PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art everywhere present, and fillest everything; Treasury of good things and Giver of life: come and abide in us and cleanse us from every stain; and save our souls, O Good One.

 

On the fiftieth day after His resurrection our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit upon His Holy Disciples and Apostles. They were then spiritually reborn: they began to clearly understand Christ's teachings and to fearlessly and courageously preach the Word of Christ to the whole world. From the Apostles and Saints through the Holy Church, the Holy Spirit bestows upon people all that they need for the salvation of their souls. Just as the Spirit of God filled everything and gave life to all at the creation of the world, so now He, too, is the source of all life, which is the most precious thing that we possess. Through the Holy Spirit people receive cleansing from sins and from every spiritual impurity. Each of us received the gift of the Holy Spirit of the day of our Baptism, when we were Chrismated. The new life a person receives in Holy Baptism requires continual labor to keep it holy. Spiritual power is needed for this labor and we are armed with that power and wisdom by the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Chrismation. This holy sacrament is usually administered to an infant immediately following Baptism. The priest annoints the newly baptized child with a special, consecrated oil - holy Chrism - on the forehead, eyes, ears, mouth, nostrils, breast, hands and feet, saying: "The Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit." Amen (2 Cor 1:21-22). Through this sacrament the Holy Spirit enters the soul of the newly baptized person, consecrates all of his capabilities and gives him the spiritual strength needed for his new life. Because of our weaknesses, however, we often sin and thus turn the Holy Spirit away from us. We ought often to pray for the help of the Holy Spirit. It is for this reason that the Church teaches us the above prayer. We should begin all of our prayers with the invocation of the Holy Spirit because He is the teacher of prayer and grants his petition to him that prays and since “we know not what we should pray for as we ought... the Spirit Himself asketh for us...” (Rom 8:26). The prayer “O Heavenly King” is also used at the beginning of any good work, as at the beginning of a public assembly, etc.

 

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