Holy Spirit

Ken Canedo

(Based on 11 votes)

Reviews | You Rate It | Lyrics | Artist Reflection

Reviews

Samantha from Seattle, WA on May 10, 2008
I love the music! I will be singing a verse on Pentecost this year in our children's choir. Mr. Canedo, I am very happy you wrote this song!

Betty from Beaverton, OR on September 11, 2006
Singing this in choir fills me with wonder and awe. Thank you, Ken, for such a powerful
prayer to the Holy Spririt.

Angie from Parkhill on June 5, 2006
This is a great song and it really reminds me of my Confirmation that I made 3 years ago. Thank you very much for this song. It really inspires me.

Alessandra from Niskayuna, NY on June 4, 2006
This song was played at my First Communion last year when it fell on the same day as Pentecost. My mom has been trying to find it for a year! So happy we have found it.

Nancy from Santa Rosa on June 1, 2006
We are singing it at Holy Spirit Church for Pentecost.
We all love it!

Lyrics

Ostinato Refrain: All
Holy Spirit, come into our lives.
Holy Spirit, make us truly wise.
Verses: Cantor
1. Give us a spirit of wisdom,
an understanding heart.
Give us a spirit of knowledge,
and lead us to the truth.
2. Give us a spirit of courage,
and judgment that is wise.
Give us a spirit of reverence,
of wonder and of awe.
3. Spirit of love and compassion,
give hope to all the poor.
Spirit of justice and mercy,
come open every door.
4. Spirit of all consolation,
O lift our hearts this day.
Spirit of all understanding,
O help us know your way.
5. Spirit of light and of wisdom,
O lift us from our sorrow.
Spirit of peace and forgiveness,
O help us face tomorrow.
6. Spirit of strength and of healing,
bend stubborn heart and will.
Spirit of trust and of caring,
O melt us, warm our chill.

Artist Reflection

When I was youth minister at St. Monica Parish in Moraga, California, I used to compose a new song for each year's Confirmation class. The candidates would learn their song in the middle of the year and sing it as the opening prayer for each session. By the time we celebrated the sacrament in May they knew the song well and sang it with all their hearts. That is the context from which this song was composed.

First, the song had to be simple and catchy for our youth musicians. That's why I chose to use only three chords arranged as a rock riff. The refrain is a loose rendering of the church's traditional invocation of the Holy Spirit: "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, . . . that we may be truly wise and always rejoice in your consolation."

I also wanted my candidates to learn and appreciate the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, as expressed in the first and second verses:

Give us a spirit of WISDOM . . .

- Wisdom gives us the perspective we need to see problems and situations as they really are, to see things from God's point of view.

. . . an UNDERSTANDING heart. . .

- A person who is understanding accepts others just as they are and cares for people who are forgotten and ignored.

Give us a spirit of KNOWLEDGE, and lead us to the truth.

- We need knowledge to help us make sense of this complex world. Education is our way to develop God's gift of knowledge.

Give us a spirit of COURAGE . . .

- Courage is the strength to do the right thing, no matter what obstacles, challenges or temptations come our way.

. . . and JUDGMENT that is wise.

- We need the gift of right judgment to help us face the big and small decisions of life, everything from the choice to drive safely to the question of which college to attend.

Give us a spirit of REVERENCE . . .

- Reverence helps us to see the true value of every person and of everything that God has created.

. . . of WONDER and of AWE.

- This is the gift that helps us to realize how the awesome and powerful God who created the universe still chooses to be present in our lives as gentle, loving, and forgiving.

I truly believe that if the only thing that stays with our young people after Confirmation is an appreciation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, then we youth ministers have done our job. The gifts of the Spirit can help today's generation to deal with the many challenges they face while growing up in this fast-paced world. The Spirit can lead to inner peace and help give clear direction to one's life. Holy Spirit, come into our lives!

- Ken Canedo