In the ✠ Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

When Dominicans prepare to preach on the Holy Gospel, we are encouraged to meditate and “feed” off of the scripture through an ancient method called “lectio divina” which emphasizes reflection and interaction with the text. We might also employ other tools and exercises to capture the Spirit. A teacher of mine during formation noted the importance of taking a moment to think about which version of God is most notable in the reading. We ought to think about who takes the forefront of our minds when we listen to the Word of the Lord. Is it God the Father as the Creator? Is it the passion and merciful love of the Son? Maybe Christ the Liberator and Redeemer of the world?

When I reflect on today’s Gospel from St. John, I am mostly attuned to the Holy Spirit as the great Advocate (also known as the Paraclete). No, not just because Jesus explicitly refers to this, but because we vividly see the works of the Spirit in this way.

Recall that Jesus was preparing to depart from our earthly realm, and he was very aware that his disciples would be stricken with grief and fear of what was to come. To assuage their anxieties, Jesus made a promise to them that he would never abandon them. He pledged to send them the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, who would provide them with guidance and fortify their faith. This assurance of the Holy Spirit’s presence is a fundamental tenet of our catholic faith, and serves as a reminder of the Almighty God’s tender and merciful love for us.

In this very short excerpt, we also glance into the symbiotic inner workings of the Holy Trinity at play here. We see here that if you love the Son, the Son will ask the Father, and the Father will pour out His Spirit upon you. But there is a conditional that is important to highlight here. The Son will only ask the Father “if you love [him] and keep [his] commandments”. We must remember when we are called to hold up our end of the deal before we hastily petition for favors.

As we navigate the challenges and difficulties of our daily lives, it is not uncommon for our faith to waver or for us to find it hard to keep his commandments. We may experience feelings of isolation and doubt, questioning whether God remains present in our lives. In such moments, however, we can draw solace from Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit will abide with us always. By opening ourselves to the Spirit’s guidance and support, we can find reassurance that we are not alone in our struggles. Prayer serves as one means by which we may invite the Holy Spirit into our lives. Through prayer, we create a receptive space within our hearts where the Spirit may dwell. As we offer our prayers, we may ask the Spirit to assist us in making wise choices, to imbue us with fortitude during trials, and to nurture within us a love akin to that of Christ’s. It is through our trust in the Spirit that we may have confidence that our prayers will be answered in ways that are most fitting for us.

Yet another avenue through which we may encounter the Holy Spirit is through the Holy Sacraments. These sacred rituals offer visible and external signs of God’s grace and furnish us with the opportunity to tangibly experience the Spirit’s presence. In the sacrament of Holy Baptism, we are granted the gift of the Holy Spirit and are welcomed as children of God. In the sacrament of Holy Confirmation, we are fortified in our faith and endowed with the Holy Spirit’s blessings. And through the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we partake of the true body and blood of Christ, receiving nourishment for our souls and uniting ourselves with our Savior and one another.

And as is timely, I feel it prudent to share one of my favorite prayers to the Holy Spirit that was authored by our dear sister of Dominic, St. Catherine of Siena. “Holy Spirit, come into my heart; draw it to Thee by Thy power, O my God, and grant me charity with filial fear. Preserve me, O ineffable Love, from every evil thought; warm me, inflame me with Thy dear love, and every pain will seem light to me. My Father, my sweet Lord, help me in all my actions.”

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always.

Litany to the Holy Spirit

Lord, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. God the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,

Have mercy on us.

Divine Essence, one true God,

Have mercy on us

Spirit of truth and wisdom,

Have mercy on us

Spirit of holiness and justice,

Have mercy on us

Spirit of understanding and counsel,

Have mercy on us

Spirit of love and joy,

Have mercy on us

Spirit of peace and patience,

Have mercy on us

Spirit of longanimity and meekness,

Have mercy on us

Spirit of benignity and goodness,

Have mercy on us

Love substantial of the Father and the Son,

Have mercy on us

Love and life of saintly souls,

Have mercy on us

Fire ever burning,

Have mercy on us

Living water to quench the thirst of hearts,

Have mercy on us

From all evil,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From all impurity of soul and body,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From all gluttony and sensuality,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From all attachments to the things of the earth,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From all hypocrisy and pretense,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From all imperfections and deliberate faults,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From our own will,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From slander,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From deceiving our neighbors,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From our passions and disorderly appetites,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From our inattentiveness to Thy holy inspirations,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From despising little things,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From debauchery and malice,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From love of comfort and luxury,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From wishing to seek or desire anything other than Thee,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

From everything that displeases Thee,

Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.

Most loving Father,

forgive us.

Divine Word,

have pity on us.

Holy and divine Spirit,

leave us not until we are in possession of the Divine Essence, Heaven of heavens.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

Send us the divine Consoler.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

Fill us with the gifts of Thy Spirit.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

Make the fruits of the Holy Spirit increase within us.

V. Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful,

R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created,

R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let Us Pray
God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructed the hearts of the faithful, grant us by the same Spirit to be truly wise and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord, Amen.