Spiritu Sancti Seven Doves

Seven Mourning Doves eating seeds and corn under our main feeder this morning



Seven doves surrounding a circle which contains the letters "SS" (Spiritu Sancti, Latin for Holy Spirit) represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit given in Revelation 5:12 — power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise. A different list of seven gifts from Isaiah 11:2,3 — wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord, and delight in the Lord — is sometimes used in the interpretation.



Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who,
before ascending into heaven,
didst promise to send the Holy Ghost
to finish Thy work in the souls
of Thy Apostles and Disciples,
deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me,
that He may perfect in my soul
the work of Thy grace and Thy love.

Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom
that I may despise the perishable things of this world
and aspire only after the things that are eternal,

the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind
with the light of Thy divine truth,

the Spirit of Counsel
that I may ever choose the surest way
of pleasing God and gaining Heaven,

the Spirit of Fortitude
that I may bear my cross with Thee,
and that I may overcome with courage
all the obstacles that oppose my salvation,

the Spirit of Knowledge
that I may know God and know myself
and grow perfect in the science of the Saints,

the Spirit of Piety
that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable,

the Spirit of Fear
that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God,
and may dread in any way to displease Him.
Mark me, dear Lord,
with the sign of Thy true disciples
and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit.

Amen.