Novena for Pentecost, day nine

On many novenas for Pentecost or to the Holy Spirit the last gift we pray for is, bizarrely, the one that is almost always listed first; the spirit of wisdom. It puzzled me a little as to why so many novenas seem to ask the Spirit to bestow his gifts on us in reverse order. But I think that the reason for this is that, although all of these gifts are equal in worth and all bring us into a more intimate knowledge of the divine, allowing the Holy Spirit to work within and through us, wisdom is...something else, something more. A gift that, in many ways, requires of us to have some experience of all of the others before we can receive this one and have it bear fruit within us. Wisdom is more than a deep reverence of God, more than a knowledge and understanding of him, more than the courage and good judgement to carry out his will. Wisdom is...summed up best, I think, by the book of Wisdom itself. For instance it says;

"She [Wisdom] is a breath of the power of God,
pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty;
hence nothing impure can find a way into her.
She is a reflection of the eternal light,
untarnished mirror of God's active power,
image of his goodness.
She is indeed more splendid than the sun,
she outshines all the constellations;
compared with light, she takes the first place,
for light must yield to night,
but to Wisdom evil can never triumph.
She deploys her strength from one end of the earth to the other,
ordering all things for good." (Wisdom 7:25-26, 29-30)

What better a gift to ask for on this, the last day of our novena? What more could we ask for, what else could we want to take root within us but the spirit of wisdom?

Veni Creator Spiritus (Hymn)
1. Veni, creator Spiritus
mentes tuorum visita,
imple superna gratia,
quae tu creasti pectora.

2. Qui diceris Paraclitus,
altissimi donum Dei,
fons vivus, ignis, caritas
et spiritalis unctio.

3. Tu septiformis munere,
digitus paternae dexterae
tu rite promissum Patris
sermone ditans guttura.

4. Accende lumen sensibus,
infunde amorem cordibus,
infirma nostri corporis,
virtute firmans perpeti.

5. Hostem repellas longius
pacemque dones protinus;
ductore sic te praevio
vitemus omne noxium.

6. Per te sciamus da Patrem
noscamus atque Filium,
te utriusque Spiritum
credamus omni tempore.

7. Deo Patri sit gloria,
et Filio qui a mortuis
Surrexit, ac Paraclito,
in saeculorum saecula.
Amen.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created
All: And you shall renew the face of the earth

Let us pray
O God who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Sprit we may be always truly wise and always rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

All: O God I adore you, as the third person of the ever blessed Trinity. You are the living love with which the Father and the Son love each other. And you are the author of supernatural love in our hearts. Increase in me this grace of love, in spite of my unworthiness. It is more precious than anything else to in the world. I accept it in place of all the world can give me. It is my life. Amen.
(JH Newman)

Priest: LORD Jesus Christ who before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish your work in the souls of your apostles and disciples, grant the same Holy Spirit to me, to perfect in my soul the work of your grace and your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may not be attached to the passing things of this world, but always look to Heaven. The Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of your divine truth. The Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God. The Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my own cross with you. The Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow more perfect. The Spirit of Piety that I may find service of God sweet and amiable. The Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and avoid what displeases him. Mark me dear Lord with the sign of your true disciples, and animate me in all things with your Spirit. Amen

Regina Caeli (Hymn)

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.