Shudathmayaneni Lyrics by Rev. Fr Terence Kithsiri

O Holy Spirit,
O Holy Spirit,
bringing your pure gifts,
come to us

Wisdom, and knowledge,
discernment, the fear of God,
understanding, and fortitude,
piety toward God,
give to us

Give the inner peace of the heart,
grant it to our hearts,
filling us with your Holy Spirit,
bringing the power of healing,
come to us

The power of evil that enslaves in sin,
that drives God far away,
cut it down and break it apart
give us the strength
to overcome the evil one

This is a hymn that prays for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the traditional list drawn from the prophet Isaiah and cherished especially in the sacrament of Confirmation. It calls the Spirit near, “bringing your pure gifts, come to us,” and then names those gifts almost like a litany: “wisdom, and knowledge, discernment, the fear of God, understanding, and fortitude, piety toward God.” Each is a grace the believer cannot manufacture in himself but must receive, and so he simply asks, “give to us.”

The middle verse turns from the mind to the heart. Beyond wisdom and understanding, the singer longs for something the Spirit alone can give, “the inner peace of the heart,” and asks to be filled with the Spirit and with “the power of healing.” It is a reminder that the gifts are not just for knowing rightly but for being whole and at rest.

The final verse names the enemy the gifts are meant to fight. “The power of evil that enslaves in sin, that drives God far away,” is the real threat, and the prayer grows urgent, “cut it down and break it apart.” The last request is for the strength to win: “give us the strength to overcome the evil one.” What the listener is left with is the full purpose of the Spirit’s gifts, not decoration for the soul but weapons and comfort for a real battle, wisdom and peace and courage poured into a heart so that it can be free of sin, close to God, and victorious over evil.