COME, HOLY SPIRIT
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created;
And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. LET US PRAY.
O God, who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people by sending them the light of Thy Holy Spirit, grant us by the same Spirit to have right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort.
Through Christ Our Lord. Amen
O Holy Spirit, sweet Guest of my soul, abide in me and grant that I may ever abide in Thee.
Day 37
COME, HOLY SPIRIT. . .
Divine Grace allows us to become one with Christ and share in His Divinity. Scripture says, “I am the vine, you are the branches” (Jn 15:5). Thus, we see that we are truly united to Christ. When one thinks of the fire of Christ’s love in the context of our story, “A Fire,” we see that fire does not remain separate; it pervades the wood. It works its way deep into and through the wood. The two become conjoined. The words of St. John the Baptist come to mind: “He must increase; I must decrease” (Jn 3:30). Indeed, the longer the fire burns, less and less is left of oneself, and Christ increases in the fire. Our life concludes on earth when we are spent and nothing remains. St. Paul also describes this well: “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:19-20).
Goal: He must increase, and I must decrease.
Sit quietly for five minutes, and imagine yourself just being at the foot of the Cross to silently show your love to Jesus.
Day 38
COME, HOLY SPIRIT. . .
It was through Our Lord’s crucifixion that the door to Heaven was opened to souls. Even now, suffering united to Our Lord can be redemptive for souls on earth and hasten their conversion. It can purify us so that we may enter Heaven, and it can also make expiation for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and allow them to move closer to the end they seek, which is unity with God for all eternity. Indeed, suffering can open a door and hold it open to us that we may pass through this world to the next where there will be eternal light.
Goal: Suffering can help to open the door to the light of eternal life in Heaven.
Sit quietly for five minutes, and imagine yourself just being at the foot of the Cross to silently show your love to Jesus.
Resources
The retreat can be done using a physical book or with our online journey. The online readings are free to use so there is no obstacle to starting!