“Go and teach all nations…”

Benedict XVI made praying for missionaries
a particular focus for the month of May
. By way of Katolik
Shinja
(one of my favorite blogs), I
found this novena to the Holy Spirit
, which is traditionally started
on the
Feast of the Ascension (today), and leads up to Pentecost.

I plan on saying this novena
with a particular intention for all missionaries and for a greater
infusion of missionary
spirit within the Church. Anyone care to join me?

6 thoughts on ““Go and teach all nations…”

  1. Tom Smith

    Actually, the tradition is to start a novena on the day after Ascension Thursday, but not a novena to the Holy Spirit. The traditional novena is one to return heretics and schismatics to the fold of Holy Church. The Catholic Culture article states that a novena to the Holy Spirit was recited by the Apostles leading up to Pentecost, but I highly doubt it was anything like the one they have on their site, which features rather vague prayers and a daily versicle set to the rhythm of Stabat Mater.

    Also, it doesn’t make much sense to start a Pentecost novena on Ascension Thursday, because you’re done on the Friday before, and then just chillin’ for a few days. The idea is that you should be done the day before the feast being prepared for.

    Citation according to my 1943 St. Andrew’s Missal (an absolute WEALTH of information which I recommend to all Catholics): “The novena preparatory to Pentecost prescribed by Leo XIII for the return of heretics and schismatics to the unity of the Church of Rome begins on Friday after the Ascension.”

  2. Tom Smith

    don’t get me wrong; you can say whatever novena you like (and I encourage variation). It’s just that the traditional one is the one I cited.

  3. Jerry Post author

    Eh, well, that novena’ll work, too. 🙂

    I would submit, however, that even us nominally non-heretical Christians could use some of that Holy Spirit, which in turn would probably make some heretics feel better about hooking up again with the winning team!

  4. Jerry Nora

    Sweet. Find yours at Sacred Heart, then? Or maybe Caliban or Townsend? Fr. Joe and my dad found some cool stuff at the Craig St. stores.

  5. Tom Smith

    The St. Andrew’s Missal was published by the Brothers of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Andrew, located in Bruges, Belgium. It was published from, I think, the 1930s-50s, under the abbacy of Theodore, at least. Anyway, it’s a daily missal, and has a summary of the theme of each day’s Mass, as well as a short hagiography for each day of the sanctoral cycle. Also, prior to each liturgical season, it contains three notes: a liturgical, an historical, and a doctrinal note, each of which are full of information regarding the significance of the season’s ceremonies. You can find an answer to almost any liturgical or liturgy-related question with one of these.

    The St. Andrew’s Missal is the most informative missal one can find. Obviously, they’re very much out of print, since they don’t really work as missals any more (not since the Novus Ordo Missae). Also, the edition I have has a number of rich, iconographic engravings.

  6. Jerry Nora

    What’s the story with this St. Andrew’s missal? I’ve never heard of it before. Who published it? It sounds perhaps Ango-Scottish? They’re the Westerners most into St. Andrew…

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