Week One // Prayer to the Holy Spirit by St. Augustine
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.
Week One Intention
We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit within our own souls.
Week One // Day Four
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
To defend all that is holy.
Strengthen means to become stronger. By virtue of our Baptism, we are made strong by having received the Holy Spirit. This strength is nourished in the everyday by things like prayer, reading Scripture, and receiving the Eucharist. Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, grace abounds and the movement of the Holy Spirit intensifies, thus calling us to action.
The Catechism reminds us that, “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed” (CCC 1285).
By this point, I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit has been strengthening you and strengthening me. We are breathing with Him, acting with Him, and being drawn by Him. Every moment that we call upon Him, He continues to increase in our life.
Yes, we are already strong, but we are also tasked with defending the Faith. This is why we must pray that He increases our love, so that we are sensitive enough to notice when it is time to defend what is holy, yet also have the courage to boldly act.
Take a few moments to reflect and ponder your last three days, on your journey with the Holy Spirit.
Before today, have you noticed Him strengthening you? How has this taken shape in your life? Have you noticed a growth in your ability to act virtuously? Has this growth in virtue put you in a position where you felt the need to defend the Faith?
Prayer + Discussion for Prayer Partners
Ask your prayer partner if they have experienced a time when they felt called to defend the Faith. Were they able to speak up? Why or why not? Together, try to think of at least one way you can practically live out the call to “defend all that is holy.”
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. #BISblog #prayerpledge //Click to tweet
Susanna Parent is a regular contributor to the BIS blog, speaker and a freelance writer. While a Wisconsin native, she now begins her mornings brewing French press coffee in the home she shares with her husband and children in the Twin Cities. When the sun sets, you’ll find her with friends enjoying a glass of red wine, preferably outside underneath twinkly lights. When not exploring all that the Twin Cities has to offer, she is indulging her wanderlust spirit by brainstorming their family's next new adventure. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Susanna's posts here.
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