to Jesus through Mary and Joseph
our Litanies, Chaplets & Novenas
Litany
Litanies are prayers to our Lord, his Blessed Mother, and the saints consisting of a series of petitions and responses. Although they are traditionally used in church services, they can also be prayed in private devotions, and may be sung.
The word “litany” itself comes from the Greek word “lite,” meaning “prayer” or “supplication.” In public worship, one person recites the first part of the prayer, which is followed by a response from the congregation (such as “pray for us”)
It was then, in 1601, that Pope Clement VIII officially forbade publication and public recitation of any of these other than the Litany of the Saints and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (also known as the Litany of Loreto).
Since then the Holy See has approved four additional ones for public use. These pay tribute to the Most Holy Name of Jesus, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Most Precious Blood of Jesus and St. Joseph. There are many others that can be used for private prayers, however, such as the Litany of St. Jude, the Litany of St. Therese, a Litany for the Dying, and the Litany of Humility.
Litany of the Saints
The Litany of the saints is one of the oldest Catholic prayers still in use. It was prayed in earlier forms in the procession of St. Mamertus, the Bishop of Vienna, in the fifth century, and in St. Gregory the Great’s Litania Septiformis ("sevenfold procession") of the clergy and the faithful, which followed a terrible spate of floods and disease in Rome in 590. Its stature is such that it is one of only six litanies authorized for use in public services by the Holy See.
The Litany of the Saints is often recited or sung in a shorter form than the one given below (which is itself an abridged version!) on All Saints Day (naturally enough!). It is a moving appeal for help from many of our greatest saints, as well as for divine protection.
The Litany of the Saints is also often a special part of both the Easter Vigil (the mass in which those who have received instruction in our faith are baptized) and Ordination Masses for priests, deacons, and bishops, as well.
It can be prayed alone or in a group setting. (As in a church service, the group responds to a leader with the italicized words below. Each response in the Litany of the Saints is repeated after each line until a change appears.)
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us (repeat after each line)
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
St. Michael, pray for us.
St. Gabriel, pray for us.
St. Raphael, pray for us.
All you holy angels and archangels, pray for us.
All you holy orders of blessed spirits, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
All you holy patriarchs and prophets, pray for us.
St. Peter, pray for us.
St. Paul, pray for us.
St. Andrew, pray for us.
St. James, pray for us.
St. John, pray for us.
St. Thomas, pray for us.
St. James, pray for us.
St. Philip, pray for us.
St. Bartholomew, pray for us.
St. Matthew, pray for us.
St. Simon, pray for us.
St. Thaddeus, pray for us.
St. Matthias, pray for us.
St. Barnabas, pray for us.
St. Luke, pray for us.
St. Mark, pray for us.
All you holy apostles and evangelists, pray for us.
All you holy disciples of our Lord, pray for us.
All you holy innocents, pray for us.
St. Stephen, pray for us.
St. Lawrence, pray for us.
St. Vincent, pray for us.
SS. Fabian and Sebastian, pray for us.
SS. John and Paul, pray for us.
SS. Cosmas and Damian, pray for us.
SS. Gervase and Protase, pray for us.
All you holy Martyrs, pray for us.
St. Sylvester, pray for us.
St. Gregory, pray for us.
St. Ambrose, pray for us.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
St. Jerome, pray for us.
St. Martin, pray for us.
St. Nicholas, pray for us.
All you holy bishops and confessors, pray for us.
All you holy doctors, pray for us.
St. Anthony, pray for us.
St. Benedict, pray for us.
St. Bernard, pray for us.
St. Dominic, pray for us.
St. Francis, pray for us.
All you holy priests and levites, pray for us.
All you holy monks and hermits, pray for us.
St. Mary Magdalen, pray for us.
St. Agatha, pray for us.
St. Lucy, pray for us.
St. Agnes, pray for us.
St. Cecilia, pray for us.
St. Catherine, pray for us.
St. Anastasia, pray for us.
All you holy virgins and widows, pray for us.
All you holy men and women, saints of God, intercede for us.
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.
From all evil, deliver us, O Lord. (repeat after each line)
From all sin, deliver us, O Lord.
From Thy wrath, deliver us, O Lord.
From a sudden and unprovided death, deliver us, O Lord.
