COME HOLY GHOST
Dear Faithful,
Tomorrow we celebrate the feast of Our Lord's glorious Ascension into Heaven; truly a defining moment in the history of the world, the order of grace, as well as the final moment of the Son of God's physical presence upon this earth, begun at the Annunciation. An event however, tinged with the melancholy of departure and separation, felt most keenly by the apostolic band, who unique among mankind spent hours, days and months in close personal contact with the 'Lord of Life'. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life" (1 John 1:1).
Truly this parting was of sweet sorrow, profound joy mixed with copious tears, deep love expressed, combined with the unhappiness of imminent separation. This departure, this painful separation, however, was the will of God, absolutely necessary for the good of their souls, and much greater for the spreading of the Kingdom of Heaven!
"If I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you." Our Lord knew that while the Apostles' love was strong, it was still imperfect, an attachment to and subsequent consolation from His physical presence. He had long proclaimed that proper, live-giving and salvific worship, must be in "spirit and in truth", nothing less, and He would again provide all that was necessary by sending another Advocate. All is empty, imperfect, incomplete without the Holy Ghost--no true joy, no true peace, no true charity--for without the dispensing of supernatural grace, we can do nothing to sanctify our souls here below in order reach our true and ultimate destiny for all eternity.
Thus, somewhat dejected, surely with some sense of emptiness, yet not without a fortified Faith from forty days of contact with the resurrected Savior, the disciples trekked back together, to pray and do penance in anticipation of the promised Gift of God to come. Together with Our Blessed Lady, they completed the very first novena in anticipation of the coming in force and fire of the Paraclete: the Holy Ghost, Spirit of Truth and Light!
My dear friends, it is our turn, in this year of grace, an acceptable time, nay for us the acceptable time, to storm Heaven with violence, to make no excuses, to take no prisoners, but to faithfully prepare with vim and vigor, this Pentecost, our Pentecost, as it is the next Pentecost, and the only one we are assured to receive. Let us manfully prepare in that spirit of the ages of Faith, when men were men, and women, women: given to an ordered, balanced, fervent and vital living of their Faith, not as hearers only, but as courageous doers of the word; Catholics who know who they are and what they stand for, who will count no cost too high, no sacrifice too great, to bring about the sweet reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ through the omnipotent operations and inspirations of the Holy Ghost.
With this in mind, please find attached a traditional novena which begins Friday, the day after the Ascension, culminating on the vigil of Pentecost along with the majestic hymn Veni Creator Spiritus to be recited or better yet sung daily during the novena . In addition, please join us in making these days penitential through strict fasting to the full extent of the powers and possibilities of each of us.
Clearly we come to a crossroads in human history, dark days of faithlessness, blasphemy, sins crying for vengeance and wanton abandon. This poor world, redeemed by the Precious Blood of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, Priest, Prophet and King, stands in dire need of 21st century apostles, disciples: men, women and children—yes, even the children, as we recall Venantius, Jose Sanchez del Rio, the Holy Innocents, etc.—who will resoundingly cry out from pole to pole in uncompromising word and heroic deed: Praise be to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to Him be glory and honour forever. Amen.
Yours in Christ the King,
Father Michael McMahon
Click Here
for the
Novena in Honour of the Holy Ghost
VENI CREATOR
Learn to sing this hymn at:
http://gregorian-chant-hymns.com/hymns-2/veni-creator-spiritus.html
(English)
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator, come
from thy bright heav'nly throne;
come, take possession of our souls,
and make them all thine own.
Thou who art called the Paraclete,
best gift of God above,
the living spring, the living fire,
sweet unction and true love.
Thou who art sevenfold in thy grace,
finger of God's right hand;
his promise, teaching little ones
to speak and understand.
O guide our minds with thy blest light,
with love our hearts inflame;
and with thy strength, which ne'er decays,
confirm our mortal frame.
Far from us drive our deadly foe;
true peace unto us bring;
and through all perils lead us safe
beneath thy sacred wing.
Through thee may we the Father know,
through thee th'eternal Son,
and thee the Spirit of them both,
thrice-blessed three in One.
All glory to the Father be,
with the Risen Son;
the same to thee, great Paraclete,
while endless ages run.
Amen.
Let us pray
O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost; grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
(Latin)
Veni Creator Spiritus,
mentes tuorum visita,
imple superna gratia,
quae tu creasti, pectora.
Qui diceris Paraclitus,
altissimi donum Dei,
fons vivus, ignis, caritas,
et spiritalis unctio.
Tu septiformis munere,
digitus paternae dexterae,
tu rite promissum Patris,
sermone ditans guttura.
Accende lumen sensibus,
infunde amorem cordibus,
infirma nostri corporis
virtute firmans perpeti.
Hostem repellas longius
pacemque dones protinus;
ductore sic te praevio
vitemus omne noxium.
Per te sciamus da Patrem
noscamus atque Filium,
te utriusque Spiritum
credamus omni tempore.
Deo Patri sit gloria
et Filio, qui a mortuis
surrexit, ac Paraclito
in saeculorum saecula.
Amen.
Oremus
Deus qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti, da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de eius semper consolatione gaudere. Per Christum, Dominum nostrum. Amen.
