NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Help Me to Get to Know You
DAY 1: HELLO
O Holy Spirit, I begin this Novena by admitting that I do not KNOW you. I know about You, from what I have been told. I have been told how God the Father, my Creator, and God the Son, my Savior, sent You God the Holy Spirit, to be with me. To comfort me, be my advocate, sanctify me.
MUSCLE BUILDER
I am ashamed, after all You have done for me, that I have never taken the time to learn how to open my heart and let You in.
It is my hope, at this moment, that You will give me the STRENGTH to be DETERMINED and PERSEVERE, and to constantly have You as my companion. I KNOW how weak I am since I have had other good intentions and failed. I failed in the past because I did not realize it is You who must provide me with Your seven spiritual gifts.
Your gift of FORTITUDE will give me the STRENGTH I need to complete this Novena.
Instill in me, O Holy Spirit, Your gift of FORTITUDE so I can carry on, to do what I must to, to complete this Novena. Amen.
DAY 2: I'M SORRY
O Holy Spirit, my curiosity has tempted me to begin reading this second day of my Novena instead of spending this time trying to learn to listen to Your promptings. I always know better than my teacher and did not think it would make any difference. I do not let You guide me because I do not KNOW how to listen to You. In fact, I do not even listen to those who have had the experience of learning how to listen.
WAKE ME UP
Give me Your gift of COUNSEL by reminding me numerous times during this day to talk to You as I would talk to my very best human friend.
COUNSEL me by reminding me to swell on these thoughts of my first and second day of this Novena.
GIVE ME A SHOVE
Remind me, O Holy Spirit, to express me gratitude to You who have given me so much. My faith, my hope and ability to love. My home, friends, relatives and the fact I have life.
Do not let me be one of the nine lepers who did not return to show gratitude.
Thank You, O Holy Spirit, thank You.
DAY 3: GET IT!
Already You are giving me, O Holy Spirit, an UNDERSTANDING of how I must spend this moment thinking about You in my heart. You are beginning to let me UNDERSTAND that simply reading this information will not release Your grace. I am beginning to realize Your gift of UNDERSTANDING comes to me from You, when I take the time to accept Your COUNSEL. For this realization and the gifts You have given me, thank You, O Holy Spirit.
AND LEAD US NOT INTO __________
Please do not lead me into temptation, O Holy Spirit! Do not put me to the test that I must prove to You my faith, by making me wait longer to experience Your presence, if for only one second. This single second of knowing that You are in my heart will increase my faith. O Holy Spirit, I do believe; help my unbelief.
Make me UNDERSTAND the only reason I am starting this third day of getting to know You is through and with the FORTITUDE You have provided.
If I listen to my pride, I would think I am doing it all by myself.
DAY 4: POSSESSED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
When I look back just these three days, I am beginning to be able to see how my life with You will be much richer as I willingly permit You to take possession of me. This ability to see as You see, to the extent You wish for me to see at this moment, is Your gift of KNOWLEDGE.
Who, O Holy Spirit, in heaven or on earth, possesses the KNOWLEDGE that is Yours and Yours alone?
Why do I spend so much time seeking mere information from others when You are so willing and anxious to give me this gift I need. If only I would take time to listen to You.
Why do I put so much importance on money, or sex, or power, or intellectualism - things that do not have a mere fraction of the power You have? Why do I spend so much time accumulating money when Jesus promised me the Father would provide? What good would it do a man if he gained the whole world and suffered the loss of his soul?
Why do I spend so little time listening to You? Is it my lack of faith? Help me to UNDERSTAND. Show me the way. Lead me, O Kindly Light.
DAY 5: THE CREATOR, THE REDEEMER, THE SANCTIFIER
Have you ever heard of anyone who created, or claimed to have created, a soul, as your Father in heaven has done for you and millions and millions of times over?
Have you ever heard of any creature who has paid the price for a soul in sin, and won salvation for them, as Jesus did for you and millions of others?
I am the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. Just as no one other than the Father has the power to create, from nothing, a soul, and just as no one other than the Son has the power to pay the great price for salvation, no one other than I, the Holy Spirit, has the power to sanctify you.
My child, no one else can explain, teach or give to you My gifts of KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, COUNSEL, WISDOM, FORTITUDE, PIETY and FEAR OF THE LORD.
I alone can sanctify you and make you worthy to enter Heaven. When you accept these gifts, I will reward you with peace, happiness and joy in this life as well as the next.
Give Me a chance, have faith in Me, ask Me your questions.
Many of these questions, I have put into your thoughts as a way of leading you. Keep pondering these questions until I give you the answer. Prove to Me your faith. Do not give up. Ask for My gift of FORTITUDE - but never give up. Your time has not come to know the answer to some of these questions. I want you to prove your faith to Me.
You want to know how to recognize the Holy Spirit when I talk to you? I am the only one who can answer this question. Never stop listening for My answer.
DAY 6: COME
If you take the time to learn to listen to Me, I will give you My gift of PIETY. This gift will make you want to be near and close to Me. This gift, if you use it, will bring you to ecstasy in My intimacy. This gift will make everything easy for you, but will not interfere with your free will.
