Novena to the Holy Spirit (Pentecost Novena)
The Third Person of the Holy Trinity; gifts of the Spirit
Tradition: The original Christian novena, traced to the Apostles' nine days of prayer with Mary between Ascension and Pentecost (Acts 1:14)
Associated feast: Pentecost Sunday (50 days after Easter)
When to pray: Traditionally prayed in the nine days between the Solemnity of the Ascension (Thursday of the sixth week of Easter) and Pentecost Sunday. This is the original novena, the model for every other.
Begin Day 1 →About this devotion
The Novena to the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all Christian novenas. After Jesus' Ascension into heaven, the Apostles returned to Jerusalem and 'devoted themselves to prayer, together with certain women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers' (Acts 1:14). Nine days later, on the feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon them in tongues of fire.
Every subsequent novena in the Catholic tradition takes its pattern from this original nine days of prayer. Pope Leo XIII, in the encyclical Divinum Illud Munus (1897), formally re-established the practice and urged that the Pentecost Novena be prayed publicly in every parish church.
The novena meditates each day on one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in Isaiah 11:2-3 — wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and the fear of the Lord — along with two days for the Spirit's general action in the soul and his fruits.
The Nine Days
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Day 1: The Holy Spirit himself — that he may come and dwell in the soul
Scripture: John 14:16-17
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Day 2: The gift of fear of the Lord
Scripture: Proverbs 9:10; Isaiah 11:2-3
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Day 3: The gift of piety
Scripture: Romans 8:14-15
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Day 4: The gift of knowledge
Scripture: Wisdom 7:17
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Day 5: The gift of fortitude
Scripture: Philippians 4:13
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Day 6: The gift of counsel
Scripture: Sirach 18:30-32
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Day 7: The gift of understanding
Scripture: Luke 24:45
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Day 8: The gift of wisdom
Scripture: Wisdom 7:7-14
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Day 9: The fruits of the Holy Spirit
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23
Daily Novena Prayer
Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit)
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
This is the traditional collect for Pentecost, found in the Roman Missal and used as the daily closing of the novena.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a novena?
A novena is a nine-day cycle of prayer, modeled on the nine days the Apostles spent in prayer with Mary between the Ascension and Pentecost (Acts 1:14). Each day a specific prayer or set of prayers is offered, often for a particular intention or to a particular saint.
When is the best time to pray the Novena to the Holy Spirit (Pentecost Novena)?
Traditionally prayed in the nine days between the Solemnity of the Ascension (Thursday of the sixth week of Easter) and Pentecost Sunday. This is the original novena, the model for every other.
What if I miss a day of the novena?
Catholic devotional practice does not treat missing a day as invalidating the novena. The traditional pastoral counsel is to continue from where you left off, or to repeat the missed day. The intention behind the prayer matters more than rigid sequential observance.
Source
Primary sources