Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts

Since listening more to Catholic radio and following more Catholic media and social media, I’ve learned quite a lot that I had no idea about growing up as a “Cradle Catholic” in the 80s and 90s. This morning was no different. It has been one of those days where I heard something new, and then to make sure that the point was really hammered home, it has been coming up all morning. What I heard about today was the Pentecost Novena, or the Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts.

Sunday Bagels

One reason why we’ve made the decision to drive 10km for Mass every Sunday instead of going to the local parish church in our neighbourhood is the group of friends that we’ve gotten to know over the last couple of years.

TOB002 – 1979.09.12 – Analysis of the Biblical Account of Creation

Saint Pope John Paul II begins his second audience on the Theology of the Body and more specifically the Original Unity of Man and Woman by reviewing how in his previous audience he had begun discussion on “the beginning” in accord with Jesus’ words when asked about the indissolubility of marriage by the Pharisees. They appealed to divorce being allowed in the Mosaic Law, but Christ went back to “the beginning” quoting Genesis.

TOB001 – 1979.09.05 – The Unity and Indissolubility of Marriage

My wife and I have recently started a journey through Saint Pope John Paul II’s Catechises on the Theology of the Body. Each week we will go through one of his general audience teachings, and I will give a brief summary of each.

In the first teaching on September 5, 1979, JPII mentions the upcoming ordinary synod on the role of the Christian family and discusses how fundamental the family has been from the beginning. He draws us to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark where Jesus talks about marriage and uses the very expression “from the beginning” breaking down for us what the “beginning” truly means in this context.