The School of Love, March 2

SOME HINTS ON PRAYER, Part III

[continued from yesterday]

...The next illustration is a prayer to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity; again a very easy prayer to one who has learnt devotion to God, the Holy Ghost.

A PRAYER TO GOD THE HOLY GHOST
Holy Spirit of God,
Love of God,
Silent, secret, all preserving,
Breathing where you list,
Expressing our longings,
You are wisdom,
You are love,
You are strength and fidelity,
I am none of these,
I need them all,
Sincerely I want them,
I do believe sincerely I want them,
You are the Father of the poor,
You do not fail,
Will you fail me?
That I may never fail you,
I cannot trust myself,
That I may never do wrong,
That I may be wise,
According to my place in life,
That I may love,
Truly, not falsely,
That I may be faithful,
To God, to men,
That I may have strength,
Sufficient for the task you give me,
And may use it.

Let the prayer conclude with the "Veni Creator Spiritus," or even better with the "Veni Sancte Spiritus," since the latter, line by line, suggests a continuation of the same simple method....

[continued tomorrow]
___________
From The School of Love and Other Essays
by The Most Reverend Alban Goodier, S.J.
Burns, Oates, & Washburn, Ltd. 1918