  urlLink DAY ONE Even though the feast of the Ascension is being celebrated on Sunday in most U.S. dioceses, the traditional "Ascension Thursday" was yesterday.
That is the signal to begin the Novena to the Holy Spirit the next day. According to urlLink Novena: The Power of Prayer : This is the oldest novena, dating back to the very birth of the church and its importance cannot be underestimated.
When Christ first appeared to the apostles forty days after the crucifixion, he sent them to Jerusalem to await the Holy spirit and instructed them to pray for nine days. This novena, written in the Middle Ages, is said for nine days prior to Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter, and is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light, strength, love, and wisdom needed by all. 
