Pentecost Novena Day 6 - Wednesday
Pray: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.
V. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Read:
Acts 20:28-38
John 17:11-19
Be silent
Pray: Spirit of truth, consecrate me by means of truth. By obedience to the truth may I be purified for a genuine love of my brothers and sisters (1 Peter 1:22). I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, June 4, 2014, Pentecost Novena - Day 6
Acts 20:28-38, Psalm 68:29-30, 33-36, John 17:11-19
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/060414.cfm
THE GIFT OF TEARS
"They began to weep without restraint." -Acts 20:37
If you receive the Holy Spirit in this Pentecost novena, you will probably feel both more joyful and more sorrowful than ever before. St. Paul, in his life in the Spirit, proclaimed and commanded: "Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again. Rejoice!" (Phil 4:4) Also, Paul, in his life in the Spirit, was often in tears. He stated: "Do not forget that for three years, night and day, I never ceased warning you individually even to the point of tears" (Acts 20:31). "After this discourse, Paul knelt down with them all and prayed. They began to weep without restraint, throwing their arms around him and kissing him" (Acts 20:36-37). These tears of Paul and of the Ephesian Christians were not tears of joy but of sorrow. Life in the Spirit is sorrowful, often tearful.
Under these conditions, will we decide to renew our Baptisms and Confirmations, let the Spirit be stirred into flame in our lives, and receive new Pentecosts? Because no one wants to repeatedly shed tears of sorrow, we are tempted to say "Go, Holy Spirit" rather than "Come, Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit respects our freedom. He will not force His love on us. We know that the Spirit moves where He wills (see Jn 3:8), but in many ways the Spirit only moves if we will.
Because of the Lord's love for you, decide to accept the joy and sorrow of life in the Spirit. Come, Holy Spirit of tears!
Prayer: Father, "Oh, that my head were a spring of water, my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night" for love of You and Your people (Jer 8:23).
Promise: "Consecrate them by means of truth - 'Your word is truth.' " -Jn 17:17
Praise: Roger was anti-Christian. His wife attended daily Mass. To the joy of his wife, Roger gave his life to Jesus on Good Friday and now runs a Christian radio station.
(We have started to publish OBOB in Spanish, "Un Pan, Un Cuerpo". It is available on our website or call Jerry Cappel at (513) 659-9270 with your request to order print copies.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from June 1, 2014 through July 31, 2014
?Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 2, 2014
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2014 Presentation Ministries
To add your e-mail address to this list go to
http://www.presentationministries.com/general/emailList.asp
To remove your e-mail address from this list go to
http://www.presentationministries.com/general/emailList.asp?mode=r
No comments:
Post a Comment