From the deciets of the devil, deliver us, O Lord.
From anger, and hatred, and all ill-will, deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of fornication, deliver us, O Lord.
From lightning and tempest, deliver us, O Lord.
From the scourge of earthquakes, deliver us, O Lord.
From plague, famine and war, deliver us, O Lord.
From everlasting death, deliver us, O Lord.
By the mystery of Thy holy incarnation, deliver us, O Lord.
By Thy coming, deliver us, O Lord.
By Thy nativity, deliver us, O Lord.
By Thy baptism and holy fasting, deliver us, O Lord.
By Thy Cross and Passion, deliver us, O Lord.
By Thy Death and burial, deliver us, O Lord.
By Thy holy Resurrection, deliver us, O Lord.
By Thine admirable Ascension, deliver us, O Lord.
By the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete. deliver us, O Lord.
On the day of judgment. deliver us, O Lord.
We sinners, we beseech Thee, hear us (repeat after each line)
That Thou wouldst spare us, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst pardon us, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst bring us to true penance, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to govern and
preserve Thy Holy Church, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to preserve our Apostolic Prelate,
and all ecclesiastical orders in holy religion, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to humble
the enemies of holy Church, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to give peace and
true concord to Christian kings and princes, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to grant peace
and unity to all Christian peoples, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to ring back to the unity of the Church
all who have strayed away, and lead to
the light of the Gospel all unbelievers, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to confirm
and preserve us in Thy holy service, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst lift up our minds
to heavenly desires, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst render eternal blessings
to all our benefactors, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst deliver our souls, and the
souls of our brethren, relatives,
and benefactors from eternal damnation, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to give and
preserve the fruits of the earth, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to grant
eternal rest to all the faithful departed, we beseech Thee, hear us
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe graciously
to hear us, Son of God, we beseech Thee, hear us
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Our Father, etc. (inaudibly)
V. And lead us not into temptation
R. But deliver us from evil.
The Litany of the Saints reminds us of a moving line about them from one of the Eucharistic prayers to God the Father said at Mass: “May their merits and prayers gain us Your constant help and protection.”
Litany of The Blessed Virgin Mary
( Litany of Loreto )
The Litany of The Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Litany of Loreto, is a popular prayer of supplication, once prayed in processions to atone for sins and to prevent calamities.
Pilgrims at the famous Marian Shrine in Loreto, Italy used it in the 16th century, and it was approved in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V. Although it is often prayed privately, especially after the rosary, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary has the distinction of being one of only six litanies approved for public recitation by the Holy See.
Its invocations to our Blessed Mother include titles given to her by the early Church Fathers in the first few centuries of Christianity. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary has also been set to music (as the Litany of Loreto) by such celebrated composers as Palestrina, Charpentier, and Mozart. The congregation’s responses to a leader in public recitations appear in italics below.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world:
Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, 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.
Mother of our Savior, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honor, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, 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.
Gate of Heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of angels, pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of prophets, pray for us.
Queen of apostles, pray for us.
Queen of martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of confessors, pray for us.
Queen of virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of peace. pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Grant, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, that we Thy servants may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, through the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be freed from present sorrow, and enjoy eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
It is good, and comforting to remember when praying the Litany to the Blessed Virgin Mary, that, as St. Bernard once put it “Mary has made herself all to all, and opens her merciful heart to all, that all may receive of her fullness: the sick, health; those in affliction, comfort; the sinner, pardon, and God, glory.”
Litany of The Most Precious Blood of Jesus
The Litany of the Most Precious Blood pays tribute to the blood our Lord both shed for us in His Passion and offers us in the Eucharist for our salvation.
It is important to remember that the host we consume at Mass is indeed the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ! (Although the wine at communion is “my blood of the new covenant” as our Lord put it at the Last Supper (Mark 14:24) the host as the body of Christ contains our Lord’s blood as well.)
The Litany of the Most Precious Blood was approved for public use in 1960 by Pope John XXIII, although devotion to the Precious Blood goes back centuries. Indeed, as Father Faber wrote in 1860 “the lives of the saints are replete with devotion to the precious blood.” The month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood in the Church’s Liturgical Calendar.
