The Veni Creator Spiritus is one of the oldest and most beloved hymns to the Holy Spirit in Christian tradition. Written by Rabanus Maurus in the 9th century, it has been sung at ordinations, consecrations, and the opening of councils for more than a thousand years. Pray it today when you need the fire and clarity that only the Third Person of the Trinity can give.
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
This hymn asks the Holy Spirit to take up residence in the human heart, to fill what He Himself created. The language is bold: “Creator blest,” not merely sanctifier. 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 archbishop of Mainz, and his hymn has been used at papal conclaves, ordinations, and the dedication of churches since the medieval period.
The prayer moves from invocation (“Come”) to doctrine (“through thee alone know we the Father and the Son”) to petition (“may the Son on us bestow the gifts that from the Spirit flow”). It is simultaneously a theological statement and a cry for help. The gifts it asks for are not specified, which is the genius of the text: you bring your need, the Spirit brings the answer.
Pray it slowly before any serious work, before opening Scripture, or before a difficult conversation. The Church has prayed it at the opening of every session of the Second Vatican Council. If it steadied the bishops in 1962, it will steady you today.
Carry it through this morning.
