June/July 2014 - Vol. 74


First disciples gathered in prayer on the Day of Pentecost 
(Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2)

Come, Holy Spirit
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a slection of prayers and invocations to the Spirit of God


Intercession for the Feast of Pentecost
prayer from the Taize Community

O living God, come and make our souls temples of thy Spirit. 
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Baptize thy whole Church with fire, that the divisions soon may cease, and that it may stand before the world as a pillar and buttress of thy truth. 
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Grant us all the fruits of thy Holy Spirit: brotherly love, joy, peace, patience, goodwill and faithfulness. 
Sanctify us, O Lord!
May the Holy Spirit speak by the voice of thy servants, here and everywhere, as they preach thy word. 
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Send thy Holy Spirit, the comforter, to all who face adversity, or who are the victims of men's wickedness. 
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Preserve all nations and their leaders from hatred and war, and build up a true community among nations, through the power of thy Spirit. 
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Holy Spirit, Lord and source of life, giver of the seven gifts, 
Sanctify us, O Comforter.
Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Spirit of counsel and strength, 
Sanctify us, O Comforter.
Spirit of knowledge and devotion, Spirit of obedience to the Lord. 
Sanctify us, O Comforter.


Come, Holy Spirit
prayer for Liturgy of the Hours - Terce, by Ambrose of Milan (339-397 AD)

Come, Holy Spirit, who ever One
Are with the Father and the Son,
It is the hour, our souls possess
With your full flood of holiness.
Let flesh, and heart, and lips and mind,
Sound forth our witness to humankind;
And love light up our mortal frame,
Till others catch the living flame.
Grant this, O Father, ever One
With Christ, your sole begotten Son
And Holy Spirit we adore,
Reigning and blest forevermore. Amen.


Prayer of St. Augustine (354-430 AD)

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. 
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. 
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. 
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. 
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

Prayer for the Indwelling of the Spirit
by Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD)

Holy Spirit, powerful Consoler, 
sacred Bond of the Father and the Son, 
Hope of the afflicted, 
descend into my heart and establish in it your loving dominion. 
Enkindle in my tepid soul the fire of your Love 
so that I may be wholly subject to you. 
We believe that when you dwell in us, 
you also prepare a dwelling for the Father and the Son. 
Deign, therefore, to come to me, Consoler of abandoned souls, 
and Protector of the needy. 
Help the afflicted, strengthen the weak, a
nd support the wavering. 
Come and purify me. 
Let no evil desire take possession of me. 
You love the humble and resist the proud. 
Come to me, glory of the living, and hope of the dying. 
Lead me by your grace that I may always be pleasing to you. Amen. 


O Heavenly King
a common Orthodox prayer to the Holy Spirit, 
first known use for the service of Pentecost, likely date 8th-9th century 

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth;
Present everywhere and filling all things.
Treasury of blessings and giver of life,
Come and abide in us.
Cleanse us from every stain
And save our souls, O Good One.


Come Creator Spirit 
hymn attributed to Rabanus Maurus in the 9th century
(Pope John Paul II said this prayer every day) 

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
O comforter, to Thee we cry,
O heavenly gift of God Most High,
O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.

Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;
Thou, finger of God's hand we own;
Thou, promise of the Father, Thou
Who dost the tongue with power imbue.

Kindle our sense from above,
and make our hearts o'erflow with love;
with patience firm and virtue high
the weakness of our flesh supply.

Far from us drive the foe we dread,
and grant us Thy peace instead;
so shall we not, with Thee for guide,
turn from the path of life aside.

Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow
the Father and the Son to know;
and Thee, through endless times confessed,
of both the eternal Spirit blest.

Now to the Father and the Son,
Who rose from death, be glory given,
with Thou, O Holy Comforter,
henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.


Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart
prayer 34,G from the Armenian Prayer Book of St. Gregory of Narek (951 –1003 AD)

We always praise along with the Son and Father, the Holy Spirit,
which is of the same essence,
mighty, true, perfect, and hoily,
wo from nothing brought into existence everything that exists,
who acts through itself and shares rule with the other two,
in the same indestructible, boundless kingdom,
who is the first cause, the awesome Word of his selfhood.
And the same exalted Holy Spirit,
good ruler, who dispenses the gifts of the Father,
in praise of the name and the glory the only begotten Son,
who acted through the Laws and inspired the Prophets,
with the encouragement of your co-equal Son commissioned your apostles.

In the form of a dove you appeared at the River Jordan,
for the greater glory of the one who had come,
shone forth in the writings of the evangelists,
created genius, strengthened the wise,
filled the teachers, blessed the kingdom,
assisted kings, appointed the guardians,
issued the decrees of salvation, granted talents, prepared atonement,
cleansed those baptized into Christ's death that you might dwell in them
a sacrament performed jointly by the Father and Son with the Holy Spirit,
who is God, honored as Lord, in all ways in all things.


Fire of the Spirit
by Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)

Fire of the Spirit, life of the lives of creatures,
spiral of sanctity, bond of all natures,
glow of charity, lights of clarity,
taste of sweetness to sinners--
be with us and hear us.

Composer of all things,
light of all the risen,
key of salvation,
release from the dark prison,
hope of all unions, scope of chastities,
joy in the glory, strong honor--
be with us and hear us.

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