Come, Holy Spirit
The traditional invocation of the Holy Spirit, used before studying, deciding or beginning work. Prayed especially in the nine days before Pentecost.
Also known as: Prayer to the Holy Spirit · Veni Sancte Spiritus
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.
Let us pray: O God, who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant that by the same Spirit we may be truly wise
and ever rejoice in his consolation.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
When to pray
Before exams, decisions and meetings; at the start of the working day.
Latin text
reple tuorum corda fidelium,
et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.
Emitte Spiritum tuum et creabuntur.
Et renovabis faciem terrae.
Oremus: Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti,
da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere et de eius semper consolatione gaudere.
Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Origin
The "Come, Holy Spirit" prayer is a widely used Catholic devotion invoking the Holy Spirit. It typically combines an initial plea, a versicle and response from Psalm 104:30 ("Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth"), and an ancient liturgical collect. This collect, "O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit...", is found in the Gregorian Sacramentary and is used in the Roman Liturgy for Pentecost and other Masses of the Holy Spirit. The complete prayer is popular in personal and communal prayer, seeking the Spirit's guidance and strength.
In other languages
Vinde, Espírito Santo (Português) · Ven, Espíritu Santo (Español) · Vieni, Spirito Santo (Italiano) · Przyjdź, Duchu Święty (Polski) · Halina, Espiritu Santo (Tagalog)