Join this nine-day Novena for Pentecost on the Feast of the Ascension.
~ created by composer Dan Schutte.
Feast of the Ascension
As the Risen Christ prepared to leave his work in the hands of his followers, he instructed them to gather in the upper room and devote themselves to prayer as they awaited his sending of the Holy Spirit. The nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost is often considered to be the first novena.Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Church, the day when that first community of believers were baptized with the Holy Spirit and sent out to tell the world about the Risen Christ. The storm of the present pandemic is inviting all of us, whether we like it or not, to rethink how we live in this world. It’s also beckoning us to reimagine ourselves as Church, as that community of baptized believers who are sent to recreate the world.
And so, let us join those first disciples in these nine days of prayer, a way for us to be together even while we are separated by space, to ask God to make us ready to receive the Spirit and follow unafraid where that Holy Breath of God might take us.
Friday – Day One:
WE PRAY FOR CHARITY
Four suggested steps:
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Place yourself in the presence of God.
- Close your eyes. Take some slow, deep breaths. Imagine that you are enveloped by the unconditional love of God.
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Ask for the grace you desire today.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit may teach you to give and receive the selfless love that is charity, that you may learn to love as Jesus our Brother showed us by his example.
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Spend time in prayer and with the song.
- Pray as you feel drawn, either sitting in silence or listening to the song. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Distractions are normal for all of us. God smiles on our small efforts without judgement or shame.
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Pray in gratitude.
- In your own words, express a simple prayer of thanks to God.