A POWERFUL NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: DAY 8 – THE GIFT OF WISDOM

(IT CAN BE PRAYED ANYTIME IN THE DAY)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Hymn

1 Spirit of God, who dwells within my heart,
wean it from sin, through all its pulses move.
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as you are,
and make me love you as I ought to love.

2 I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
no sudden rending of the veil of clay,
no angel visitant, no opening skies;
but take the dimness of my soul away.

3 Did you not bid us love you, God and King,
love you with all our heart and strength and mind?
I see the cross– there teach my heart to cling.
O let me seek you, and O let me find!

4 Teach me to feel that you are always nigh;
teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
teach me the patience of unceasing prayer.

5 Teach me to love you as your angels love,
one holy passion filling all my frame;
the fullness of the heaven-descended Dove;
my heart an altar, and your love the flame.

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

On my knees, I before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You, I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion, to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood, and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant heareth.” Amen.

SCRIPTURAL READING: Wisdom 9:1-6

O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy, who have made all things by your word, and by your wisdom have formed man to have dominion over the creatures you have made, and rule the world in holiness and righteousness, and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul, give me the wisdom that sits by your throne, and do not reject me from among your slave. For I am your servant the son of your maidservant, a man who is weak and short-lived, with little understanding of judgment and laws; for even if one is perfect among the sons of men but without the wisdom that comes from you, he will be regarded as nothing.

MEDITATION

The Greek word for wisdom is “sophia” and it refers to the intimate understanding of God’s Word and His commandments which results in holy and upright living.  This spiritual gift of wisdom, like the gift of knowledge, is also referred to as the “word of wisdom” or “utterance of wisdom.” Wisdom is not the quoting of facts. Wisdom is a gift that allows a person to understand things from God’s point of view. In other words, Wisdom allows a person to recognize truth. A person with the Gift of Wisdom is able to take this truth and use it to glorify God by choosing Godly solutions to problems.

Several Scriptures reveal the true beauty of the gift of wisdom. Today’s scriptural text reveals King Solomon’s prayer for the gift of Wisdom. Apparently, King Solomon is synonymous with wisdom because he prayed for it and consequently became the wisest king ever. Today’s text shows part of the content of his prayer. The prayer is modeled on the one in 1Kgs 3:6-9 and 2Chr 1:8-10. God’s answer to Solomon’s prayer serves a great inspiration for us today, in order that we might pray for this spiritual gift. Indeed, the church needs those with the spiritual gift of wisdom to guide her through uncertain or difficult times (See also Colossians 1:9-10, 2:1-3; James 3:13-18).

In the context of 1 Corinthians 12:8, Wisdom means to speak to the life of an individual or to a specific situation with great understanding and a righteous perspective, with the goal of guiding others toward a life of holiness and worship. Psalm 111:10 says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”  Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.  It begins with knowing who God is and who we are in comparison to Him.  That leads to understanding and then to practising righteousness.  A life of wisdom ultimately results in the praise of God. James 3:17 says “the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”  This is undoubtedly a work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.  The highest wisdom is found in the cross of Christ, which is “folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

The Holy Spirit gives some the spiritual gift of wisdom to not only impart the truth and understanding to believers but to invoke a response of holiness and worship lived out in the world and amongst God’s people.  Wisdom doesn’t end with knowledge but is expressed in transformed hearts and lives.

Again, God’s Spirit imparts wisdom and understanding. It teaches His way of life, comforts, and helps us. Even when we cannot express ourselves in our prayers, the Spirit aids us in making our requests before God (cf. Rom. 8:26). Thus, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:05. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:06)

Pause for a moment and reflect…

DAY 8 PRAYER

O Holy Spirit, life and light of the Church, through your gift of Wisdom, give us thoughts higher than our own thoughts, prayers better than our own prayers, and powers beyond our own powers, that we may love and live, imitating Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Come to us, Holy Spirit, come with the Father and the Son and grant me the favour I so earnestly request in this novena (State your request here…) if it be in accordance with Your Holy Will. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your 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 Your 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 You 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, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence toward God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples, and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

Our Father… Hail Mary…. (Glory be….X7)

LITANY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Divine Essence, one true God, Have mercy on us

Spirit of truth and wisdom, Have mercy on us

Spirit of holiness and justice, Have mercy on us

Spirit of understanding and counsel, Have mercy on us

Spirit of love and joy, Have mercy on us

Spirit of peace and patience, Have mercy on us

Spirit of longanimity and meekness, Have mercy on us

Spirit of benignity and goodness, Have mercy on us

Love substantial of the Father and the Son, Have mercy on us

Love and life of saintly souls, Have mercy on us

Fire ever burning, Have mercy on us

Living water to quench the thirst of hearts, Have mercy on us

From all evil, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From all impurity of soul and body, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From all gluttony and sensuality, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From all attachments to the things of the earth, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From all hypocrisy and pretence, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From all imperfections and deliberate faults, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From our own will, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From slander, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From deceiving our neighbours, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From our passions and disorderly appetites, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From our inattentiveness to Thy holy inspirations, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From despising little things, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From debauchery and malice, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From the love of comfort and luxury, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From wishing to seek or desire anything other than Thee, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From everything that displeases Thee, Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

Most loving Father, forgive us.

Divine Word, have pity on us.

Holy and divine Spirit, leave us not until we are in possession of the Divine Essence, Heaven of heavens.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Send us the divine Consoler.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Fill us with the gifts of Thy Spirit.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Make the fruits of the Holy Spirit increase within us.

V. Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful,

R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created,

R. And Thou shall renew the face of the earth.

Let Us Pray

God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Concluding Meditation/Prayer

Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of wisdom, it is written ‘all good things came to me with her, and innumerable riches through her hands.’ It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savour, while the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Saviour: Take up thy cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light.

Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess them forever. Amen.

Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, inspire and bend my stubborn heart and will, melt the frozen, warm the chill. Guide the steps that go astray, and grant restful sleep to our bodies tonight that we might sleep in peace and rise with joy to sing your praise. Amen. 

Blessing+: The Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Great job praying Day 8! Click here for Day 9 Prayers

Shalom!
Written and Compiled by Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Paroquia Nossa Senhora de Fatima, Vila Sabrina, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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PS: Have you prayed your Rosary today?