Image by O'Brien Stained Glass Company
The oldest novena is the prayer of the first disciples from the time Jesus ascended to his Father (40 days after Easter) to the feast of Pentecost. These nine days are a time for us to pray for the coming of the Spirit upon the Church and upon each of us. Each day of the novena you'll find a post with scripture and prayer for the day. There's a widget at the top of the sidebar with 17 musical selections for this Pentecost novena. (If you are just joining us, click on the window at the top of the side bar for previous entries.)
Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit - Day 8
From scripture:
After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples
and eaten breakfast with them,
he said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John,
do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him,
“Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him,
“Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed
that he had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you
know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old,
you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death
he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him,
“Follow me.”
John 21:15-19
After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples
and eaten breakfast with them,
he said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John,
do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him,
“Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him,
“Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed
that he had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you
know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old,
you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death
he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him,
“Follow me.”
John 21:15-19
• Peter had three times denied that he knew Jesus at all.
The Lord's questions here remind Peter of his sin
and offer him mercy and forgiveness...
• How has the Holy Spirit helped me
recognize and acknowledge my own failings?
• Is the Spirit even now calling me
to return to the Lord for mercy and forgiveness?
• Is the Spirit leading me to be merciful,
to forgive others who have offended me?
• What shall I pray for the Church today?
• The Gifts of the Holy Spirit (as they are named in the Rite of Confirmation) include: wisdom... the spirit of understanding and right judgment... courage... the spirit of knowledge and reverence... and the spirit of wonder and awe in God's presence... For which of the Spirit's gifts will I pray today?
• Choose one of the songs from the top of the sidebar and make it part of today's prayer...
Let us pray:
Come, Holy Spirit of God!
Give us the courage
to stand in the light of God's truth
and to confess our infidelities.
Draw your Church,
your ministers and your people,
to the font of God's mercy
where our sins are washed away.
Give us the wisdom to understand
that nothing can come between us
and the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Give us confidence to surrender
to God's mercy;
melt our hardened hearts,
shaping them as you made them to be.
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your people
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created
and you will renew the face of the earth.
Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be...
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