Memorial Day - God Bless and Keep Us

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America
by Rev. Samuel F. Smith

My country, 'tis of Thee,
Sweet Land of Liberty
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountain side
Let Freedom ring.

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills,
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet Freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of Liberty,
To thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright
With Freedom's holy light,
Protect us by thy might
Great God, our King.

Beneath Heaven's gracious will
The stars of progress still
Our course do sway;
In unity sublime
To broader heights we climb,
Triumphant over Time,
God speeds our way!

Grand birthright of our sires,
Our altars and our fires
Keep we still pure!
Our starry flag unfurled,
The hope of all the world,
In peace and light impearled,
God hold secure!

Pentecost Hymns

FATHER, LORD OF EARTH AND HEAVEN

Father, Lord of earth and heaven,
King to whom all gifts belong,
Give your greatest Gift, your Spirit,
God the holy, God the strong.

Son of God, enthroned in glory,
Send your promised Gift of grace,
Make you Church your holy Temple,
God the Spirit's dwelling-place.

Spirit, come, in peae descending
As at Jordan, heav'nly Dove,
Seal your Church as God's anointed,
Set our hearts on fire with love.

Stay among us, God the Father,
Stay among us, God the Son,
Stay among us, Holy Spirit:
Dwell within us, make us one.

Melody: Drakes Boughton 87.87
Music: S.P. Waddington
Text: James Quinn, S.J.

THE SPIRIT OF GOD SENDS ME FORTH

Antiphon:
The Spirit of God rests upon me,
The Spirit of God consecrates me,
The Spirit of God bids me go forth to proclaim his peace, his joy.

The Spirit of God sends me forth,
Called to witness the kingdom of Christ among all the nations;
Called to proclaim the good news of Christ to the poor.
My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

Antiphon

The Spirit of God sends me forth,
Called to witness the kingdom of Christ among all the nations;
Called to console the hearts overcome with great sorrow.
M spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

Antiphon

The Spirit of God sends me forth,
Called to witness the kingdom of Christ among all the nations;
Called to comfort the poor who mourn and who weep.
My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

Antiphon

The Spirit of God sends me forth,
Called to witness the kingdom of Christ among all the nations;
Called to announce the grace of salvation to men.
My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

Antiphon

The Spirit of God sends me forth,
Called to witness the kingdom of Christ among all the nations;
Called to reveal his glory among all the people.
My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

Antiphon

Melody: The Spirit of God
Music and Text: Lucien Deiss, C.S.Sp., 1970

Day 9 - Novena to the Holy Spirit

Thou, on those who evermore
Thee confess and Thee adore,
In Thy sevenfold gifts descend;
Give them comfort when they die;
Give them life with Thee on high;
Give them joys which never end. Amen

MEDITATION
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
The gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the supernatural virtues by
enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine
inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the
direction of the Holy Spirit, our service becomes more sincere and
generous, the practice of virtue more perfect. Such acts of virtue
leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits
of the Holy Spirit. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue
more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater
efforts in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.

PRAYER
Come, 0 Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits. Thy
charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and
temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by
continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration may merit to be united
eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary once
Glory be to the Father seven times.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Day 8 - Holy Spirit Novena

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray!

MEDITATION
The Gift of Wisdom
Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues. Wisdom is the most perfect of all the gifts. Of Wisdom it is written, "all good things came to me with her, and innumerable riches
through her hands." It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our
faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of
virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and
relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose
their savor, whilst the cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness
according to the words of the Savior, "Take up thy cross and follow me,
for my yoke is sweet and my burden light."

PRAYER
Come, 0 Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of
heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me
to love them above and beyond all passing joys and satisfactions of
earth. Help me to attain them and possess them for ever. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary once
Glory be to the Father seven times.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Day 7 - Holy Spirit Novena

Heal our wounds - our strength renew;
On our dryness pour Thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away!

MEDITATION
The Gift of Counsel
The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling
it to judge promptly and rightly what must be done, especially in
difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by
Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable concrete cases that
confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers, public
servants, and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense,
a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. "Above all these
things, pray to the Most High, the He may direct thy way in truth."

PRAYER
Come, 0 Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may
always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn
it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy
commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary once
Glory be to the Father seven times.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Day 6 - Holy Spirit Novena

If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay,
All His good is turned to ill.

MEDITATION
The Gift of Understanding
Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps us to grasp the
truths of our holy religion. By faith we know them, but by
Understanding we leam to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to
to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and through them to be
quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and
inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to
the faith that is in us; we begin to "walk worthy of God, in all things
pleasing and increasing in the knowledge of God."

PRAYER
Come, 0 Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may
know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last
to see the eternal light in Thy Light; and in the light of glory to have
a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary once
Glory be to the Father seven times.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

DAY 5 - Holy Spirit Novena

Light immortal! Light divine!
Visit Thou these hearts of Thine,
And our inmost being fill!

MEDITATION
The Gift of Knowledge
The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at
their true worth - in relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the presence
of creatures, reveals their emptiness, and points out their only true
purpose as instruments in the service of God. It shows us the loving
care of God even in adversity, and directs us to glorify Him in every
circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things first,
and prize the friendship of God beyond all else. "Knowledge is a
fountain of life to him that possesses it."

PRAYER
Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the
will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I
may realize their vanity and use them only for Thy glory and my own
salvation, looking ever beyond them to Thee, and Thy eternal rewards.
Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary once
Glory be to the Father seven times.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

DAY 4 - Holy Spirit Novena

FOURTH DAY
Thou in toil art comfort sweet;
Pleasant coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

MEDITATION
The Gift of Fortitude
By the gift of fortitude the soul is strengthened against natural fear,
and supported to the end in the performance of duty. Fortitude imparts
to the will an impulse and energy which move it to undertake without
hesitancy the most arduous tasks, to face dangers, to trample under foot
human respect, and to endure without complaint the slow martyrdom of
even lifelong tribulation. "He that shall persevere unto the end, he
shall be saved."

