Finger the Cruciform Bead and Pray:
Most Glorious God, Heavenly Father, enlighten the darkness of our hearts and give us a true faith, a certain hope, and a perfect love. Give us a sense of the Divine and a knowlege of yourself, so that we may do everything in fulfillment of your Holy Will. All this we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
1st Meditation:
Read the following passage from Isaiah 11:1-5:
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD—and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
You may wish to meditate on the following questions:
- What does this passage say about our Savior? What qualities will the Spirit bestow upon him?
- This passage tells us what the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit are (see the bolded words in the passage). What do you think about the groupings of gifts? What does this say to you?
- Which of these gifts do you utilize most often? Think of a time you have used one of the gifts. Imagine yourself using one of the gifts you are not accustomed to.
- In this passage, a picture is painted of the Spirit; is the spirit strong or gentle in this passage?
