We ought to pray and invoke the Holy Spirit, for each of us greatly needs His protection and His help. The more a man is deficient in wisdom, weak in strength, borne down with trouble, prone to sin, so ought he the more fly to Him Who is the never ceasing Fount of Light, Strength, Consolation and Holiness.” – Pope Leo XIII
Note: The following novena was written by the Holy Ghost Fathers over 100 years ago and was reprinted several times. It is prayed for the nine days prior to Pentecost.
Forward
The novena in honor of the Holy Ghost is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the directions of Our Lord Himself when He sent His Apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Ghost on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.
The Church grants the following indulgence: “Partial indulgence to those who participate in a public novena before the feast of Christmas or Pentecost, or the Immaculate Conception.” (The Enchiridion of Indulgences, Issued by the Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary, 1968, #34)
Though this novena can be prayed any time of year, it is traditionally prayed from the Friday after Ascension Thursday (when the Ascension is not transferred to the following Sunday) until the Saturday before Pentecost.
The next traditional time for the novena to begin is Friday, May 27, 2022, and concludes Saturday, June 4, 2022.