Easy Pentecost Novena

How best to make the Pentecost Novena?

I.  It was Our Lady and the Apostles (plus the holy women and Our Lord's near relations) who made the first Novena: they and the rest of the believers (whom we trust joined with them in petition), to the number of about 120 persons, were the whole Church of God on earth in those days, and it was their united supplication that won from the Father through the risen and ascended Christ – as He commanded them to ask – the uncreated Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Therefore, believing in the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church and the communion of saints, no less than in Father, Son and Holy Ghost, it seems most reasonable to ask Our Lady and the Apostles, being the pillars and foundations of the Church, to once again join us in prayer for the descent of the Spirit, the Sanctifier, the Lord and Vivifier, that He may hallow and bless us, infusing us with grace whereby we may be supernaturalized and made perfect men.

One should thus invoke the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles, that they may pray with and for us:

Sancta Maria, Mater Jesu, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Joannes, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Jacobe, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Andrea, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Philippe, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Thoma, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Bartholomæe, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Matthæe, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Jacobe, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Simon, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Juda, ora pro nobis.

Omnes sancti Apostoli, orate pro nobis.

Omnes sancti Discipuli Domini, orate pro nobis.

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II. Since Our Lady is Queen of the Apostles and Queen of All Saints, and is of all creatures the closest to her Divine Son, it is only most rightful to especially call upon her loving maternal intercession.  

To this end, the Regina cæli, as sung by the Dominicans, having the Ascensiontide variant Jam ascendit, sicut dixit, is perfectly suitable, if it have subjoined the usual versicle, suitably adapted, with the Collect for Friday after the Octave of the Ascension from the 1738 Paris Missal (with per Dei Genitricem Mariam supplied):

Regina cæli, lætare, alleluja:

Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluja,

Jam ascendit, sicut dixit, alleluja.

Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluja.

V/. Gaude et lætare Virgo Maria, alleluja.

R/. Quia ascendit Dominus vere, alleluja.

Oremus.

Deus, qui nos Resurrectionis et Ascensionis Dominicæ solemnia celebrare fecisti: da famulis tuis, ut (per Dei Genitricem Mariam) et advenientis Spiritus sancti gratiam purificatis mentibus suscipere mereamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. R/. Amen.

(This Collect is especially good, and in itself sums up all we wish for: "O God, Who hast made us to celebrate the solemnities of the Lord's Resurrection and Ascension, grant unto Thy servants, that, by Mary the Mother of God, we likewise may deserve to receive the grace of the Holy Ghost with purified minds. Through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen.")

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III. It ought go without saying that fundamentally and primarily we should adore and beseech God the Holy Ghost Himself, with the well-known Veni Sancte Spiritus, its versicle Emitte and the Pentecost Collect Deus qui corda fidelium (as it were thus anticipating the feast); and append the Magnificat antiphon of Ascension Day:

O Rex gloriæ, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator hodie super omnes cælos ascendisti: ne derelinquas nos orphanos, sed mitte promissum Patris in nos, Spiritum veritatis, alleluja.

As the versicle and the Collect address God the Father, while the O Rex gloriæ addresses God the Son, thus all Three Persons of the Adorable Trinity are properly worshipped, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost rightly besought.

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I think that these three elements – asking those first pray-ers to pray with and for us, praying in especial to Our Lady, and calling upon the Holy Spirit direct – are eminently suitable and easy ways to make a good Pentecost Novena.  And as I noted above, even alone the Collect from the Missale Parisiense would do as a super-succinct Novena prayer.

Ascensiontide Magnificat Antiphon

If no feasts supervene, the ferial days of Ascensiontide - which for five centuries were celebrated as days in the Octave thereof - repeat a capitulo the texts of the feast itself (to a first approximation), and in particular the magnificent Magnificat antiphon of the Ascension is sung at Vespers (attentive chanters will note its similarity to the Advent O-Antiphons, upon which it may be based); it is very suitable to pray as part of a Novena in preparation for Pentecost:

O Rex gloriæ, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator hodie super omnes cælos ascendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos: sed mitte promissum Patris in nos, Spiritum veritatis, alleluja.

(O King of glory, Lord of powers, Who as One triumphant this day ascended above all the heavens, leave us not orphans: but send the promise of the Father into us, the Spirit of truth, alleluia.)

Liturgical Anniversary

I was baptized, confirmed, and houselled on Pentecost Sunday, 1987; after a most lukewarm time as a teenager, I came back to the practice of my faith on Pentecost Sunday 1994: I treat this solemnity, therefore, as my anniversary - this year, the 21st - of incorporation into Christ through His Church.

Although I daily grieve the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. iv, 30), by His free gift of grace I continue to turn again to the Lord, and through Confession come again to Communion, the Holy Eucharist: Ave in æternum, sanctissima Caro Christi, mihi ante omnia et super omnia summa dulcedo. The Eucharist gives us spiritual life: "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me" (St John vi, 58). I think I could not go without it. Soon I will go off to Mass.

NOVENA TO GOD THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT

Salva nos, Paraclete bone, psallentes tibi: Alleluja!

