HOLY GHOST NOVENA - NINTH DAY

HOLY GHOST NOVENA - DAY 9 (FINAL DAY) 

Love Is a Treasure Containing Every Good

Love is that treasure of which the Gospel says that we must leave all to obtain it, because love makes us partakers of the friendship of God, “an infinite treasure to men! Which they that use, become the friends of God”. Oh man, says Saint Augustine, why, then, do you go about seeking for good things? Seek that one good alone in which all other good things are contained.

But we cannot find God, who is this sovereign good, if we do not forsake the things of the earth. Saint Teresa writes, “Detach your heart from creatures, and you will find God.” He who finds God finds all that he can desire: “Delight in the Lord, and he will give you the requests of your heart” (Psalm 36:4 in the Vulgate or Psalm 37:4 in the Hebrew). The human heart is constantly seeking after good things that may make it happy; but if it seeks them from creatures, however much it may acquire, it will never be satisfied; if it seeks God alone, God will satisfy all its desires. Who are the happiest people in this world, if not the saints? And why? Because they desire and seek only God.

A tyrant offered gold and gems to Saint Clement, in order to persuade him to renounce Jesus Christ. The saint exclaimed with a sigh,

“Is God to be put into competition with a little dirt? Blessed is he who knows this treasure of divine love, and strives to obtain it. He who obtains it will of his own accord divest himself of everything else, that he may have nothing else but God.” “When the house is on fire,” says Saint Francis de Sales, “all the goods are thrown out of the windows.” And Father Paul Segneri the Younger, a great servant of God, used to say that love is a thief which robs us of all earthly affections, so that we can say, “And what else do I desire but You alone, my Lord?”

Affections and prayers

I have not lived for You in the past, O my God, but rather for myself and my own gratifications. I have accordingly turned my back upon You, my supreme good. But I take heart at these words of Jeremiah: “The Lord is good to the soul that seeks him.” He says then that You are all goodness for him who seeks You.

O my beloved Lord, I know well the evil I have done in going away from You and I am sorry for it with all my heart. I know the infinite treasure we find in You. I will profit by this light that You give me. I leave all things and choose You for my only love.

My God, my love, my all, I love You, I sigh after You, I desire You. Come, O Holy Spirit, come and consume in me by Your sacred fire every affection that is not for You. Make me all Yours and grant me the grace to overcome everything in order to please You.

O Mary, my Advocate and Mother, help me by your prayers.

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven, didst promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Thy work in the souls of Thy Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul the work of Thy grace and Thy love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal; the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy 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 Thee 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 dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit.  Amen.

Pater noster - Fridolin Leiber

Our Father

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Descent of the Holy Spirit – TIZIANO Vecellio

Novena Resolution

The more we love God, the more holy we become. Saint Francis Borgia says it is prayer that introduces divine love into the human heart and mortification that withdraws the heart from the world and renders it capable of receiving this holy fire. The more there is of the world in the heart, the less room there is for holy love: “Wisdom is not to be found in the land of them that live in delights”. Hence, the saints have always sought to mortify as much as possible their self-love and their senses. The saints are few, but we must live with the few if we will be saved with the few. Saint Bernard says, “That cannot be perfect which is not singular.” He who would lead a perfect life must lead a singular one.

But above all, in order to become saints, it is necessary to have the desire to be saints; we must have the desire and the resolution. Some are always desiring, but they never begin to put their hands to the work. “Of these irresolute souls,” says Saint Teresa, “the devil has no fear.” On the other hand, the saint said, “God is a friend of generous souls.”

The devil tries to make it appear to us as pride to think of doing great things for God. It would indeed be pride in us if we thought of doing them all by ourselves, trusting in our own strength; but it is not pride to resolve to become saints trusting in God and saying, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” We must therefore be of good courage, make strong resolutions, and begin. Prayer can do everything. What we cannot do by our own strength, we can do easily with the help of God, who has promised to give us whatever we ask of him: “You shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Apostles Creed – I Believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of the Saints…

Affections and Prayers

Sweet Redeemer of my soul, You desire to be loved by me and You command me to love You with all my heart, and with all my heart I desire to love You, O my Jesus. I will even go so far as to say to You: O my God, such is the trust I have in Your mercy that my sins do not inspire me with fear, since I hate and detest them above every other evil.

I know besides, that You remember not the offenses of one who repents and who loves You. Nay more, since I have offended You more than others, I wish to love You more than others.

O my Lord, You want me to be a saint and I wish to become one in order to please You. I love You, infinite Goodness. I give myself entirely to You. You are my one good, my only love. Do not turn me away, O my love. Make me all Yours. Do not permit me to displease You again. Grant that I may sacrifice myself entirely for You, as You have sacrificed Yourself entirely for me.

Mary, most loving and beloved Spouse of the Holy Spirit, obtain for me love and faithfulness. Amen. Amen. Amen.