With the Apostles in the Upper Room during that very first Novena as they awaited the Advocate promised by Jesus, we pray:
Come Holy Spirit! Come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Your well beloved Spouse!
If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay;
All his good is turned to ill.
Meditation
The gift of Counsel is a disposition in the soul through which the Holy Spirit prompts us to choose to do the better of two good actions. It is the elder sister of the supernatural gift prudence. Prudence teaches us the A,B,C, of Christian life, the gift of Counsel trains us in the fine arts of Christian perfection. As this gift gains greater influence over our actions, the soul begins to realize more and more the full meaning of the words of Saint Paul: "All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient." (I Cor. VI. 12) This gift can never be developed in the Christian soul which stops short of only mortal sin in its use and abuse of liberty. Such a rule of conduct will not keep us long from mortal sin, and when mortal sin enters the soul, grace and all the supernatural gifts depart. Because my use of the things of this world may give my neighbor a pretext for abusing them, it is often expedient for me to hearken to the counsel of my divine Guide and refrain from licit pleasures and actions. Above all, as Catholics, we should be as shining lights to our neighbors, going before them in the path of virtue. To do so, we need the gift of Counsel, and therefore, let us pray for it.
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.
Glory Be, seven times.
Sr. Marie, please pray with us and for us through the intercession of Mary to Her Spouse the Holy Spirit that we may be filled with an abundance of His gifts during this Novena. May the cause for the beatification of Sr. Marie DeMandat-Grancey be opened very soon so that more and more graces of peace, love, forgiveness, and understanding from the source of all grace, The Holy Spirit, may envelope this weary world!
Oh, Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul...I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do...give me your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to Happen to me. Let me only do Your will. (This submission to the Holy Spirit is the Secret of Sanctity -- Cardinal Mercier)
The non-italicised portion of this Novena has been compiled by Catherine Fournier. You may find this Novena in Honor of the Holy Spirit,compiled in preparation for the Great Jubilee of the Millennium,in the link enclosed in the title to this post.
