Bible Service To Honour
The Holy Spirit

This scripture service is so structured as to be
suitable for either community or for private use.
Each reading is followed by a period of silence, and
these reflective silences are the very heart of the
service. The periods may be prolonged at will.
Certain suggestions have been made for using these
pauses, but they are only suggestions.

Opening Hymn

Veni Creator

Come, Holy Spirit, Maker, come
and with Your servant live;
to hearts that You Yourself have made
Your grace from heaven give.
We name You as our Strengthener,
God’s Gift from out His height;
Love’s-self, and Fire, and Course of life,
Soul’s-hardening for the fight.
God’s finger writing in our hearts,
Yourself seven times a gift;
the Father’s solemn Promise, You
with words our tongue enriched.
A Flame to guide our senses, Light;
with love our hearts Endower;
the failings of our flesh supply
with never-failing Power.
Still further yet drive back our foe,
and straightway give Your peace;
with You before us leading on
may we from all wrong cease.
Through You may we the Father know,
and learn through You the Son;
have faith in You for evermore,
of both the Spirit one.
All glory to the Father be,
and to the risen Son;
all glory, Spirit, be to You
while endless ages run.

Pause in silence for a while, remembering
that it is the Spirit who prays in us, who
has brought us to this prayer. Alone, we
are like our Lord, led by the Spirit into
the wilderness alone; as a group, it is
through the working of the Holy Spirit
that gathers us together. Reflect on
the presence of the Spirit – in all things,
in my own soul, in the Word of God
which the Spirit has inspired.

First Reading Ezechiel 36:24-28

Thus says the Lord:
Through you I shall manifest My holiness
in the sight of the nations. I shall take you
out of the midst of the nations, gather you
together from every foreign land. I shall
pour clean water over you, and you will be
cleansed of all your stains. And I shall give
you a new heart, put a new spirit within
you. I shall take that heart of stone out of
you, and give you a heart of flesh. It is My
own spirit that I shall put into you; and I
shall cause you to walk in the way of My
commandments; and observe and do all
that I command. Yes, you will be My people
and I shall be Your God.

* Pause in silence
* I ask myself, am I a sign to the world that
God, who makes holy the human heart,
is at work in me?
* Is mine a heart of stone – or one of
flesh, docile to the leading of the Holy
Spirit?
* Do I really want to be different: to be
cleansed of all my sinfulness: to live a
daily newness of spirit?
* Let me ask God to do as promised; and
myself promise to place no obstacle in
God’s way.

Psalm 51

As you are merciful, have mercy on me,
God; as you abound in mercy,
wipe out my sin.
wash me clean of my guilt,
cleanse me from the wrong I have done.
I acknowledge my sin; the wrong I have done
is always before me.
I have sinned against you, you alone:
and have done what is evil in your sight:
therefore is your sentence shown to be just;
Your judgment upright.
Yes, I was born a sinner;
It was a sinner my mother conceived;
but you take pleasure in uprightness of heart,
and deep within me you teach me wisdom.
Wash me, then, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be white as snow.
Let me hear the word that will make me be glad and rejoice,
and I whom you have stricken will exult.
Turn away your face from my sins;
wipe out all my wrong-doing.
Create in me a clean heart, O God;
make the spirit within me
upright once more.
Do not cast me out of your sight;
do not take your spirit of holiness away from me.
Give me again the joy of your salvation,
and strengthen me with an eager heart.
I will teach sinners your ways,
and wrong-doers will turn back to you.
O God, God of my salvation,
deliver me from my guilt;
let my tongue have cause to rejoice
in your goodness.
You, Lord, will open my lips,
and I will proclaim your praise.
In sacrifice you take no pleasure;
if I made a burnt-offering,
You would not be pleased.
The sacrifice I offer, my God,
is a contrite heart;
a broken and contrite heart, O God,
You will not scorn.

