The Veni Creator Spiritus is one of the Church’s oldest hymns to the Holy Spirit, composed by Rabanus Maurus in the 9th century. It has been sung at ordinations, consecrations, and the opening of councils for over a thousand years. Pray it today when you need the Spirit’s fire to kindle what has grown cold, or when you are about to begin something that requires more than your own strength.
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
And in our hearts take up thy rest;
Come with thy grace and heavenly aid,
To fill the hearts which thou hast made.O Comforter, to thee we cry,
Thou heavenly gift of God most high,
Thou Fount of life, and Fire of love,
And sweet anointing from above.O Holy Ghost, through thee alone
Know we the Father and the Son;
Be this our firm unchanging creed,
That thou dost from them both proceed.Praise we the Father and the Son,
And Holy Spirit, with them one;
And may the Son on us bestow
The gifts that from the Spirit flow.Amen.
Rabanus Maurus, 9th century
How this prayer works
The prayer asks the Holy Spirit to take up residence in the heart, to fill what is empty, and to teach what cannot be learned by study alone. It names the Spirit as Comforter, Fount of life, Fire of love, the One through whom we know the Father and the Son. Rabanus Maurus was a Benedictine abbot and theologian who became Archbishop of Mainz; his hymn entered the Roman liturgy and has been prayed at every papal conclave since the Middle Ages.
Pray it slowly this morning, one stanza at a time. Let the second stanza sit with you: the Spirit as fire, as fountain, as oil poured out. These are not metaphors for comfort alone but for transformation. The Spirit does not leave things as they are.
If you are facing a decision, beginning a new work, or feeling spiritually dry, this is the prayer of the day to carry with you. It is short enough to memorize, old enough to trust. Pray it before you open your laptop, before you speak to someone you have been avoiding, before you sit down to write or teach or parent. The Spirit fills the hearts He has made.
Carry it through this morning.