When the Litany of the Most Precious Blood is prayed publicly, the congregation’s responses to a leader are given in italics below.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us
Lord, have mercy on us.Christ, hear us.
Lord, have mercy
Christ hear us,
Christ graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son
of the Eternal Father, Save us
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, Save us
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, Save us
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony,Save us
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging,Save us
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns,Save us
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,Save us
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation,Save us
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, stream 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, bringing forth virgins,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
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, Save us
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, Save us
Blood of Christ, pledge of Eternal Life, Save us
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, Save us
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, Save us
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
V. Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood.
R. And made us, for our God, a kingdom.
Let us pray:
Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg of Thee, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Litany of the Most Precious Blood gives us a poignant reminder of not only the Passion but also of the good our Lord’s Blood can do for us as the “Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls” at Mass as well.
St. Peter reminds us of its importance of when he writes. “You were redeemed not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). As our Lord Himself said, His blood would be shed for "the forgiveness of sins" (Matt 26:28).
May the Litany of the Most Precious Blood inspire you in your efforts to receive Him worthily in Communion and to have Him fortify you in your efforts to serve Him and others on your journey towards Eternal Life!17
Like the rosary, a chaplet is a sacramental. It consists of prayer beads, and on each bead one says certain designated prayers. There are many different types of chaplets. Often they honor Our Lord or the Blessed Mother under a particular title, such as the Chaplet of the Sacred Heart or the Seven Dolors Chaplet, and are special ways of practicing these Catholic devotions. Some chaplets honor and ask the intercession of particular Saints, such as the Chaplet of St. Anthony, St. Philomena, etc.. Chaplets are also known to be powerful aids in obtaining certain virtues, such as the Immaculate Conception Chaplet which is prayed to obtain and preserve purity
Chaplet
The Chaplet of St. Michael
The history of this Chaplet goes back to a devout Servant of God, Antonia d'Astonac, who had a vision of St. Michael. He told Antonia to honor him by nine salutations to the nine Choirs of Angels. St. Michael promised that whoever would practice this devotion in his honor would have, when approaching Holy Communion, an escort of nine angels chosen from each of the nine Choirs. In addition, for those who would recite the Chaplet daily, he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during life, and after death deliverance form purgatory for themselves and their relations.
The Chaplet of St. Michael
O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, etc.
[Say one Our Father and three Hail Marys after each of the following nine salutations in honor of the nine Choirs of Angels]
1. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Seraphim may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity.
Amen.
2. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Cherubim may the Lord grant us the grace to leave the ways of sin and run in the paths of Christian perfection.
Amen.
3. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Thrones may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of humility.
Amen.
4. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Dominations may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and overcome any unruly passions.
Amen.
5. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Virtues may the Lord preserve us from evil and falling into temptation. Amen.
6. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Powers may the Lord protect our souls against the snares and temptations of the devil.
Amen.
7. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Principalities may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience. Amen.
8. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works in order that we may attain the glory of Heaven.
Amen.
9. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Angels may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted in the life to come to Heaven.
Amen.
Say one Our Father in honor of each of the following leading Angels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael and our Guardian Angel.
Concluding prayers:
O glorious prince St. Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King and our admirable conductor, you who shine with excellence and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil, who turn to you with confidence and enable us by your gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day.
Pray for us, O glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may be made worthy of His promises.
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who, by a prodigy of goodness and a merciful desire for the salvation of all men, has appointed the most glorious Archangel St. Michael Prince of Your Church, make us worthy, we ask You, to be delivered from all our enemies, that none of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him into Your Presence.This we ask through the merits of
Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Novena
The word "novena" comes from the Latin meaning "nine each." It is a prayer or Holy Mass that is offered for nine consecutive days.
Scripturally, novenas take their origin from the nine days of prayer before Pentecost. After the Ascension, the apostles and disciples, in obedience to the Lord, gathered in the upper room and devoted themselves to constant prayer, together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus (Acts 1:4-5).
The nine days of prayer can also be considered as a representation of the nine months of Jesus in the womb of Mary. Like Jesus our Head, we His Body are also to be born of Mary and the Holy Spirit. The nine days of prayer were gestation prior to the birth of the Church on Pentecost. Since then, each novena can be considered as a time of gestation before a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Novena Downloads: