DAY 1

THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER.

• ACT OF CONTRITION.

  O my God I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because of your punishments, but most of all because they offended you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

• Act OF FAITH.

  My God, I believe in you and all that your Church teaches, because you have said it and your love is true.

• ACT OF HOPE.

  My God, I hope in you for grace and for glory, because of your promises, your mercy and your power.

• HYMN: HOLY SPIRIT LORD OF LIGHT

  Holy Spirit, Lord of light,
  From the clear celestial height,
  Thy pure beaming radiance give,
  Come, thou Father of the poor,
  Come with treasures that endure,
  Come, thou light of all that live!
  Thou, of all consolers best,
  

  Thou, the soul's delightful guest,
  Dost refreshing peace bestow
  Thou in toil art comfort sweet;
  Pleasant coolness in the heat;
  Solace in the midst of woe...

• SCRIPTURE READING (Acts 1:1-14)

• CONSIDERATION.

  We shall strive during this novena to obtain an increase of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, over and above the special favors we shall ask from the Divine Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are permanent supernatural dispositions given to us with grace, to make the soul attentive and responsive to the movements of the Third Person of the Adorable Trinity. Very appropriately have they been compared to the sails of a ship which, when spread, carry the craft swiftly and smoothly over its course. When the inspirations of the Holy Spirit find the gifts spread like sails in the soul, they waft it safely over the sea of life to the heaven of eternal happiness. Those Christians who through indolence allow the gifts to lie dormant are like ships dismantled, whose sails lie in the bottom of the boat, useless. Who has not felt many a time, even immediately after coming from the sacred tribunal of Penance, the necessity of some such impelling power? Therefore, let us beseech the Holy Spirit for an increase of these necessary gifts.

• PRAYER.

  Almighty and eternal God, who has vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit, and has given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us thy sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Knowledge and of Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy fear.
  Amen