Salva nos, Paraclete bone, psallentes tibi: Alleluja!

Salva nos, Paraclete bone, psallentes tibi: Alleluja!

Rex cælestis, Consolator, Spiritus veritatis, qui existens ubique et omnia imples, Thesaurus beneficiorum et Largitor vitæ: Veni et mane in nobis, atque de omnia immunditia munda nos, et salvas fac animas nostras, Benigne.

Veni, Creator Spiritus, 

mentes tuorum visita,

imple superna gratia

quæ tu creasti pectora. 

Qui diceris Paraclitus,

altissimi donum Dei,

fons vivus, ignis, caritas,

et spiritalis unctio. 

Tu, septiformis munere,

digitus paternæ dexteræ,

Tu rite promissum Patris,

sermone ditans guttura. 

Accende lumen sensibus:

infunde amorem cordibus:

infirma nostri corporis

virtute firmans perpeti. 

Hostem repellas longius,

pacemque dones protinus:

ductore sic te prævio

vitemus omne noxium. 

Per te sciamus da Patrem,

noscamus atque Filium;

Teque utriusque Spiritum

credamus omni tempore. 

Deo Patri sit gloria,

et Filio, qui a mortuis

surrexit, ac Paraclito,

in sæculorum sæcula. Amen. 

OR

Veni, Sancte Spiritus,

et emitte cælitus

lucis tuæ radium. 

Veni, pater pauperum,

veni, dator munerum

veni, lumen cordium. 

Consolator optime,

dulcis hospes animæ,

dulce refrigerium. 

In labore requies,

in æstu temperies

in fletu solatium. 

O lux beatissima,

reple cordis intima

tuorum fidelium. 

Sine tuo numine,

nihil est in homine,

nihil est innoxium. 

Lava quod est sordidum,

riga quod est aridum,

sana quod est saucium. 

Flecte quod est rigidum,

fove quod est frigidum,

rege quod est devium. 

Da tuis fidelibus,

in te confidentibus,

sacrum septenarium. 

Da virtutis meritum,

da salutis exitum,

da perenne gaudium.

Amen. Alleluja.

Aña.  O Rex gloriæ, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator super omnes cælos ascendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos; sed mitte promissum Patris in nos, Spiritum veritatis, alleluja.

Laudate Dominum omnes gentes: * laudate eum, omnes populi.
Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: * et veritas Domini manet in æternum.
Gloria Patri, et Filio: * et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: * et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

Aña.  O Rex gloriæ, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator super omnes cælos ascendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos; sed mitte promissum Patris in nos, Spiritum veritatis, alleluja.

Cap.  Spes autem non confundit: quia caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum sanctum, qui datus est nobis. R/. Deo gratias.

R/. Veni, Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende. * Alleluja, alleluja.
R/. Veni, Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende. * Alleluja, alleluja.
V/. Qui per diversitatem linguarum cunctarum, gentes in unitate fidei congregasti. * Alleluja, alleluja.
Gloria Patri, et Filio: et Spiritui Sancto.
R/. Veni, Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende. * Alleluja, alleluja.

V/. Emitte spiritum tuum et creabuntur, alleluja.
R/. Et renovabis faciem terræ, alleluja.

Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster…

V/. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.
R/. Sed libera nos a malo.
V/. Cor mundum crea in me, Deus.
R/. Et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.
V/. Ne projicias me a facie tua.
R/. Et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.
V/. Redde mihi lætitiam salutaris tui.
R/. Et spiritu principali confirma me.
V/. Spiritus tuus deducet me.
R/. In terram rectam.
V/. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R/. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

Oremus.

Deus, cui omne cor patet, et omnis voluntas loquitur, et quem nullum latet secretum: purifica per infusionem Sancti Spiritus cogitationes cordis nostri, ut te perfecte diligere, et digne laudare mereamur.
Ure igne Sancti Spiritus renes nostros et cor nostrum, Domine: ut tibi casto corpore serviamus, et mundo corde placeamus.
Mentes nostras, quæsumus, Domine, Paraclitus, qui a te procedit, illuminet: et inducat in omnem, sicut tuus promisit Filius, veritatem.
Adsit nobis, quæsumus, Domine, virtus Spiritus Sancti: quæ et corda nostra clementer expurget, et ab omnibus tueatur adversis.
Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de ejus semper consolatione gaudere.
Præsta, quæsumus, omnipotens et misericors Deus: ut Spiritus Sanctus adveniens, templum nos gloriæ suæ dignanter inhabitando perficiat.
Illo nos igne, quæsumus, Domine, Spiritus Sanctus inflammet: quem Dominus noster Jesus Christus misit in terram, et voluit vehementer accendi. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. R/. Amen.

V/. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R/. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.
V/. Benedicamus Domino.
R/. Deo gratias.

+ Spiritus Sancti gratia illuminet sensus et corda nostra. R/. Amen.

Regina cæli, lætare, alleluja:

Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluja,

Spiritum misit, sicut dixit [or ut promisit], alleluja.

Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluja.

V/. Gaude et lætare Virgo Maria, alleluja.
R/. Quia descendit Spiritus vere, alleluja.

Oremus.

