Rosary #61 Pentecost Novena

Pentecost Novena of Meditated Rosaries

Day SEVEN*

Special Intention: Conversion of mind and heart in preparation for the AO General Assembly 2009

 

The Oblates shall have a special devotion and docility to the Holy Spirit, Who wills to bring about in every Christian the Father's eternal plan of love by molding everyone into the image of Christ.

 

Our theme for this rosary will be "Do nothing to sadden the Holy Spirit"

(Eph. 4: 25-42).  (Meditations by +G.G)

 

First Mystery

Father, give us the Spirit of love who leads us to live out your message.

 

Second Mystery

Come, Holy Spirit, Spirit of love and holiness.  You, who overshadowed Mary making her mother of the eternal Word, stay within us and make us apostles of holiness.

 

 

Third Mystery

Come, Holy Spirit, who gathered your Church in the Cenacle around the Immaculate Mary and the Apostles, instill in us the spirit of the Cenacle and help us gather in the unity of the family, our brother priests who will love you and share your love with all people.

 

Fourth Mystery

Come, Holy Spirit, we wish the Church and the world to become a Cenacle from which love for the Father and our brothers and sisters is spread.

 

Fifth Mystery

Holy Spirit, make us instruments of your plan of love. Amen.

 

 

Rosary #62 Pentecost Novena

Pentecost Novena of Meditated Rosaries

Day EIGHT*

Special Intention: Conversion of mind and heart in preparation for the AO General Assembly 2009

 

As they strive for holiness, the Oblates shall look upon Our Lady of Trust as the Mother who sustains, and see Her as the example upon whom to model themselves.

 

Our Lady, A Model of Trust -- A Rosary with quotes by +G. G.

 

First Mystery:  Annunciation Luke 1: 26-38

Mary is model of trust. She is a model for the trust she had in God: "Ecce - Behold; Fiat - be it done to me" are signs of her abandonment to the Lord and therefore her trust.

 

Second Mystery: Visitation Luke 1:45

"Blessed is she who trusted that the Lord's word to her would be fulfilled."  Our Lady appears to us as someone on whom God has been able to depend, in whom he has placed his trust. Let us ask ourselves whether God can count on us. Can God trust us?

 

Third Mystery: Birth of Christ Luke 2:19

"Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart."  We can think of the Holy Spirit, of the ceaseless interior motions he had within Mary. She fully adhered to the plan of the Father, and could only follow faithfully the single movements of the Spirit who trusted her and counted on her.

 

Fourth Mystery: The Wedding at Cana Jn 2:1ff

At the wedding at Cana, Christ went before Mary with a giant step and our Lady followed. Christ knew he could count on her fidelity and he trusted her completely.

 

Fifth Mystery: At the Foot of the Cross Jn. 19:25-27

Even though our Lady had reasons not to trust, Mary accepts with faith, with serenity and with trust. She had trust in the love of God, she was open to acceptance of the mystery, open in every moment, from the encounter with the angel, to the encounter with the Cross.

 

 

 

Rosary #63 Pentecost Novena

Pentecost Novena of Meditated Rosaries

Day Nine*

Special Intention: Conversion of mind and heart in preparation for the AO General Assembly 2009

 

Come, Holy Spirit!

 

FIRST MYSTERY:

"The Spirit comes gently and makes himself known by his fragrance... He comes with the tenderness a true friend and protector to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console..."

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

 

SECOND MYSTERY:

"The Spirit is the source of holiness, a spiritual light... He raises our hearts to heaven, guides the steps of the weak, and brings to perfection those who are making progress..."  St. Basil the Great

 

THIRD MYSTERY:

"All who are led by the Spirit are children of God; you have not received a spirit of slavery... but a spirit of adoption through whom we cry out 'ABBA!' -- that is, 'Father.'"

Rom 8:14-17

 

FOURTH MYSTERY:

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with sighs too deep for words."

Rom 8:26-27

 

FIFTH MYSTERY:

 "The Spirit dwells in the Church and in the hearts of the faithful as in a temple..."

