Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge.
We are surrounded by “knowledge” these days. Information is everywhere. With just the click of a mouse or the tap of a screen, we can easily know everything from the latest sports scores to the weather next week (maybe) to the most recent celebrity gossip. But is this easy access to information a good thing? It may be, depending on how we use it, but it can also be extremely overwhelming, tiring, and even irritating.
So we ask the Holy Spirit to grant us the only necessary knowledge. We ask Him to help us prioritize what we need to know and to put first things first. What is this “only necessary knowledge”? It is knowledge of God. And by “knowledge,” we don’t mean just some vague idea of God. We don’t even mean the most complex and intricate theology. We mean a knowledge that entails personal experience, a knowledge that is an intimate relationship. This is the kind of knowledge the Holy Spirit will grant us if we ask Him and then open our hearts to receive His gift.
Holy Spirit, inspire in us the practice of good.
St. Paul captures a feeling that all of us have probably experienced at one time or another: “For the good which I will, I do not; but the evil which I will not, that I do” (Romans 7:19). We human beings are perverse creatures. We are weak and inconsistent, always knowing what we should do and often failing to do it and doing just the opposite instead.
The Holy Spirit inspires us in our efforts to do good, and He gives us the grace we need to actually do the good we desire. When we ask Him, He will nudge us toward a deeper relationship with God, more fruitful prayer, and more effective service toward our neighbors. He will show us what is good, and help us desire and achieve that good. But we have to be willing to listen and respond.
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