"In times of great need
in the Church and in the world,
and when great calamities threaten -
such as war, hurricane or famine -
litanies should be prayed
publicly and privately
for the common good."
Litanies have long been a beloved form of prayer
in the Holy Catholic Church.
The word "litany" comes from the Latin litania,
which means "to entreat".
While litanies can vary in length, subject, and responses
they all share a common form
of invocation and response.
You are probably most familiar with
the Litany of the Saints - the most ancient of all litanies.
In this litany we pray,
"St. Michael -- pray for us.
St. Peter -- pray for us."
and so on...
In all, we ask for prayers from more than 55 Saints!
Why the repetition?
The response of a litany is often
repeated over and over during the prayer.
Some of the responses include
"pray for us",
"have mercy on us",
or "hear us, O Lord".
The repetition of a litany is similar to when
you pray the Rosary or the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
The repetition allows you to place emphasis
on your beliefs or devotion.
The words form a rhythm to encourage our meditation.
The rhythm becomes like a song
with a chorus that is repeated between verses.
"Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us...
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of Gold, pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, pray for us..."
(from The Litany of Loreto -
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
While there are only six litanies approved for use
during public prayer,
there are hundreds more
that can be prayed privately.
This wonderful book,
A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies,
contains 116
of the most popular Catholic litanies.
The litanies found in this book
have been compiled from a variety of sources with rich legacies:
old prayer books, leaflets, prayer cards,
old Catholic books, manuals for use by priests,
and little booklets.
This is not only a tremendous resource,
but a place to preserve some of the
most beautiful private prayers
for the Church.
"Litanies said as a prayer bring a wonderful variety
to one's daily prayer routine
and beautifully complement meditation,
the Rosary and other vocal prayers."
An excellent resource for personal prayer,
this book has also been arranged for use by groups.
The priest, deacon, or leader prays the invocations
while the congregation reads the responses
which are printed in italics.
There is a litany here for just about every
conceivable need or purpose.
Here are some samples of the litanies you will find:
Litany of the Most Holy Trinity
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Father from Whom are all things, have mercy on us.
Son through Whom are all things, have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost in Whom are all things, have mercy on us.
Holy and undivided Trinity, have mercy on us...
***
Litany of Divine Providence
God, wonderful and inscrutable in Thy plans,
have mercy on us.
God, in Whose hands is our life, have mercy on us.
God, from Whom all good things and every
perfect gift comes, have mercy on us.
Thou Who hast made all things for the service of man,
have mercy on us.
Thou Who governest all with wisdom and love,
have mercy on us.
Thou Who dost clothe the lilies of the field and feed
the birds of the air, have mercy on us.
Thou Who dost number the hairs of our head,
have mercy on us...
***
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness,
save us.
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us.
Blood of Christ, river of mercy, save us.
Blood of Christ, Victor over demons, save us.
Blood of Christ, Courage of martyrs, save us.
Blood of Christ, Strength of confessors, save us.
Blood of Christ, Help of those in peril, save us.
Blood of Christ, Relief of the burdened, save us.
Blood of Christ, Solace in sorrow, save us...
***
Litany of Saint Joseph (Litany 1)
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Illustrious son of David, pray for us.
Light of the patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Foster-father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Watchful defender of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us...
Pillar of families, pray for us.
Solace of the afflicted, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us...
***
Plus, Litanies for over 40 Saints, including:
Saint Joseph
Saint Anne
Saint John the Baptist
Saint Peter
Saint Paul
Saint Jude
Saint Philomena
Saint Benedict
Saint Francis
Saint Clare
Saint Anthony
Saint Gerard
Saint Rita of Cascia
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A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies
$24.95
Hardcover
374 pages
Imprimi Potest
Nihil Obstat
Imprimatur
Compiled by
Father Albert J. Hebert, S.M.
Order online now or call
1.866.522.8465
www.catholiccompany.com
Table of Contents:
ORIGINAL PUBLISHER'S PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Litanies in Honor of Almighty God
Litanies Devoted to Our Lord Jesus Christ
Eucharistic Litanies
Litanies of the Child Jesus
Litanies of the Holy Spirit
Litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Litanies of the Angels and Archangels
Litanies of the Saints
Litanies for Particular Needs and Intentions
Other Responsory Prayers - Petitions, Praises, Prayers, Promises
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You may also be interested in this related set:
Favorite Litanies and Novenas Set
Set on sale for $28.80
This discounted set includes:
A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies &
Catholic Book of Novenas.
Items also sold separately.
The Catholic Book of Novenas offers more than thirty
of the most popular Novenas
specifically arranged in accord with the Liturgical Year.
Written by popular author, Rev. L.G. Lovasik, S.V.D.,
this Catholic Book of Novenas has an
embossed tan vinyl cover
and is an excellent volume for private prayer.
Inside are full color images of Christ's life,
and the text is Large Print.
Novenas include those for Advent, Christmas, Lent,
Easter and other Holy Days, as well as for Mary,
the angels and saints, and for personal needs.
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