Seven Ways to Prepare for Pentecost



Pentecost – the great birthday of the Church is only nine days away! Are you getting excited? If not, you should be. This is a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of the great graces and gifts that the Holy Spirit wants to bestow upon us. Now, more than ever, we need these graces in our lives. We need the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to stand strong in our faith and to be able to witness to the world.

How can you prepare for the feast of Pentecost this year?

1. Pray the novena for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are gifts that will not break or shatter. They are lasting gifts that, when used, will bear much fruit.

2. Gather together as a community (with your family, friends, prayer group, or bible study) in prayer and wait for the promise of the Father to send the Holy Spirit.  Ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Pray, “Come Holy Spirit.” Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our country. Pray specifically for your own personal needs as well as the needs of your family and community and those of our country.  We all need the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, to enlighten us, and to heal us.

3. Fast. Offer up a sacrifice to the Lord. This will open up your heart to the Holy Spirit.

4. Remove all obstacles to the Holy Spirit. Pray for healing of past hurts.

5. Go to Confession.  Remove the obstacle of sin and allow God to purify you, so that the Holy Spirit can fill you.

6. Forgive, grant pardon, and show mercy to all those who have hurt you in any way.  Pray for their well-being.  Make amends with those whom you have injured.

7. Pray the Rosary daily.  Ask our Blessed Mother to open your heart to the Holy Spirit, so that you, too, may say, “Yes” to His abundant graces and His holy will.  Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit and she is so closely connected to Him that His aspirations, sentiments, and actions have become hers. All grace comes to us from God the Father, through the merits of Jesus Christ, his Son and our Savior, and is dispersed by the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit, in dispensing all grace, works in and through Mary.

 ~ copyright Jean M. Heimann 2016
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