Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.
Amen.
Saint Augustine
This is one of my favourite prayers to the Holy Spirit. It was with me ever since my reversion to the faith. Ever since I started to pray it I noticed some big changes in my life. Holy Spirit truly does transform lives.
Not everyone can have a spiritual director. Someone to talk to about spiritual things. Our inner lives are so important that it is unfortunate that there is such a lack of qualified people to guide us. Our God however did not leave us orphans. He send us His Spirit. He Is our most wonderful spiritual director. All it took for me was to trust Him. Every book I've picked to read early on in my study of faith happened to be solid in its orthodoxy. This can't be a coincidence especially since my early book shopping was done in secular book stores, and there were tons of "Christian sounding" books which knowing what I know now would be very negative to my faith. I can only guess that The Holy Spirit was there with me and with each book was trying to teach me something new.
Holy God, Most Blessed Trinity, thank You for your gift of the Holy Spirit my Counselor, my Comforter, my Teacher, my God. Amen
These are powerful words from our Pope.
It is important that today's families also hear the memorable appeal John Paul II left them 25 years ago in the apostolic exhortation "Familiaris Consortio": "Family, become what you are!".
The theme of the forthcoming meeting in Valencia is the transmission of the faith in the family. The theme of the apostolic visit to that city is inspired in this commitment: "Family, Live and Transmit the Faith!"
In so many communities which today are secularized the first urgency for believers in Christ is, precisely, to renew the faith of adults so that they will be able to communicate it to new generations.
On the other hand, the journey of Christian initiation of children and adolescents can become an opportunity for parents to return to the Church and reflect further on the beauty and truth of the Gospel.
In short, the family is a living organism, where a mutual exchange of gifts takes place. What is important is that the word of God, which keeps the flame of faith alive, never be lacking. With a particularly significant gesture, during the rite of baptism, the godfather or godmother lights a candle from the great paschal candle, symbol of the risen Christ and then the celebrant says: "To you, parents and godparents, is entrusted the task of guarding this light so that this child, illuminated by Christ, may always live as a child of the light."
If this gesture, in which the whole meaning of the transmission of the faith in the family lies, is to be authentic, it must be preceded and accompanied by the parents' commitment to further their own knowledge of the faith, rekindling the flame with prayer and the assiduous practice of the sacraments of confession and the Eucharist.
Let us commend to the Virgin Mary the success of the forthcoming great Valencia meeting, and of all the families of the world so that they will be genuine communities of love and life, in which the flame of faith is transmitted from generation to generation.
Taken from
Zenit News Agency