Favorite prayer

A favorite prayer of mine is St. Augustine’s prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit,  that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy. Amen.

Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.

When a man sees a woman dressed in tight- fitting clothes with a plunging neckline, wouldn’t it cross his mind that the woman may be not be a virgin anymore? And if the woman is young and linking arms with an older foreigner, would one not think that this minor is a lost child?

Years back, when I visited my late father in prison, I couldn’t help but be scared at the sight of the inmates I met.  I cringed inside as I judged them as hard-core criminals. I failed to think what good they still have in their hearts and that maybe circumstances merely drove them to be in prison.

St. Paul told the people in Philippi to “fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.”

Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.

A man’s work is holy when he is faithful in all his duties and relations in life. In all things he does, in the office or at home, by himself or with people, he will always be guided by the motive to help others. In his letter to the Colossians, St. Paul reminds us to “work willingly” at whatever we do, as though we were “working for the Lord rather than for people.”

Our work is holy when we strive to be good husbands and good wives, good parents and good children, good masters and good servants, good neighbors, good friends, good subjects, good in private and good in public, good in the place of business and good by their firesides. Laziness is not being holy.

Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy.

Back in high school, I loved Wednesdays because this is the time when my friend and I would go to this old man who “sharpens” our “psychic powers.” He would touch my head, look at the areas around my body and tell me if my aura is good or bad. If it’s good, he told me that whatever I would say that day will do bring luck to others. But if my aura is broken, he cautioned me not to say anything bad because it will harm other people.

I believed in such power especially that in the middle of a class, I saw a student, stricken with polio and wearing crutches pass by. I muttered something like she may fall. Before I could even bat my eyelash, the student really fell in the corridor. Earlier that afternoon, the old man warned me that my aura was broken!

But when I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior, I let go of this love for psychic power. I know this isn’t holy. Today, I only believed in the power of the cross, the one saving grace of our Lord who died for our sins so we can all get access to Heaven. And the holy name of Jesus is the best thing to utter always, not any power of the tongue.

Strengthen me, Holy Spirit,  that I may defend all that is holy.

It is sad to see a mother hiding a son who has just killed a man or is hooked on drugs because she professes that this is a mother’s great love for her child. It is unfortunate that even if we know that our friend is telling a lie, we still cover up for him. To defend what is holy is to show a tougher kind of love—to right a wrong even if it hurts. This is true charity and brotherly kindness, abhorring  all lying, slandering, backbiting, cheating, dishonesty, and unfair dealing, even if our loved ones are involved. It’s tough but that’s real love.

Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.

A holy man will always be humble. He will put others better than himself.  He will see more evil in his own heart than in any other in the world. He will understand something of Abraham’s feeling, when he said, “I am dust and ashes”;  Jacob’s, when he said, “I am less than the least of all Thy mercies”;  Job’s, when he said, “I am vile”; and Paul’s, when he said, “I am chief of sinners.”

To be holy, “there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5: 4-5)

Simply understood, St. Augustine’s prayer reminds us that only with the help of the Holy Spirit we can become holy. The Holy Spirit will transform us and conform us to the image of Christ whom we should emulate in the life we have now. If we desire to go to heaven after death, we MUST strive to BE HOLY.