Deus, qui nos Resurrectionis et Ascensionis Dominicæ solemnia celebrare fecisti: da famulis tuis, ut (per Dei Genitricem Mariam) et advenientis Spiritus sancti gratiam purificatis mentibus suscipere mereamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. R/. Amen.

+ Deus autem spei repleat nos omni gaudio et pace in credendo: ut abundemus in spe, et virtute Spiritus sancti. R/. Amen.

Fabri Filius

Christ our God did not esteem it beneath Him to be called the Son of a carpenter: for He was indeed the true Artisan and Architect and Author of the universe. Come, let us adore Him! And may St Joseph His foster-father intercede for us, that He may save our souls!



Since in the old calendar St Joseph the Workman is a 1st class feast [albeit only since its inception in 1956, displacing the Apostles Philip and James, no less, to the 11th!], it was transferred to today from yesterday by reason of the Ascension, and so completely supplanted St Athanasius for this year - whereas, in the new calendar, St Joseph the Worker is only an optional memorial, and so either was supplanted by Ascension Thursday, or celebrated at the choice of the priest yesterday in all places where the Ascension is celebrated on Sunday, thus leaving St Athanasius to be celebrated as a memorial today. Confusing?

In the event, since I use the modern Office, I read the Hours of St Athanasius, but his proper only contained a second reading and a collect, so, as is one's choice for memorials, the rest I took from the ferial day of the Friday after Ascension (as I had read the Ascension Office yesterday, tho' strictly here in Australia I should have waited till Sunday for that). My car having been repaired (see a recent posting below, and my comment updating the tale), when I got to the Pro. about ten past six in the evening, shortly after sunset, I found that all therein was instead, according to the '62 Ordo, in honour of St Joseph - we had Litany of St Joseph at the end of the Holy Hour, just prior to the actual Benediction, and Low Mass was of the feast, with Fr wearing his best white chasuble (bought in Rome last year), and preaching...

The sermon, as always, focussed on the saving of our souls (what else is as important?), and was vintage Fr Rowe: after talking of St Joseph, named in Holy Writ a "just man", who did nothing extraordinary, who did not preach or die martyred, but who did all for God and in God, and thereby won heaven, he mentioned the following examples of just and righteous workmen: St Isidore, a farmer; St Deusdedit, a humble shoemaker; St Florus, a stonemason (who was, however, a martyr); and St Onesimus and St Notburga, servants. May we be like the hermit who before any action cast his eyes up to heaven, remarking that if we remind ourselves of our goal - God - we will not miss our mark. Our having a good intention in all our works is a "holy alchemy", transforming merely natural goods into supernatural merits, for we ought in all things work for God, and do all our works in Him and by His grace.

St Joseph is the great model for us in our lives and labours: he who taught Our Lord his trade, and was graced above all other men to hold the high state of foster-father of the Son of God. To quote the prayer that is the second Alleluia verse today:

Fac nos innocuam, Joseph, decurrere vitam: sitque tuo semper tuta patrocinio.

(Joseph, make us to run an innocent life: and may it ever be shielded by thy patronage.)

St Isidore the farmer,
pray for us!


















St Onesimus, patron of servants,
pray for us!


















St Notburga, patroness of poor servants,
pray for us!


















I made the happy error, BTW, of reading the ferial second reading at Office of Readings, before I corrected my mistake and read the proper one for St Athanasius, and thus I was granted to savour the magisterial, magnificent and majestic sermon of Pope St Leo the Great - what a Pope! - for the Ascension (Serm. II, nn. 1-4; read the whole sermon in an older translation here, or, better, let Fr Z read it to you!), commenting, in a manner very congenial to my personal adoration of our Lord, on the fact that we no longer know Christ "according to the flesh", κατα σαρκα (II Cor. v, 16), that is, as if He were but a man only, as during His earthly life He would have seemed to be to those lacking supernatural insight, but instead now as He truly Is, God Incarnate, our alone-sufficient Redeemer, because at once both God and Man:

...we commemorate and solemnize the day on which our lowly nature was raised up in Christ above all the host of heaven, above all the ranks of the angels, beyond the height of all the heavenly powers, to the throne of God the Father. We were founded and built on this succession of divine acts, so that the wonder of God's grace might become even greater; for, though everything that seemed to move us to due reverence is removed from our sight, our faith remains constant, our hope firm and our charity warm.
...
The viisble presence of our Redeemer passed over into sacraments; and so that faith might be more noble and firmer, it is grounded now not on sight but on doctrine.
...
The apostles... fixed their minds on Christ's godhead as he sat on his Father's right hand. The evidence of their eyes no longer held back their mental vision from contemplating this truth, that the Son descended from his Father without leaving him, and ascended from his disciples without leaving them.

For the Son of man, dearly beloved, was revealed more perfectly and more solemnly as the Son of God once he had returned to the glory of his Father's majesty, and in a mysterious way he began to be more present to them in his godhead once he had become more distant in his humanity.

Then faith gained deeper understanding and by a leap of the mind began to reach our to the Son as the equal of the Father.
...

Now I must attend to my Novena to the Holy Ghost...