The Church’s tradition of novenas — nine days of prayer — is rooted in the nine days the Apostles and Mary spent in the Upper Room between the Ascension of Christ into Heaven, and his gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
During this novena, we will spiritually place ourselves in the Upper Room, asking each day for one of Fruits of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit.
Day 7: Fear of the Lord (gift) and Generosity (fruit)
Fear of the Lord
[The fear of the Lord] does not mean being afraid of God: We know well that God is Father, that he loves us and wants our salvation, and he always forgives, always; thus, there is no reason to be scared of him!
Fear of the Lord, instead, is the gift of the Holy Spirit through whom we are reminded of how small we are before God and of his love and that our good lies in humble, respectful and trusting self-abandonment into his hands. This is fear of the Lord: abandonment in the goodness of our Father who loves us so much.
When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our hearts, he infuses us with consolation and peace, and he leads us to the awareness of how small we are, with that attitude — strongly recommended by Jesus in the Gospel — of one who places his every care and expectation in God and feels enfolded and sustained by his warmth and protection, just as a child with his father! This is what the Holy Spirit does in our hearts: He makes us feel like children in the arms of our father. In this sense, then, we correctly comprehend how fear of the Lord in us takes on the form of docility, gratitude and praise, by filling our hearts with hope.
~ Pope Francis, June 11, 2014
Generosity
“Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.” — 2 Corinthians 9:7-9
And today we celebrate...