The Litany
Martin Luther, from The Lutheran Hymnal (#661). Translator unknown.
(The portions in bold are spoken by all assembled. All may stand or kneel for prayer.)
O Lord,Have mercy upon us.O Christ,Have mercy upon us.O Lord,Have mercy upon us.
O Christ,Hear Thou us.O God the Father in heaven,Have mercy upon us.O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,Have mercy upon us.O God the Holy Ghost,Have mercy upon us.
Be gracious unto us.Spare us, good Lord.Be gracious unto us.Help us, good Lord.
From all sin;From all error;From all evil:Good Lord, deliver us.
From the crafts and assaults of the devil; from sudden and evil death;From pestilence and famine;From war and bloodshed;From sedition and rebellion;From lightning and tempest;From all calamity by fire and water;And from everlasting death;Good Lord, deliver us.
By the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation;By Thy holy Nativity;By Thy baptism, fasting, and temptation;By Thine agony and bloody sweat;By Thy cross and Passion;By Thy precious death and burial;By Thy glorious resurrection and ascension;And by the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter:Help us, good Lord.
In all time of our tribulation;In all time of our prosperity;In the hour of death;And in the Day of Judgment:Help us, good Lord.
We poor sinners do beseech TheeTo hear us, O Lord God,
And to rule and govern Thy holy Christian Church;To preserve all pastors and ministers of Thy Church in the true knowledge and understanding of Thy Word and in holiness of life;To put an end to all schisms and causes of offense;To bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived;To beat down Satan under our feet;To send faithful laborers into Thy harvest;To accompany Thy Word with Thy Spirit and grace;To raise up them that fall and to strengthen such as do stand;And to comfort and help the weak-hearted and the distressed:We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.
To give all nations peace and concord;To preserve our country from discord and contention;To give to our nation perpetual victory over all its enemies;To direct and defend our President and all in authority;And to bless and keep our magistrates and all our people:We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.
To behold and help all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation;To protect all who travel by land or water;To preserve all women in the perils of childbirth;To strengthen and keep all sick persons and young children;To set free all who are innocently imprisoned;To defend and provide for all fatherless children and widows;And to have mercy upon all men:We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.
To forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers and to turn their hearts;To give and preserve to our use the fruits of the earth;And graciously to hear our prayers:We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,We beseech Thee to hear us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,Have mercy upon us.O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,Have mercy upon us.O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,Grant us Thy peace.
O Christ,Hear Thou us.O Lord,Have mercy upon us.O Christ,Have mercy upon us.Lord, have mercy upon us. Amen.
Our Father…
*The Litany is taken from The Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn 661, by Martin Luther. Translator is unknown.