Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit
that my thoughts may all be holy;
Act in me, O Holy Spirit
that my works, too, may be holy;
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit
that I love but what is holy;
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit
to defend that is holy;
Guard me then, O Holy Spirit
that I always may be holy.
St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430)
REFLECTION: This ancient prayer, yearns for “the holy.”
In your opinion, in what does holiness consist?
What are your personal thoughts or feelings about our common Baptismal call to holiness?
Spend some time reflecting on the divine that infuses your daily life. Pray with the “Refresher” below. Invoke the Holy Spirit for the gift or the fruit of the Spirit you most need at this time in your life.
REFRESHER: (From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #’s 1831 -1832)
- The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.
- The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity."
