One of my favorite novenas (9 days of prayer before an event) is the one I pray before Pentecost! It comes as no surprise that an internet search will find you many different Novenas to the Holy Spirit. I find it beautiful that the body of the faithful can be so filled with grace and inspiration that we will never tire of submitting to the creativity of the Holy Spirit in prayer; what better way to practice abandoning oneself to God!

I have often prayed the novena to the Holy Spirit on behalf of those for whom I pray even while I am praying for help for my own heart & soul, mind & attitude. It can be a very effective preparation for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps it would be good to pause, to consider the power of this prayer, of prayer in general, of the resurrection, and the work of the Holy Spirit in our church and our world!

Imagine what would happen if “unanimous and fervent prayers” were raised in every time zone in the world for nine days!
Imagine what would happen if we witnessed to the power of the Holy Spirit in our every day lives.
Imagine what God could do if we united in prayer and celebration for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our world!

Imagine our world transformed!

Start Friday, May 31^st, 2019

Since we all have different needs in our life of faith, schedule demands, and places in our journeys, I mention a few novenas here. Pick the one that suits you best or find another one online!

• Catholic Culture - a relatively basic novena easy on the schedule (generally a novena is accompanied by at least an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be, though this page does not mention it)
• Novena on EWTN - praying for an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit (my fav)
• Burning Bush Pentecost Novena - 9 days in adoration and intercession (circa 2004)

I leave you with this final thought from the Burning Bush website:

“Oh, if only…unanimous and fervent prayers could be raised to Heaven in every part of Christendom, as they were one in the Cenacle [upper room] of Jerusalem for a rekindling of the Divine Spirit” Blessed Elena Guerra.

On the prompting of Blessed Elena, Pope Leo XIII asked all the faithful to celebrate a solemn novena (nine days of prayer) perpetually between the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost for the unity of Christianity.

It is an invitation “to return to the Cenacle” in adoration and intercession by beginning to pray, the day after Ascension, daily the invocation to the Holy Spirit and to intercede for the theme of the day. The themes can be prayed by: spontaneous prayers, praying in the Spirit- gift of tongues, prayers of repentance, thanksgivings and blessings, etc, in a variety of ways. Other intentions can be added, as the Holy Spirit would lead. It is prayer united in contemplation of the Eucharistic mystery in the power of the Holy Spirit and His Gifts.