Dear Lord, I’ve Been Through Hell, Lately. Please Send Down Your Spirit to Save Me.

We Catholics love to party, don’t we?

Take this time of year, as a good example.   You can’t get more much more festive than two major feast days, Ascension and Pentecost, both occurring within the same week and a half of each other, one of which is Church’s birthday (and add to this all of those First Holy Communions presently taking place and you have a world-wide block party)!

So I say, party on, Holy Mother Church, party on, because the Lord knows we need it.  I need it. 

Personally, I’ve been through Hell, lately. And I know that I’m not alone.

All the eloquent words one can say about Pentecost and it comes down to this: “Lord send down you spirit and save me!”  And what better time to ask than now that we are supposed to be rejoicing in His Victory over death and sin, misery and despair. 

And so I implore you, Lord, send your Holy Spirit to save me:

"Anima Sola" by Sha Ongelungel

... when I am filled with sadness over many things, most recently, my miscarriage.  And for that mom whom I know who recently miscarried her unborn twins; to her, Lord, send your Holy Spirit, we pray.

…when my marriage hurts.  And for that family at church, the good people with young children, who are all reeling from a long separation, for them, Holy Spirit, we pray.

            …when I am ill. And for the physically and mentally ill; for the toll that our hardships take upon our health and spirits, dear Holy Spirit, save us, we pray.  And most especially I lift unto you that mother I heard of, whose child must undergo painful procedures due to his birth defects.  For that family, we pray especially.

            …when I sin, and for those suffering under sin’s weight.  Holy Spirit, when my regret is so deep, my loneliness so dense, when I’m not loveable and I hardly remember what charity looks like, pull me from my sin and help me to trust in the Lord.  And for my family member and all those who are still mired in their sinful lifestyle, but whose pride won’t permit them to come to you, for them we pray.

            …when I, when any Christian, feels so very downtrodden and discouraged.  Embolden and fortify us, Holy Spirit. For those tempted to throw off their crosses and run away from them.  For those who look in the mirror and struggle to see any Divine likeness in themselves: purify our hearts, and help us to know ourselves and the world as loved by You.  Fill us with confidence again, as well as the gifts of your Spirit, that we may partake in the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and live as authentically Christian witnesses.

For when life is just … raw.  When it all seems pointless, when following Christ is too hard and too full of earthly injustices, when the business of loving others becomes its own purgatory, Lord help me not run away, but jump right in, raw wounds and all.  As a soldier that runs into an army against which she or he cannot win, enkindle in me and all of us the fire of your passion, and strengthen us as we lay down our lives yet again.

And for families who are losing their homes, and 

for families that can’t afford their own.

For families beset by tragedy, and

For military personnel and their families.

For post abortive parents and all affected by abortion, and

For those that minister to them, and who are speaking up for the silent unborn.

And for those who are persevering, Lord, faithfully, until they reach your Heavenly banquet (the ultimate party, I hear!) and render unto them new hearts filled with your Holy Spirit.

Lord, send out your Spirit this day, this week and always, and renew the face of the earth!

Feast of St. Joan of Arc, 2012.