I will give you so much. Give Me your appreciation and gratitude.
I AM PEACE
When you learn how to dismiss all distractions and think only of Me in your heart, you will experience Peace. I, your God, My Holy Spirit, is in the midst of this peace you experience. The more undivided attention you focus on Me, the greater and deeper this peace will become.
This peace surrounds Me. I am Peace. You will recognize My presence by this peace.
Do not make the mistake so many others do. Relaxation of the body is not peace.
Peace, My peace that only I can give, is of the soul.
Relaxation can be obtained in many ways, including drugs, sex, money - these are of the body, and in excess, harm the soul.
Your gratitude to Me will increase my gifts to you. Just as you give more to those who appreciate you.
DAY 7: OUT OF ORDER?
Your soul was created to be attracted to Me like steel to a magnet.
If you do not take time to learn to listen to Me, my child, you will become confused, as many others have.
The confused try to satisfy their magnetic attraction to Me by substituting drugs that delight their bodies, and for a short time it relaxes them. Some express their confusion by other delights of the body, but this is not the peace I offer you.
The confused not only destroy their bodies and minds, but also their souls.
The confused cannot tell the difference between relaxation of the body and the reward of My peace to their souls.
The confused have refused to listen to Me. All human creatures have been given this right, to refuse to listen. All were created with a will that is free. A free will to choose their Creator or reject Him.
If you learn to listen to Me, I will relieve you of your many anxieties and fears. Your doubts and frustration will be resolved. You will have Peace.
Your will is free. Choose to make it My will.
DAY 8: LOVE - FEAR
No one, O Holy Spirit, not even You, can cite and occasion that could arise in my life here on earth that cannot be more than satisfied by Your seven gifts.
My love for You, O Holy Spirit, increase as I learn to listen to You KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING and COUNSEL. My love grows as I experience the FORTITUDE and PIETY You give to me.
Increase in me, O Holy Spirit, Your gift of FEAR OF THE LORD so that I will love You so much I cannot offend You out of FEAR of losing You.
Thank You, O Holy Spirit, for Your infinite love.
I know Your great love for me by the mere fact that You, the Father and Son, created me and gave me life. Just as I love what I have accomplished, You also love what You have accomplished. IT IS GOOD.
DAY 9: COMMON SENSE
The only other spiritual gift You offer to us if we listen, O Holy Spirit, is the greatest of all Your gifts. Your gift of WISDOM. This gift of WISDOM is the highest compliment man can receive.
Your gift of WISDOM endows us with the ability to use all Your other six spiritual gifts in their exact proper proportion.
The baker is wise, O Holy Spirit, when he does not use too much of any one ingredient in his cake. The ability to use each of Your spiritual gifts of KNOWLEDGE - UNDERSTANDING - COUNSEL - FORTITUDE - PIETY and FEAR OF THE LORD in exactly the right proportion is the gift or gifts. The gift of WISDOM.
END OF THE BEGINNING
This is the ninth day, O Holy Spirit. My intended Novena is completed. I must recognize the fact You gave me the FORTITUDE to persevere, the strength that made it easy. You gave me the determination_ to succeed as You will in everything You prompt me to do, if only I take time to listen for Your gift of FORTITUDE.
I shall take time to reminisce on my early childhood and each year up to the present time, to the best of my ability, with Your help and KNOWLEDGE, O Holy Spirit. I shall dwell on the past few months in particular. You will let me UNDERSTAND how You have been in my life daily, even though I was not aware of it. How You gave me the grace of Your seven gifts and how often I threw them away by neglecting to use them. How, on many occasions, Your gifts were there and I did use them, but in my pride, thought that I did it all by myself.
But, why does it have to end? Why should it end?
If I have not experienced Your close presence in my heart, I shall start over for another nine day, if You will only give me the FORTITUDE.
If I have experienced Your loving presence in my heart, I will jealously preserve it. Relive it. Practice listening daily. A perpetual Novena.
My hope and prayer is that I will grow into the habit of experience Your presence every moment of my consciousness.
CONCLUSION
NEVER STOP TRYING
THE HOLY SPIRIT DEMANDS FAITH
MAN INVENTED TIME
TIME MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO GOD
THIS NOVENA CANNOT BE EXHAUSTED
EVERY TIME YOU MAKE THIS NOVENA, THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL ADD TO IT
WHEN YOU PRAY, YOU TALK TO GOD
WHEN GOD TALKS TO YOU, DO YOU LISTEN?
This novena was written by
George E. Schulhoff
Apostles of the Holy Spirit
2709 Woodburn Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45206
After you use the gifts given to those who listen, you're rewarded with the fruits of the Spirit. And they are worth working for:
CHARITY
JOY
PEACE
PATIENCE
FAITH
MODESTY
CONTINENCE
CHASTITY
BENIGNITY
GOODNESS
ENDURANCE
MILDNESS
And remember, the fruits listed above come from the use of the gifts, which are no small things in themselves:
FEAR OF THE LORD
UNDERSTANDING
WISDOM
KNOWLEDGE
FORTITUDE
COUNSEL
PIETY