As the College of Cardinals began the process to elect the new pope, they prayed for the help of the Holy Spirit.
“The whole church, united with us in prayer, insistently invokes the grace of the Holy Spirit so that a worthy pastor for the whole flock of Christ would be elected by us,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the top-ranking cardinal among the electors, as he led the cardinals in prayer at 4:30 p.m. May 7.
When they entered the Sistine Chapel, they were to call on the Holy Spirit by singing the hymn, “Veni Creator Spiritus” (“Come, Creator Spirit”).
Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up Thy rest; come with Thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
O comforter, to Thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God Most High, O fount of life and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.
Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known; Thou, finger of God’s hand we own; Thou, promise of the Father, Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue.
Kindle our sense from above, and make our hearts o’erflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply.
Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant us Thy peace instead; so shall we not, with Thee for guide, turn from the path of life aside.
Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know; and Thee, through endless times confessed, of both the eternal Spirit blest.
Now to the Father and the Son, Who rose from death, be glory given, with Thou, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.
This is a hymn and a prayer reserved not just for cardinals at so significant a moment, but for all of us, all the time. The familiar hymn makes regular appearances at Sunday Masses, so it is easily accessible to us. Thankfully.
Thankfully, because the Holy Spirit — perhaps the most mysterious and least discussed of the Holy Trinity — is available to us all, in our joys, sorrows and day-to-day lives.
Catholics invoke the Holy Spirit every time we make the sign of the cross, but how often do we think more deeply into our relationship with the Spirit?
In the sacrament of confirmation we receive an intimate introduction to the Holy Spirit, where we study and pray for the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit.
In case it’s been a while since confirmation and you need a primer, “The Catechism of the Catholic Church,” in paragraphs 1830 to 1832, explains:
“The moral life of Christians is sustained by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
“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, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.
“Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God … If children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.
“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.’ ”
How could we pass up these gifts?
We may be apt to forget the power of the Holy Spirit in the busyness of our lives. But with our attention recently fixed on the movement of the Holy Spirit in the College of Cardinals, now is a perfect time to rekindle our relationship with the Spirit in our own lives.
Come, Holy Spirit.
MARNIE McALLISTER
Editor
