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Come, Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit is a traditional Catholic invocation asking the Holy Spirit to fill the faithful, strengthen love and renew their lives.
Pray
Come, Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray. O God, who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“Come, Holy Spirit”
The prayer begins with a direct invocation of the third Person of the Holy Trinity.
“Fill the hearts of thy faithful”
We ask not merely for information or inspiration, but for our interior lives to be shaped by the presence and grace of the Spirit.
“Kindle in them the fire of thy love”
Fire is a biblical image of God's transforming presence. The prayer asks for love of God to become active rather than merely theoretical.
“Send forth thy Spirit and they shall be created”
The prayer recalls the Spirit as giver of life and asks God for genuine renewal.
“Thou shalt renew the face of the earth”
Personal conversion is connected with something larger: God's work of renewing His creation.
In brief
Catholics pray Come, Holy Spirit to ask the Holy Spirit for His grace, wisdom, love and guidance. The Church teaches that the Holy Spirit is the interior teacher of Christian prayer.
Understand
What is this prayer?
Come, Holy Spirit is a traditional invocation of the third Person of the Holy Trinity. It asks the Spirit to fill the faithful with divine love and renew their hearts and the world.
Quick facts
- Addressed to
- The Holy Spirit
- Type
- Invocation
- Focus
- Wisdom, grace, love and renewal
- Common use
- Before prayer, study and discernment
- Latin opening
- Veni, Sancte Spiritus
Why Catholics pray it
Why it matters
Christians cannot live the spiritual life by willpower alone. Catholics invoke the Holy Spirit because they believe He gives grace, strengthens faith and leads believers more deeply into communion with Christ.
When to pray
When Catholics use it
It can be prayed at any time, particularly before study, discernment, Scripture reading, meetings, important decisions or any moment when someone seeks wisdom and openness to God's will.
Meaning
What the words mean
The image of fire represents God's transforming love. Asking the Spirit to renew the face of the earth moves the prayer beyond personal help toward renewal of the whole world.
History
Where this prayer comes from
Invocations of the Holy Spirit have deep roots in Christian liturgy and devotion. This familiar Catholic formula combines an ancient invocation with language drawn especially from the Psalms and the Church's prayer tradition.
Scripture
Biblical connections
John 14:26
Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will teach and remind His disciples of what He has told them.
Romans 8:26
St Paul teaches that the Spirit assists Christians in their weakness and helps them in prayer.
Catholic teaching
Catechism connections
CCC 2670
The Catechism says that whenever Christians begin to pray, the Holy Spirit draws them along the way of prayer and encourages the invocation Come, Holy Spirit.
CCC 2672
The Catechism calls the Holy Spirit the interior Master of Christian prayer.
Understand
Common questions
Why do Catholics say Come, Holy Spirit?
They ask the Holy Spirit for grace, wisdom, love and help in prayer because He is God and the third Person of the Trinity.
When should I pray Come, Holy Spirit?
It is particularly useful before prayer, study, Scripture reading, discernment or an important decision, although it can be prayed at any time.
Is the Holy Spirit God?
Yes. Catholic faith professes one God in three divine Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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