PRAYER
Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble
and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my
weakness, give me courage against the assaults of my enemies, that I may
never be overcome and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good.
Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary once
Glory be to the Father seven times.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

DAY 3 - Holy Spirit Novena

THIRD DAY
Thou, of all consolers best,
Visiting the troubled breast,
Dost refreshing peace bestow.

MEDITATION
The Gift of Piety
The gift of piety begets in our hearts a filial affection for God as our
most loving Father. It inspires us to love and respect for His sake,
persons and things consecrated to Him, as well as those who are vested
with His authority. His Blessed Mother and the Saints, the Church and
its visible Head, our parents and superiors, our country and its rulers.
He who is filled with the gift of Piety finds the practice of his
religion, not a burdensome duty, but a delightful service. Where there
is love, there is no labor.

PRAYER
Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein
such a love for God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service,
and for His sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary once
Glory be to the Father, seven times

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

DAY 2 - Holy Spirit Novena

SECOND DAY
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, treasures which endure!
Come, Light of all that live!

MEDITATION
The Gift of Fear
The gift of fear fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us
dread nothing so much as to offend Him by sin. It is a fear that
arises, not from the thought of hell, but from sentiments of reverence
and filial submission to our heavenly Father. It is the fear that is
the beginning of wisdom, detaching us from worldly pleasures that could
in any way separate us from God. "They that fear the Lord will prepare
their hearts, and in His sight will sanctify their souls."

PRAYER
Come, 0 blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I
may set You, my Lord and God, before my face forever; help me to shun
all things that can offend you, and make me worthy to appear before the
pure eyes of your Divine Majesty in heaven, where you live and reign in
the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God, world without end. Amen

Our Father and Hail Mary once
Glory be to the Father seven times.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit (see earlier post)
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (earlier post)

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

0 Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to
send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles
and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, that He may
perfect in my soul the work of Your grace and Your love.
Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things
of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal.
Grant me the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the Light
of Your divine truth.
Grant me the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of
pleasing God and gaining heaven.
Grant me the Spirit Fortitude that I may ever bear my cross with You and
that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my
salvation.
Grant me the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and
grow perfect in the science of the saints.
Grant me the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet
and amiable.
Grant me the Spirit of Fear of the Lord that I may be filled with a
loving reverence towards God and that I may dread in any way to
displease Him.
Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me
in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I offer
myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God.
I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your
justice and the might of Your love.
You are the strength and light of my soul. In You I live and move and
am. I desire never to grieve you by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray
with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You.
Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for
Your light and listen to Your voice and follow your gracious
inspirations.
I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You by Your compassion to
watch over me in my weakness.
Holding the pierced feet of Jesus and looking at His five wounds and
trusting in His precious blood and adoring His opened side and stricken
heart, I implore You Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep
me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me the grace
0 Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to You always and
everywhere, "Speak Lord for Your servant listens." Amen.

Holy Spirit Novena - Day 1

Holy Spirit! Lord of Light!
From Your clear celestial height,
Your pure beaming radiance give.
The Holy Spirit

MEDITATION
Only one thing is important - eternal salvation. Only one thing
therefore is to be feared - sin. Sin is the result of ignorance,
weakness and indifference. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of
Strength and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind,
strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God.
To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for
"The Spirit helps our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as
we ought, but the Spirit Himself asks for us."

PRAYER
Almighty and eternal God, Who has vouchsafed to regenerate us by water
and the Holy Spirit, and has given us forgiveness for all sins,
vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Your sevenfold Spirit, the
Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude,
The Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy
Fear. Amen

Our Father and Hail Mary once
Glory be to the Father seven times.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Nine-Day Novena to the Holy Spirit

The next 9 days I'll post the daily prayers for the Novena to the Holy Spirit. The Novena is a way to participate in Jesus' instructions to his disciples to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit and it is typically prayed between the Feast of the Asension of Jesus and Pentacost.

Each Day [DAY 1 - DAY 9] will consist of the following:
A short introductory Prayer
Meditation
Prayer
Basic Prayers, as noted (link to the entry Basic Prayers as needed)
Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit (link to the entry)
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit (link to the entry)

BASIC PRAYERS

Here are some basic Catholic prayers used in the Rosary and many Chaplets and Novenas that may find their way into this chapel.

APOSTLE'S CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell; the third day
He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.


OUR FATHER
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our treaspasses as we forgive those
who have treaspassed against us.
Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.
Amen.


HAIL MARY
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.


GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son. and to the
Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.


FATIMA PRAYER
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell;
lead all souls to heaven,
especially those most in need of Thy mercy.


HAIL HOLY QUEEN
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, hail our life,
our sweetness and our hope. To you do we cry, poor
banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our
sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate, your eyes of
mercy toward us. And after this our exile show unto
us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
0 clement, 0 loving, 0 sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us, 0 holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises
of Christ.

WELCOME to the CHAPEL of LIFE

I am littlelife, better known as lifeonhold.

The Life of this Chapel is Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

This Chapel is a little place of peace, meditation, prayer and inspiration for the glory of God and the good of the chapel visitor.

I am a Catholic and that will be reflected by the content here. This is not a place for religious discussion, debate, angry posts or other negative influences. If this Chapel does not suit you, please leave quietly.

Brief prayer requests, inspirations, and positive suggestions are welcome in the comments or e-mailed to littlelife12@aol.com. All other kinds of comments or e-mails will be ignored and deleted.

---- Feast of the Ascension of Jesus, Thursday, May 20, 2004