A new Novena for the Charisms and Fruits of the Holy Spirit!
Today begins the nine day Novena to the Holy Spirit in preparation for the Feast of Pentecost on June 5th!
We love the Holy Spirit! We are all familiar with the traditional Novena to the Holy Spirit that honors the “Sanctifying Gifts” enumerated in Isaiah 11, namely:
- Fear of the Lord
- Piety
- Fortitude
- Knowledge
- Understanding
- Counsel
- Wisdom
During the 2020 during the Pandemic, I wrote a new Novena to the Holy Spirit, for our Community, that honors the nine Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Faithfulness
- Goodness
- Gentleness
- Self-Control
and the nine Charismatic Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12)
- Word of Wisdom
- Word of Knowledge
- Faith
- Gifts of Healing
- Prophecy
- Miracles
- Discernment of Spirits
- Tongues
- Interpretation of Tongues
We will send out each Day’s Novena Starting today for nine days until next Saturday, the eve of Pentecost. I encourage us all to pray and reflect on this Novena together as a Community, that the Power of the Holy Spirit would produce the Gifts intended for the building up of the Church and the fruit that Glorifies Him in each of us and in the Mission of our Community. I hope you are blessed by this new prayer- Jeff Looker
Novena for the Charisms and
Fruit of the Holy Spirit
Day 1
Charismatic Gift: Prophecy
Fruit of the Spirit: Love
1 Cor 14:1:
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
Reflection:
We read in 1:Corinthians 12 about the “extraordinary” gifts of the Holy Spirit. These Charismatic gifts of the Spirit are distributed as the Spirit wills and are bestowed by Him upon the believer for the “common good” (1 Cor 12:7).
These gifts are intended for the building up of the Church, and we are supposed to “earnestly desire” them! (1 Cor 12:31) This verse continues and says, “but I will show you a more excellent way….”What is the more excellent way? Love.
1 Corinthians 13 begins, “If I speak in the tounges of men and Angels but I have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal”.
We may earnestly desire the charismatic gifts, but if we do not exercise them in love, we are not anointed, but “annoying". Love is the way. Love is not a “gift” per se, it is the way we distribute the graces and gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of others.
The fruit of love allows the Gift of Prophecy to flow to others as edification, encouragement, and comfort (1 Cor 14: 3). Prophecy builds the body of Christ and Prophecy in Love is “the better way”.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, I desire to Love others as you love. In my own strength, I do not have that ability. I need your Grace to love others and to use the gifts you have given me, in love. Help me to hear you, and to recognize your voice amid the noise of my life. Speak your will to me that I may grow in the gift of Prophecy, according to your will, in order to edify, encourage, and comfort others.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen. Come Holy Spirit!
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen. Come Holy Spirit!