Second Reading Hebrews 10:5a,9a,10-17

Christ, coming into the world, says,

Behold, I come to do your will, O God.
And in that ‘will’ we have been made
holy through the offering, made once
and for all, of the body of Jesus Christ.
Every other priest stands to his task every
day, again and again offering those same
sacrifices – which can never take away
sins. However, Jesus, having offered a
single sacrifice for sins for ever, sits at the
right hand of God, where he waits until
His enemies are made his footstool. For,
through that one sacrifice, he has per-
fected for all time those whom he has
sanctified. Of this, the Holy Spirit
Himself assures us.

For first he says,

When that day comes, says the Lord, this
is the covenant I will make with them -
I will put my laws into their hearts; I will
Write them in their minds.

And then he goes on,

And I will no more remember their sins
and offences.

* Pause in silence
* Try to experience wordlessly this assur-
ance of the Holy Spirit – and the deep
peace and serene joy which comes from
knowing that God is in us, that our sins
are forgiven, that we have been made
holy.
* With your heart lifted up to the Spirit,
and your mind fixed on the Spirit,
mentally repeat, in rhythm with your
breathing, single words such as ‘holy’,
‘you’, ‘Lord’, etc.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. Alleluia.
Through the Spirit who has been given us,
alleluia,
our sins are forgiven;
and we are made people of God,
alleluia,
through the Spirit who has been given us.
We have received the Holy Spirit,
The advocate,
alleluia,
whom that Father has sent in Jesus’ name.
to abide with us,
alleluia,
and to teach us all truth.
Let us, therefore, love the Spirit,
and adhere to the Spirit through that love
Which is poured abroad in our hearts,
alleluia,
through the Spirit who has been given us.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Gospel Reading John 14:15-17; 25-27

If you love me, keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father, who will give you
another advocate, to remain with you for
ever. This is the Spirit of truth. The world
cannot receive the Spirit, for it neither sees
nor knows the Spirit; but you will know the
Spirit, for the Spirit will remain with you
and will be in you. I have said these things
to you, while here with you. But the Holy
Spirit, the paraclete, whom the Father will
send in my name – will teach you every-
thing, and will remind you of everything I
told you. I leave you peace; I give you my
peace – and my gift surpasses what the
world calls peace. Do not, then, allow your
hearts to be troubled or afraid.

* Pause in silence.
* Take yourself in spirit to join that little
band in the upper room of the last
supper.
* Look at the people there, considering
who they are and what they are destined
to become.
* Listen to our Lord as he speaks, and
experience for yourself the hope and
strength and the confidence to serve him
which comes with his promise of the
Spirit.
* Experience in yourself the peace which
He imparts.
* Speak to our Lord as the thoughts and
affections of your heart will direct.

General Intercessions

Come Holy Spirit upon the Church:
so strengthen and enlighten it
that it may work effectively
for the salvation of all peoples.
Come, Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit, give counsel and wisdom
to our holy father the Pope
and to all bishops
for the governing of your people.
Come, Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit, give to your people
the outpouring of your grace:
teach, console and enlighten
all to whom you have been given.
Come, Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit, cleanse our hearts
of all ill will,
and fill us with love towards all.
Come, Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit and with your light
enlighten those who govern us,
that they may see what is right
and in your strength perform it.
Come, Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit, bond of unity and peace,
and hasten the unity of all peoples in Christ;
take from our midst the scourge of war,
and from our hearts the cause of war.
Come, Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit, descend upon all
who have been baptised into Christ:
break down the barriers which divide,
strengthen the bonds which unite,
and make all one in faith and love.
Come, Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit, and in your kindness
heal the sick and receive the dying,
counsel the doubtful,
console the despairing,
let all hearts come to rest in you.
Come, Holy Spirit.

Final Hymn

O breathe on me, breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.

O breathe on me, breath of God
until my heart is pure:
until with thee I have one will
to do and to endure.

O breathe on me, breath of God,
till I am wholly thine,
until this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.

O breathe on me, breath of God,
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life,
of thine eternity.