PENTECOST NOVENA 2024 - Friday 10 May: Fear of God

Sign of the Cross

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.

Intention

For the Youth & Young Adults of our Parish. That they will have the desire, the courage and the support to conform themselves to Christ despite the pressures of secular society.

“Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways.”

Whenever Scripture speaks of the fear of the Lord, we notice that it never mentions it on its own, as if fear could, by itself, bring our faith to perfection, but of the true fear of the Lord we read: “Come, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”

The fear of God, then, is something to be learned, because it is taught. Its origins are found by way of teaching, and not in fright. We find it in obeying the commandments, in doing the good deeds of a blameless life, in coming to know the truth, and not in moments of human terror.

All our fear of God is inspired and perfected by love. By the gift of the Holy Spirit, may we be overwhelmed by the greatness and goodness of God, and avoid all sin and attachment to created things, so that each of us may be a living sign of the gospel for all people to see.

Let us pray

Heavenly Father, from the beginning of time you have prepared the way of salvation for the human race wounded by sin and death. Through your inspired word, you have taught that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” By the gift of the Holy Spirit may we walk always along the path you have revealed, following your counsels, conforming ourselves to your commands, and trusting your promises as heralds of a new Pentecost.

We make our prayer through Christ our Lord.

Mary, Temple of the Holy Spirit, Pray for us.

---

Scriptures regarding the Holy Spirit

Luke 11:13 "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”	John 14:26 "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you."
Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”	Acts 2:38 "Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 9:31 "Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers."	Romans 5:5b "God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."
1 Corinthians 6:19 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?"	1 Corinthians 12:3b "No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit."
Ephesians 1:13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;	2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."
Titus 3:5 "He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."