18 May 2012: Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

“O Lord Jesus Christ, who before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in Your apostles and disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in me the work of Your grace and Your love. “Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may not cling to the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal. “Grant me the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth. “Grant me the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven. “Grant me the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that hinder my salvation. “Grant me the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect like the saints. “Grant me the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable. “Grant me the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. “Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. “Amen.” Ref: Rev James Alberione, SSP in “Pray Always”, Pauline’s Publishing House The Holy Spirit and Mary “All with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus” (Acts 1:14) while they awaited the coming of the promised Holy Spirit. They are in the Cenacle, inspired by the same love and hope. Tradition sees Mary’s presence the anticipation of her motherhood for the whole Church. “The era of the Church began with the ‘coming’, with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles gathered in the upper Room in Jerusalem, with Mary, ...” (John Paul II, “Dominum et vivificantem”, 18 May 1986, 25) Our Lady lives what is like a second Advent, an expectation for the Holy Spirit’s full communication of his gifts to the newborn Church. This Advent is very like and very different from the first, the birth of Jesus. In both we find prayer, recollection, faith in the promise and a burning desire that the promise be fulfilled. Mary, bearing Jesus in her womb, remained in silent contemplation. Now our Lady lives deeply united to her glorified Son. (cf M D Philippe, “The Mystery of Mary”, Madrid) In the first Advent, the Virgin alone lived for the promise fulfilled in her womb. Here she waits accompanied by the Apostles and the holy women. “Mary, who conceived through the workings of the Holy Spirit, the love of the living God, presides over the birth of the Church on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit Himself descends upon the disciples and pours out life in unity and in charity upon the Mystical Body of Christians.” (Paul VI, “Address”, 25 October 1969) The resolution of our prayer is to await the coming of the Paraclete, closely united to our Mother “by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation”. (Second Vatican Council, “Lumen Gentium”, 59) She gave us her Son at the start of the Redemption and “now by her most powerful intercession obtained for the newborn Church the prodigious Pentecostal outpouring of that Spirit of the Divine Redeemer who had already been given on the Cross”. (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”, 29 June 1943) Mary is our path to a better disposition for greater friendship with the Paraclete and greater docility to his inspirations. The Apostles understood; thus we see them beside her in the Cenacle. Let us, therefore, examine the quality of our habitual relationship with Mary. We must take greater care in reciting the Holy Rosary, contemplating its mysteries. Let us offer her some small sacrifice, different from what we customarily make during the week. Let us show greater affection in greeting her, through her images in the street or in our room. Mary, “God’s masterpiece” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 292), had been prepared by the Holy Spirit to be the living tabernacle of the Son of God. During her life she grew continually in love for God the Father, God the Son (‘her’ son Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. She corresponded to all the inspirations and motions of the Paraclete. The Holy Spirit, who had lived in Mary since the mystery of her Immaculate Conception, came on Pentecost to dwell in her in a new way. All the promises Jesus had made about the Paraclete are fulfilled in her soul. The Blessed Virgin is the creature God loves most. As for us, despite our many offences He receives us as the father receives the prodigal son. Though we are sinners He loves us with an infinite love and fills us with gifts as often as we correspond with his graces. After Pentecost our Lady is “as it were, the heart of the infant Church!” (R Garrigou-Lagrange, “The Mother of the Saviour”) The Holy Spirit, who had prepared her to be the Mother of God, now at Pentecost disposes her to be Mother of the Church and of each one of us. Our Lady, cooperating actively with the Holy Spirit in souls, exercises her maternity over all her children. Thus, she is proclaimed Mother of the Church, “... Mother of the whole People of God, as much of the faithful as of the Pastors, who call her loving Mother. And we wish that from now on she be honoured and invoked by the whole Christian people with this most pleasing title.” (Paul VI, “Address to the Council”, 2 September 1964) Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. Help us prepare for the Paraclete’s coming into our souls. Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:585-90 ` ` ` MAY DEVOTIONS ` ` ` Mary is the Co-Redemptrix “It is with good reason that the popes have called Mary Co-Redemptrix. So fully, in union with her suffering and dying Son, did she suffer and nearly die; so fully, for the sake of the salvation of men, did she abdicate her mother’s rights over her Son, and immolate him, insofar as it was in her power, to satisfy the justice of God, that it can rightly be said she redeemed mankind together with Christ.” (Benedict XV, Letter “Inter sodalicia”, 22-III-1918) This gives us a deeper understanding of that moment in the passion of our Lord, we shall never tire of meditating: “... there, standing by the cross of Jesus, was his Mother.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 287) Let us offer our Mother: ‘Five small hidden sacrifices in honor of the five major wounds of Our Lord.’ Ref: Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias (Eds), “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, p310 · “Your Heart, O Mary, is of spotless purity ... the fount of all benefits and blessings.” -- St John Damascene (In Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, 1984, p26) • Dedication of Our Lady of “Bonport”, of the Cistercian order near the “Pont de l’Arche”, in the diocese of Evreux. This abbey was founded by Richard “Coeur de Lion” on the eleventh of March, in the year 1190. — Gallia Christiana, t. iv. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Dedication of Our Lady of “Bonport” Abbey, Diocese of Evreux (1190). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • Our Lady of “Bonport” (France). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html) • “Notre-Dame de Bonport”. Evreux, France. 1190. Mary saves Richard the Lionheart while he is crossing the Seine. ... (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Salambao. Obando, Bulacan PHL. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)