Prayer · Christian practice

Veni Sancte Spiritus

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Veni, Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.

A short Latin invocation to the Holy Spirit, said before study, before a meeting, and before anything requiring judgement. It is not the Pentecost sequence of the same first words, which is a long hymn — this is the three-line versicle.

Source: Latin invocation to the Holy Spirit; versicle used before study and deliberation

The count shown here is Japa's suggestion, not a rule of the tradition. Follow the form and number you were taught.

Not counted on beads

How many times

Japa suggests three times a day. Follow the number you were taught.

Japa counts this one without a mala: a plain daily number rather than a ring of beads, with the words kept in view while you say them. Counting is unlimited and free.

Open this practice in Japa

Opens a preview of this practice, with an option to add it in Japa 1.6 or later. If you install the app, return here and open the link again.

What the words say

Veni — come. Reple tuorum corda fidelium — fill the hearts of your faithful. Et tui amoris in eis ignem accende — and kindle in them the fire of your love. The two images are Pentecost's: the Spirit filling a room, and fire.

Where it comes from

The versicle circulated in the Western office and became the customary opening of academic and deliberative sessions; it is the prayer traditionally said at the opening of a conclave and of chapter meetings. The sequence Veni, Sancte Spiritus, sung at Pentecost, is a separate and longer text attributed to Stephen Langton.

How it is practised

Said once at the opening of study or of a gathering. Three here is this app's framing. It is not recited in Latin by a synthesised voice in this app, deliberately: a general-purpose Italian synthesiser does not know ecclesiastical Latin, and would be guessing.

References

Roman Ritual, versicle Veni Sancte Spiritus
Distinct from the Pentecost sequence attributed to Stephen Langton

Keep it, and count it every day.

Japa keeps this text beside a large, calm counter on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with a haptic for every bead and an optional bell at the end of each round. Counting is unlimited and free.

Get Japa on the App Store