 Vatican Council II, L.G. # 4 & 12

 

 

Rosary #60 Pentecost Novena

Pentecost Novena of Meditated Rosaries

Day SIX*

Special Intention: Conversion of mind and heart in preparation for the AO General Assembly 2009

 

Pray for an Interior Pentecost!

 

"The experience of the Holy Spirit can happen in a 'pentecostal'

    way (as in Acts) or through an interior pentecost where the Holy

    Spirit is met personally and quietly..."

    G. Giaquinta

 

 

With the Spirit/...Co-redemptive MEN AND Women!

Rosary #4

 

FIRST MYSTERY: With the Holy Spirit...By consecrating ourselves in a particular and total way to the work of redemption, we become co-redemptive souls, as we place our selves on a level of generative collaboration with Jesus.

 

SECOND MYSTERY: With the Holy Spirit...we become Jesus’ instruments, as we strive to draw souls to the Father.

 

THIRD MYSTERY: Through the action of the Holy Spirit, we remain united with Jesus and help Him in this mysterious work of redemption.

 

FOURTH MYSTERY: Christ came for this: to gather into one all the children of God dispersed throughout the world…

 

FIFTH MYSTERY: Those who lend themselves to this work, to this redemptive mission, participate with the Holy Spirit and with Christ in forming the great family of the children of God.

 

(W. Giaquinta – THE FAMILY).

 

 

“Give us the Spirit of Love to guide us in living out your message, form in us the image of your Son and grant us the courage to extend to all, your invitation to holiness.” (*Pro Sanctity Creed – G. Giaquinta)

 

Rosary #59 Pentecost Novena

Pentecost Novena of Meditated Rosaries

Day FIVE*

Special Intention: Conversion of mind and heart in preparation for the AO General Assembly 2009

 

Our Lady "mother and teacher in the Spirit"

 

FIRST MYSTERY:  Mary Mother and teacher in the Spirit

Our Lady has always been "mother and teacher in the Spirit" because she was a perfect disciple of Christ and "is still a mother, continuing to give God children.... encouraging them by her love, and drawing them by her example to pursue perfect charity" (Pref from the Liturgy).

 

SECOND MYSTERY: One mind and one heart in prayer

"Since it pleased God not to manifest solemnly the mystery of the salvation of the human race until he poured forth the Spirit promised by Christ, we see the Apostles before the day of Pentecost 'continuing with one mind in prayer with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren' (Acts 1: 14). We see Mary prayerfully imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation." (LG 59)

 

THIRD MYSTERY: In the footsteps of the Holy Spirit

Mary advanced in her pilgrimage of faith through her perfect union with her Son unto the cross and goes before, presenting herself in an eminent and singular way to the whole People of God, which follows the same path, in the footsteps of Christ in the Holy Spirit (Letter to the Priests, 1988).

 

FOURTH MYSTERY:  From the upper room reveal the love of God

Those who together with Mary in the Upper Room in Jerusalem were awaiting the day of Pentecost have already experienced the "new era." having received the breath of the Spirit of truth they are to go out of the Upper Room in order to bear witness, in union with this Spirit, to Christ crucified and risen (cf. Jn 15:26-27) In doing so they are to reveal God who, as love, embraces and fills the world (To all Consecrated Persons, 1988).

 

FIFTH MYSTERY: Be present with Mary in the upper room

Try to be present with Mary in the Upper Room at Pentecost. She more than anyone will bring you close to this saving vision of the truth about God and man, about God and the world, which is contained in Saint Paul's words: "For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (To all Consecrated Persons, 1988).

