Prayer for the Help of the Holy Spirit by Saint Anthony of Padua O God, send forth your Holy Spirit into my heart that I may perceive, into my mind that I may remember, and into my soul that I may meditate. Inspire me to speak with piety, holiness, tenderness and mercy. Teach, guide and direct my thoughts and senses from beginning to end. May your grace ever help and correct me, and may I be strengthened now with wisdom from on high, for the sake of your infinite mercy. Amen.
It's been my experience that through grace it is possible to uproot patterns of sin in our lives. It light of this, I love the image of the onion. God may do a marvelous work in the soul, and one experiences His overcoming grace. There is a true joy in this. But there's always another onion skin to peel, another sin which comes to light! And usually the sin we are now aware of is more deeply rooted and more closely related to our personal core sin. Yes,indeed, I AM A SINNER! And so the process of sanctification continues! Padraig, here's a question for you. I believe you stated in the last few months, a williningness to deal with a certain sin in your life. Is this process different for a person that has passed through the Dark Night of the Soul? Safe in the Flames of the Sacred Heart!
This is very interesting. This powerful presence that is palatable and forceful brings to mind an experience I had at a prayer/healing Mass I went to years ago. It was at a Church I had never been to before. I was amazed at the surroundings and beauty of the inside of the Church. I was distracted as I walked up in a line to be prayed over. Several people in front of me were taller than I was and my view was blocked when I peeked around a person in front of me suddenly I felt a wall of heat, a force that I walked through, kinda like walking through jello---and in my amazement I was then next in line and the Monstrance was sitting on the altar and I realized in that moment that the force was brilliantly coming out of the monstrance! It was like a dozen spotlights were on me. I wanted to reach out and touch the monstrance, but was prayed over and went down in the spirit. I never forgot that force and the power coming out of that monstrance.
'Padraig, here's a question for you. I believe you stated in the last few months, a williningness to deal with a certain sin in your life. Is this process different for a person that has passed through the Dark Night of the Soul?' Terry, I was listening to an EWTN programme yesterday on the, 'Journey Home', series and the guy being interviewed was Russell Ford, someone convicted and sentenced wrongfully to 25 years back in 1987 (I am going to post this interview later..the most extraordianry conversion story I ever heard in my life, bar none..full of the supernatural and miraculous). Anyhow this guy is not only a saint but a great saint, one of our latter day saints St LouisDe Motford prophised would come in these latterday times. So the host Marcus Grodi intimated to him that he might be holy, to whci hRUssell responded, 'Marcus I get listen to my own confessions, I know I'm a sinner'. Then he laughed. What a great reply!! 'Marcus sits down with former ex-convict Russell Ford. After serving a prison sentence since 1987, Ford has brought many converts to the faith through his prison ministry First Century Christian…' http://www.secondexodus.com/html/russford/firstcenturychristianministries.htm
Marti, if I ever see you in heaven keep looking over your shoulder for I'll be following you about the place, sure that you'll find things there to see that I never noticed. Wonderful
As we celebrate the feast of Pentacost I thank you Hope for helping me participate in the Novena in preparation. God ordained in the old law that fire should be kept continually burning upon his altar: "The fire on the altar shall always burn." (Lev. vi, 12). St. Gregory says that the altars of God are our hearts, in which he desires that the fire of his love should always burn. And hence the Eternal Father, not satisfied with having given us his Son Jesus Christ, to save us by his death, would also give us the Holy Ghost, to dwell in our hearts, and keep them continually inflamed with his love. And Jesus himself declared, that it was in order to influence our hearts with this holy love that he came into the world, and that he desired nothing more than to see it kindled: "I am come to send fire upon the earth: and what will I but that it be kindled?" (St. Luke, xii. 49). Hence, forgetting the injuries and ingratitude he received from men in this world, when he had ascended into heaven, he sent down upon us the Holy Ghost. O most loving Redemer, dost thou then love us not only in thy sufferings and ignominies but also in thy heavenly glory? Hence it was that the Holy Ghost chose to appear in the form of fiery tongues: And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire (Cf. Acts, ii. 3). And hence the Church instructs us to pray: "May the Holy Ghost, we beseech thee, O Lord, inflame us with that fire which our Lord Jesus Christ came to cast upon the earth, and which he ardently desired should be enkindled." This was the holy fire which has inspired the saints to do such great things for God, to love their enemies, to desire contempt, to renounce all worldly goods, and to embrace with cheerfulness, even torments and death. Love cannot remain idle, and never says: "It is enough." The soul that loves God, the more she does for her beloved, desires the more to do for him, in order to please him the more, and to draw down his love all the more. This holy love is enkindled in mental prayer: "In my meditation a fire shall flame out." (Ps. xxxviii, 4). If therefore we desire to be on fire with the love of God, we must delight in prayer; this is the blessed furnace in which this divine ardor is enkindled. Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori Josquin des PrezVeni Sancte Spiritus Pasted from <http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/search>
Congratulations, Sunburst!!! May God bless you abundantly today! View attachment 1077 May you be a reflection of Jesus in your life Spirit of Christ, stir me; Spirit of Christ, move me; Spirit of Christ, fill me; Spirit of Christ, seal me. Consecrate in me Your Heart and Will, O Heavenly Father. Create in me a fountain of virtues. Seal my soul as Your own, that Your reflection in me may be a light for all to see. Amen.
Thank you once again, Hope,..I feel so blessed today. Our Lady of Victories Shrine is so beautiful. At the end of the Mass, a short version of Veni Creator Spiritus was played on the organ, and I felt my spirit touched by the presense of the Holy Spirit. I was so grateful to have made it through the novena. As Divine Providence would have it,..I had the chance to have a picture taken with Cardinal O'Malley. I may post the picture if the person sends it to me. So I am now officially a professed Third Order Marist,..Thanks be to God,..now with the help of God, I just have to live it. Thank you also for the above beautiful prayer. You are a blessing to the Forum... God Bless Hope...
Sunburst, Thank God for your willingness to take this step! May you find in your new family a source of encouragement, support, and a means of touching the lives of others with Our Lady's love and fidelity. Alleluia! And I hope to see your picture with the cardinal! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
Rita, I met my first Marist nun last week, coming out of mass together from the chaplaincy at our local college. She seemed such a quiet , reserved lady I was surprised to learn she had spent many, many years in Suuth America ,working amongst the poorest of the poor. She also told me they run a hmless shelter in the city I never even knew about and she herself works as a Chaplain in the hospital were I work. A bit of an eye opener. By the sound of it you will be kept very busy. Wonderful. I have always been a bit nervous of that time when Jesus asks what I have done for people like the poor and hungry and being a Marist seems a good way to have a good answer ready for the Lord when He pops the big question. May you do much good and may much good be done for you.
Sunburst said I feel so blessed today. Our Lady of Victories Shrine is so beautiful. At the end of the Mass, a short version of Veni Creator Spiritus was played on the organ, and I felt my spirit touched by the presense of the Holy Spirit. I was so grateful to have made it through the novena. As Divine Providence would have it,..I had the chance to have a picture taken with Cardinal O'Malley. I may post the picture if the person sends it to me. So I am now officially a professed Third Order Marist,..Thanks be to God,..now with the help of God, I just have to live it. Your spirit was touched by the presense of the Holy Spirit! What a blessing! I pray for you to have the blessing of God upon you to live your profession, I think we can tell from your posts that you will. Please share the photo if you receive it, maybe Cardinal Sean will post about it in his blog! You're welcome guys for the novena, it has helped me and I hope it helped us all. And flowers!!! Thank you for your thank yous, if that makes sense.
