Pray together to the Holy Spirit

Carlo Stebbings, our Director of Faith Formation, suggests in the article below, Building Strong Catholic Families, for families to pray together a prayer to the Holy Spirit.   He did not suggest any particular words to use in prayer, and certainly praying to the Holy Spirit with our own words spoken from our heart is greatly beneficial, but not all people are as comfortable praying that way.    When I was in my twenties two prayers to the Holy Spirit were given to me; and both have helped me in my faith life ever since. 

I share the two prayers with you here in the hope that you will find the grace and blessings of the Holy Spirit in your daily life.  The prayer from Cardinal Mercier I have found very helpful in understanding God’s plan for me and having the courage to follow His will.                                    God’s blessings and peace, Father Bill

Prayer to the Holy Spirit by Cardinal Mercier 

Cardinal Mercier taught, “I am going to reveal to you a secret of sanctity and happiness. For five minutes every day quiet your imagination, close your eyes to everything visible and your ears to all external sounds and withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.”  Then pray:

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 know Your Will.

 

Prayer

 

Come, Holy Spirit

Replace the tension within us

    with holy relaxation.

Replace the turbulence within us      

       with a sacred calm.

Replace the anxiety within us

    with a quiet confidence.

Replace the fear within us

     with a strong faith.

Replace the bitterness within us

     with the sweetness of grace.

Replace the darkness within us with

     with a gentile light.

Replace the coldness within us

     with a loving warmth.

Replace the night within us

     with your light.

Replace the winter within us

     with your spring.

Straighten our crookedness.

Fill our emptiness.

Dull the edge of our pride.

Sharpen the edge of our humility.

Light the fires of our love.

Quench the flames of our lust                        

Let us see ourselves as you see us that

we may see you as you have promised

and be fortunate according to your word.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they shall see God.