 

“Give us the Spirit of Love to guide us in living out your message, form in us the image of your Son and grant us the courage to extend to all, your invitation to holiness.” (*Pro Sanctity Creed – G. Giaquinta)

 

Rosary #59 - Pentecost Novena

Pentecost Novena of Meditated Rosaries

Day FOUR*

Special Intention: Conversion of mind and heart in preparation for the AO General Assembly 2009

 

FIRST MYSTERY:  Redemptive love - -   that is, the infinite love of the Father

which, in Christ and through the Holy Spirit, saves, sanctifies and calls people to be available in collaborating with God's action of love  - -   is the fundamental doctrine that animates the Institute (Const. #9).

• Let us pray for a greater awareness of the Holy Spirit stirring us to self-giving every moment of the day!

 

SECOND MYSTERY: The Oblates shall base their sincere effort toward holiness on an intense  ascetic life, which implies the renunciation and the overcoming of one's own selfishness; and  transformation in Christ through the action of the Holy Spirit (Const. #13).

• In this mystery let us pray to be open to the action of the Holy Spirit transforming us in Christ!

 

THIRD MYSTERY: The Oblates shall have a special devotion and docility to the Holy Spirit, Who wills to bring about in every Christian the Father's eternal plan of love by molding everyone into the image of Christ (Const. #14).

• We pray to be totally receptive to the molding action of the Spirit in our lives!

 

FOURTH MYSTERY: For us, the promised land is sanctity, the fullness of love,

the ultimate goal  in our journey toward the Father, the essential purpose of the Incarnation (see St. Athanasius “God became man so that man could become God!"), and the fruit of the continuous action of the Holy Spirit (Const.# 16).

• May we be never tire of allowing the Spirit to motivate us to our final goal of holiness!

 

FIFTH MYSTERY: The Apostolic Oblate promotes adoration of the Eucharist, the  presence of

            Christ among us as the Redeemer and the perfect model of our  holiness; and devotion to

            the Holy Spirit, source of our sanctification  (Const. #5).

• May the gift of the Spirit that we have received become a gift in turn that we share with our brothers and sisters.

 

“Give us the Spirit of Love to guide us in living out your message, form in us the image of your Son and grant us the courage to extend to all, your invitation to holiness.”

(*Pro Sanctity Creed – Article III From the writings of Bishop William)

 

Rosary #58 Holy Spirit

Pentecost Novena of Meditated Rosaries

Day THREE*

Special Intention: Conversion of mind and heart in preparation for the AO General Assembly 2009

 

FIRST MYSTERY: According to St. Augustine, the Father generates the Word, the Word loves the Father and the Father loves the Word and from this unity emerges the third reality, the principle and wellspring of love – the Spirit. 

·        In this mystery we pray to intensify our devotion to the Holy Spirit.

 

SECOND MYSTERY: From a theological point of view, it can be said that in the ‘womb’ of the Trinity, all that which is love is attributed to the Spirit.

·         Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten us in the work of our sanctification.

 

THIRD MYSTERY: Jesus will speak to us words that he heard in the ‘womb’ that can give us a glimpse of the mystery of the Trinity where the Son and the Spirit listen to the Father and make known to us what they have heard. 

·        Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to help us understand our vocation to Redemptive Love.

 

FOURTH MYSTERY: And what is the Spirit revealing?  His gifts that become like the strings of a harp within us. 

·        Let us continually meditate on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

 

FIFTH MYSTERY: The more we let the Spirit pluck the strings, the more melodic the music and the more open we will be to the insight, understanding, acceptance and strengthening of our will so we can respond to actual grace.

·        We are invited in this mystery to recite slowly the hymns to the Holy Spirit, contemplating them

 

“Give us the Spirit of Love to guide us in living out your message, form in us the image of your Son and grant us the courage to extend to all, your invitation to holiness.”

(*Meditations from the Pro Sanctity Creed – Article III From the writings of Bishop William Giaquinta

And the points for prayer were written by Bishop Giaquinta in the retreat on the Interior Life)

 

 

Rosary #57 Holy Spirit Novena

Pentecost Novena of Meditated Rosaries

Day TWO*

Special Intention: Conversion of mind and heart in preparation for the AO General Assembly 2009

FIRST MYSTERY: Jesus was anointed, and therefore consecrated by the work of the Holy Spirit in Him, “Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto”, “He was conceived by the Holy Spirit” (Creed).

