and defend the Faith by word and action as a true witness, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never be ashamed of the Cross.” (CCC 1302-1303; 1265-1266) These seven supernatural Gifts are
Wisdom, Fortitude, Knowledge, Right Counsel, Fear of the Lord, Understanding and Piety. (Isaiah 11:1-2)
§ You need to allow the Holy Spirit to act within you and through you. Memorize the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and think about why you need each of these Gifts. Write down one Gift and ask the Holy Spirit to increase this Gift in you in order to serve others with greater charity, which is the heart of the Christian life.