“Veni, Sancte Spiritu,” Come, Holy Spirit.
The sequence from the Mass of Pentecost Sunday invoking the guidance and consolation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
It has become a daily meditation and communal prayer for the cardinals gathered in Rome. It is not just a prayer chanted yearly for them now, it is an urgent and intimate plea to the most important Person in their lives to speak to them, be with them, lead them, help them, as they make one of the most important decisions of their lives.
Come, Holy Spirit, send forth the heavenly radiance of your light.
Come, father of the poor, come giver of gifts, come, light of the heart.
Greatest comforter, sweet guest of the soul, sweet consolation.
In labor, rest, in heat, temperance, in tears, solace.
O most blessed light, fill the inmost heart of your faithful.
Without your divine will, there is nothing in man, nothing is harmless.
Wash that which is unclean, water that which is dry, heal that which is wounded.
Bend that which is inflexible, warm that which is chilled, make right that which is wrong.
Give to your faithful, who rely on you, the sevenfold gifts.
Give reward to virtue, give salvation at our passing on, give eternal joy.
Amen. Alleluia.
Amen, and amen.
May the 115 cardinal electors about to enter the conclave to select the next man set to be crucified upside-down be instruments of that same Holy Spirit. May the man whom they select be utterly dependent on the Holy Spirit for his every breath. May we the faithful be united in prayer with them, and become docile sheep of our new shepherd on earth.
The Holy Spirit descends upon Mary, who was already on intimate terms with this Person of the Trinity, and the Apostles, who were (initially anyway) less sure.