The Novena Prayers
The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first
made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His Apostles back to Jerusalem
to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena
officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity,
it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every
Christian.
Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
To be recited after the particular prayers of each day

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I 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. 

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Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
To be recited after the particular prayers of each day
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 towards 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.
The novena begins on the day after the Solemnity of the Ascension, Friday of the Sixth
Week of Easter, even if the Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to the Seventh
Sunday

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First Day
(Friday after Ascension or Friday of Sixth Week of Easter)
Holy Spirit! Lord of Light!
From Your clear celestial height,
Your pure beaming radiance give!
The Holy Spirit
Only one thing is important – eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be
feared – sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference. The Holy
Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts, He
enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God.
To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for “The Spirit
helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the
Spirit Himself asketh for us.”
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the
Holy Spirit, and hast given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from
Heaven upon us your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the
Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with
the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary (one time)
Glory Be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts

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Second Day
(Saturday of Sixth Week of Easter)
Come, Father of the poor.
Come, treasures which endure;
Come, Light of all that live!
The Gift of Fear
The gift of Fear fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread nothing
so much as to offend Him by sin. It is a fear that arises, not from the thought of Hell,
but from sentiments of reverence and filial submission to our heavenly Father. It is
the fear that is the beginning of wisdom, detaching us from worldly pleasures that
could in any way separate us from God. “They that fear the Lord will prepare their
hearts, and in His sight will sanctify their souls.”
Prayer
Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set You,
my Lord and God, before my face forever; help me to shun all things that can offend
You, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Your Divine Majesty in
Heaven, where You live and reign in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God, world
without end. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary (one time)
Glory Be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts

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Third Day
(Seventh Sunday of Easter or transferred Ascension)
Thou, of all consolers best,
Visiting the troubled breast,
Dost refreshing peace bestow.
The Gift of Piety
The gift of Piety begets in our hearts a filial affection for God as our most loving
Father. It inspires us to love and respect for His sake persons and things consecrated
to Him, as well as those who are vested with His authority, His Blessed Mother and
the Saints, the Church and its visible Head, our parents and superiors, our country
and its rulers. He who is filled with the gift of Piety finds the practice of his religion
not a burdensome duty but a delightful service. Where there is love, there is no labor.
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for
God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for His sake lovingly submit
to all legitimate authority. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary (one time)
Glory Be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts

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Fourth Day
(Monday of Seventh Week of Easter)
Thou in toil art comfort sweet,
Pleasant coolness in the heat,
Solace in the midst of woe.
The Gift of Fortitude
By the gift of Fortitude the soul is strengthened against natural fear and supported
to the end in the performance of duty. Fortitude imparts to the will an impulse and
energy which move it to undertake without hesitancy the most arduous tasks, to face
dangers, to trample underfoot human respect, and to endure without complaint the
slow martyrdom of even lifelong tribulation. “He that shall persevere unto the end, he
shall be saved.”
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity,
sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all
the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from Thee,
my God and greatest Good. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary (one time)
Glory Be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts

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Fifth Day
(Tuesday of Seventh Week of Easter)
Light immortal! Light Divine!
Visit Thou these hearts of Thine,
And our inmost being fill!
The Gift of Knowledge
The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at their true worth
in their relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the pretense of creatures, reveals their
emptiness, and points out their only true purpose as instruments in the service of God. It
shows us the loving care of God even in adversity and directs us to glorify Him in every
circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things first and prize the friendship
of God beyond all else. “Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it.”
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the
Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and
use them only for Thy glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to Thee,
and Thy eternal rewards. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary (one time)
Glory Be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts

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Sixth Day
(Wednesday of Seventh Week of Easter)
If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay,
All his good is turn’d to ill.
The Gift of Understanding
Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps us to grasp the meaning of the
truths of our holy religion. By faith we know them, but by Understanding we learn to
appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed
truths and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be
sterile and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to
the faith that is in us; we begin to “walk worthy of God in all things pleasing, and
increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and
believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in
Thy Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and
the Son. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary (one time)
Glory Be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts

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Seventh Day
(Thursday of Seventh Week of Easter)
Heal our wounds – our strength renew;
On our dryness pour Thy dew,
Wash the stains of guilt away!
The Gift of Counsel
The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge
promptly and rightly what must done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel
applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable
concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers,
public servants, and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a
priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. “Above all these things, pray to the Most
High, that He may direct thy way in truth.”
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.
Our Father and Hail Mary (one time)
Glory Be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts

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Eighth Day
(Friday of Seventh Week of Easter)
Bend the stubborn heart and will,
Melt the frozen, warm the chill.
Guide the steps that go astray!
The Gift of Wisdom
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 savor, whilst 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.”
Prayer
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.
Our Father and Hail Mary (one time)
Glory Be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts

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Ninth Day
(Saturday, Vigil of Pentecost)
Thou, on those who evermore
Thee confess and Thee Adore,
In Thy sevenfold gifts, descend.
Give them Comfort when they die;
Give them Life with Thee on high;
Give them joys which never end. Amen.
The Holy Spirit
The gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice
them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and
love of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit, our service becomes more sincere
and generous, the practice of virtue more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart
filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These
Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful
incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.
Prayer
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace,
patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never
weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration
may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son.
Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary (one time)
Glory Be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts

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