Let us pray for all those consecrated in the Pro Sanctity Family for the love of God and our brothers and sisters.

SECOND MYSTERY: The Immaculate Mary conceived Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, who is the love between the Father and the Son. Consequently, since the Holy Spirit is love, every act of love on the part of Jesus is from the Holy Spirit, including Jesus’ incarnation.

Let us pray for conversion of heart and mind to Jesus – to fall in love again with our Spouse and Savior!

THIRD MYSTERY: We can say that Jesus’ incarnation is the masterpiece of the Spirit’s act of love.

Let pray for docility, allowing the Spirit to form in us the image of Jesus.

FOURTH MYSTERY: The Holy Spirit is particularly present in Mary during her nine-month pregnancy, fashioning not only Jesus’ physical body, but also his created soul.

Let us pray to be filled and fruitful at all times with the power of the Holy Spirit.

FIFTH MYSTERY: Truly, Jesus is the masterpiece of the Holy Spirit, fashioned in the immaculate womb of Mary as on a sacred altar.

Let us dwell in Mary and allow the Holy Spirit to knit us in her womb into holy men and women of God.

*Reflections by Servant of God, Bishop Giaquinta from his retreat on “Jesus”

Rosary #56 Peace

“…Peace is above all a divine gift that we find when we seek God "with all our heart."

Bishop of Rome and Successor of the Apostle Peter, I reaffirm -- like my predecessors -- that the Church is committed to praying and working tirelessly to ensure that hatred will never reign in the hearts of men again. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the God of peace."

Pray for the conversion of our hearts and our lives in preparation for the General Assembly.

FIRST MYSTERY: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27) Religious belief presupposes truth. The one who believes is the one who seeks truth and lives by it. Although the medium by which we understand the discovery and communication of truth differs in part from religion to religion, we should not be deterred in our efforts to bear witness to truth's power.

SECOND MYSTERY: I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." (John 16:33) Together we can proclaim that God exists and can be known, that the earth is his creation, that we are his creatures, and that he calls every man and woman to a way of life that respects his design for the world.

THIRD MYSTERY: On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you."(John 20:19) Friends, if we believe we have a criterion of judgment and discernment which is divine in origin and intended for all humanity, then we cannot tire of bringing that knowledge to bear on civic life.

FOURTH MYSTERY: (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." (John 20:21) Truth should be offered to all; it serves all members of society. It sheds light on the foundation of morality and ethics, and suffuses reason with the strength to reach beyond its own limitations in order to give expression to our deepest common aspirations.

FIFTH MYSTERY: Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." (John 20:26) Each one of us here also knows, however, that God's voice is heard less clearly today, and reason itself has in so many instances become deaf to the divine. Yet that "void" is not one of silence. Indeed, it is the din of egotistical demands, empty promises and false hopes that so often invades the very space in which God seeks us. Can we then make spaces -- oases of peace and profound reflection -- where God's voice can be heard anew, where his truth can be discovered within the universality of reason, where every individual, regardless of dwelling, or ethnic group, or political hue, or religious belief, can be respected as a person, as a fellow human being?

CLOSING REFLECTION: Far from threatening the tolerance of differences or cultural plurality, truth makes consensus possible and keeps public debate rational, honest and accountable, and opens the gateway to peace. Fostering the will to be obedient to the truth in fact broadens our concept of reason and its scope of application, and makes possible the genuine dialogue of cultures and religions so urgently needed today….In an age of instant access to information and social tendencies which engender a kind of monoculture, deep reflection against the backdrop of God's presence will embolden reason, stimulate creative genius, facilitate critical appreciation of cultural practices and uphold the universal value of religious belief.

Note: The reflections for each mystery on PEACE are from the text of the address Benedict XVI gave at the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem in a meeting with organizations involved in interreligious dialogue. JERUSALEM, MAY 11, 2009 (Zenit.org).-