First Prelude: Remain in spirit in the Cenacle, with the Apostles and disciples imploring the Holy Ghost to come down upon us.
Second Prelude: O Holy Spirit, let me realize my utter spiritual misery, and also Thy desire to relieve it that my heart may be inflamed with an intense desire for Thy advent.
First Point
THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF OUR SPIRITUAL POVERTY SHOULD AWAKEN IN US A STRONG DESIRE FOR THE HOLY GHOST
The intense desire for the graces of the Holy Ghost is the first requisite for participation in His bountiful gifts. This desire is so pleasing to the Holy Spirit that He will assuredly satisfy it, with a superabundance of heavenly favors. That we may be able to excite such a burning ardor in our hearts, we must recognize our dire spiritual poverty, which the Holy Ghost alone has power to enrich. Spiritual poverty consists in the destitution of all merits and virtues. Let us examine ourselves with regard to the greatest of all commandments, in which all the others are involved. How feeble is our love! Upon close scrutiny, we frequently find love of self in place of love of God,—selfishness and egotism crowding out love of neighbor. It is true, occasionally we perform works of charity, but are they not for the most part acts of virtue without foundation, without warmth and unction? Greater still should be our spiritual poverty if it were accompanied by a blindness and insensibility, hindering us from realizing our utter misery. Cannot the Holy Ghost in very truth say to such souls what we read in the Revelations: “He that hath the substance of this world and shall see his brother in need and shall shut up his heart from him; how doth the charity of God abide in him?” (3, 17).
The Holy Ghost delights to pour Himself forth in humble souls in whom He finds no obstacles and who implore His grace with persevering zeal. Let us, therefore, cry from the abyss of our unworthiness: Come, Thou Father of the poor and helper of the lowly! Behold, I am exceedingly poor and needy. I have indeed plunged myself into this abyss of poverty and indigence by failing to utilize the graces and inspirations Thou didst offer me so profusely, but come, and enrich me with all good gifts worthy of God. From Thy Goodness, which cannot despise a humble and contrite heart, I hope all things.
Second Point
THE HOLY GHOST DESIRES TO ENRICH US WITH HIS GRACES
The contemplation of our extreme poverty and lack of virtue will serve to enkindle in our hearts an ardent longing for the Holy Ghost, the Dispenser of heavenly goods. To augment our desire and to imbue our hearts with implicit trust in the omnipotent love of the Divine Comforter, let us consider the infinite goodness and mercy of the Holy Ghost, Whose delight it is to endow us with spiritual goods and to enrich our poverty with the wealth of His graces. “For I am the Lord, thy God, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt; open thy mouth wide and I will fill it!” (Ps. 80, 11), that is, expand your heart by burning desires, open your mouth in prayer, persevere in ardent supplications and you will be satiated with the superabundance of heavenly treasures.
How the Holy Ghost rejoices when He can pour out His graces profusely upon creatures! Nothing grieves Him more deeply than our indifference and blindness, which impede the flow of divine grace into our hearts. Let us strengthen our spiritual vision by earnest prayer. If we deserve the reproach of faithlessness to His inspirations, of failure to obey His counsels, we must humbly acknowledge our guilt and implore His pardon. Oh, that we knew the value of a single grace! But let us not be brought to waver in confidence by our utter unworthiness. The Holy Ghost is the God of love, and as such, imparts His graces as generously to sinners as to the just, provided the former have the sincere good will to break with sin. Prayer, alone, will not insure a generous measure of supernatural light and strength. To win this greatest of treasures, this good that transcends all goods, we must immolate our favorite inclinations. May the intensity of our desire melt our cold hearts and set them aglow with the fervor that should fill the hearts of all the children of Holy Church today!
Which sacrifices will I make to-day to prepare myself for the coming of the Holy Ghost?
Affections: Come, Holy Ghost, Father of the poor and Dispenser of heavenly goods! Enlighten my understanding that I may realize my indigence; move my heart, that in all humility and compunction I may bewail my past infidelity; incite my will that I may resolutely combat whatever displeases Thee in me. Come, Holy Ghost, and effect my spiritual regeneration that I may love nothing, henceforth, save Thee, my Supreme Good, seek all my joy and happiness in Thee, and humbly adore the dispensations of Thy loving Providence. Come, Holy Ghost, my heart longs for Thee, with an insatiable desire. O holy Virgin, who didst strengthen the Apostles and disciples by the example of thy fervent prayer, to thee I have recourse today with the fervent petition that thou wouldst take me into thy motherly keeping and prepare my heart, that for the sake of thy merits, the Holy Ghost may pour out in it the fulness of His grace.
Resolution: In union with our Blessed Mother, we will fervently implore the Holy Ghost and prepare our hearts by acts of mortification and self-denial.
Spiritual Bouquet: “Come, Thou Father of the poor, Dispenser of grace, Light of Hearts!”
Prayer: Our Father.
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