God our Father,
source of all holiness,
the work of your hands is manifest in your saints,
the beauty of your truth is reflected in their faith.
May we who aspire to have part in their joy
be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives,
so that having shared their faith on earth
we may also know their peace in your kingdom.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
[opening Mass prayer, solemnity of All Saints]***Below is the Litany of the Saints which is long but very special prayer. Perhaps you can attempt at least part of it with your family. :) Or at least Mom and Dad can pray it together and the kids can chime in.
Litany of SaintsThis litany is the oldest litany continually in use. It was used if not by Pope Liberius certainly by Pope St. Gregory the Great in the "Litania Septiformis" at Rome and in the procession of St. Mamertus at Vienna. This litany forms one of our oldest liturgical offices in the West, and is the model for all others.
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 Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Response: pray for us
Holy Mary, Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, All you holy Angels and Archangels, All you holy orders of blessed Spirits, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, All you holy Patriarchs and Prophets, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Andrew, St. James, St. John, St. Thomas, St. James, St. Philip, St. Bartholomew, St. Matthew, St. Simon, St. Thaddeus, St. Matthias, St. Barnabas, St. Luke, St. Mark, All you holy Apostles and Evangelists, All you holy Disciples of the Lord, All you holy Innocents, St. Stephen, St. Lawrence, St. Vincent, Sts. Fabian and Sebastian, Sts. John and Paul, Sts. Cosmas and Damian, Sts. Gervase and Protase, All you holy Martyrs, St. Sylvester, St. Gregory, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Martin, St. Nicholas, All you holy Bishops and Confessors, All you holy Doctors, St. Anthony, St. Benedict, St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Francis, All you holy Priests and Levites, All you holy Monks and Hermits, St. Mary Magdalen, St. Agatha, St. Lucy, St. Agnes, St. Cecilia, St. Catherine, St. Anastasia, All you holy Virgins and Widows, All you Holy Men and Women, Saints of God, make intercession for us.
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord. Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Response: O Lord, deliver us
From all evil, From all sin, From your wrath, From sudden and unprovided death, From the snares of the devil, From anger, and hatred, and all ill-will, From the spirit of fornication,. From lightning and tempest, From the scourge of earthquake, From plague, famine, and war, From everlasting death, Through the mystery of your holy Incarnation, Through your Coming, Through your Nativity, Through your Baptism and holy Fasting, Through your Cross and Passion, Through your Death and Burial, Through your holy Resurrection, Through your admirable Ascension, Through the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, In the day of judgment,
Response: We beseech you, hear us
We sinners, That you would spare us, That you would pardon us, That you would bring us to true penance, That you would deign to govern and preserve your holy Church, That you would deign to preserve our Apostolic Prelate, and all orders of the Church in holy religion, That you would deign to humble the enemies of Holy Church, That you would deign to give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, That you would deign to grant peace and unity to all Christian people, That you would deign to call back to the unity of the Church all who have strayed from the truth and lead all unbelievers to the light of the Gospel, That you would deign to confirm and preserve us in your holy service, That you would lift up our minds to heavenly desires, That you would render eternal blessings to all our benefactors, That you would deliver our souls and the souls of our brethren, relations and benefactors, from eternal damnation, That you would deign to give and preserve the fruits of the earth, That you would deign to grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, That you would deign graciously hear us, Son of God,
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Our Father, etc. (inaudibly).
V. And lead us not into temptation. R. But deliver us from evil.
Psalm 69: Deign, O Lord, to rescue me; O Lord, make haste to help me. Let them be put to shame and confounded who seek my life. Let them be turned back in disgrace who desire my ruin. Let them retire in their shame who say to me, "Aha, aha!" But may all who seek you exult and be glad in you, and may those who love your salvation say ever, "God be glorified!"
But I am afflicted and poor; O God, hasten to me! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, hold not back! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
V. Save your servants. R. Who trust in you, O my God.
V. Be a tower of strength for us, O Lord, R. Against the attack of the enemy.
V. Let not the enemy prevail against us. R. And let not the son of evil dare to harm us.
V. Lord, deal not with us according to our sins. R. Neither requite us according to our iniquities.
V. Let us pray for our Sovereign Pontiff, Pope N. R. The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.
V. Let us pray for our benefactors. R. Deign, O Lord, for Your name’s sake, to reward with eternal life all those who do us good. Amen.
V. Let us pray for the faithful departed. R. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace. R. Amen.
V. For our absent brethren. R. Save your servants, who trust in you, my God.
V. Send them help, O Lord, from your sanctuary. R. And sustain them from Zion.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry come to you.
V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray: O God, whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, receive our petition, that we, and all your servants who are bound by the chains of sin, may, by the compassion of your goodness, be mercifully absolved. Graciously hear, we beg you, O Lord, the prayers of your suppliants, and pardon the sins of those who confess to you, that in your bounty you may grant us both pardon and peace.
In your clemency, O Lord, show us your ineffable mercy, that you may both free us from all our sins, and deliver us from the punishments which we deserve for them.
God, who by sin are offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of your suppliant people, and turn away the scourges of your anger, which we deserve for our sins.
Almighty, everlasting God, have mercy upon your servant N., our Sovereign Pontiff, and direct him according to your clemency into the way of everlasting salvation, that by your grace he may desire those things that are pleasing to you, and perform them with all his strength.
O God, from whom are holy desires, good counsels, and just works, give to your servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts be set to keep your commandments, and that, being removed from the fear of our enemies, we may pass our time in peace under your protection.
Burn our desires and our hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit, O Lord, that we may serve you with a chaste body, and with a clean heart be pleasing to you.
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of your servants and handmaids the remission of all their sins, that, through devout prayers, they may obtain the pardon which they always desired.
Direct, we beg you, O Lord, our actions by your holy inspirations, and carry them on by your gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may begin always with you, and through you be happily ended.
Almighty and everlasting God, you have dominion over the living and the dead, and you are merciful to all who you foreknow will be yours by faith and good works; we humbly beg you that those for whom we intend to pour forth our prayers, whether this present world still detain them in the flesh, or the world to come has already received them our of their bodies, may through the intercession of all your Saints, by the clemency of your goodness, obtain the remission of all their sins. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry come to you.
V. May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us. R. Amen.
V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. R. Amen.
Prayer Source: Enchiridion of Indulgences , June 29, 1968
