All Saints Litany

The forerunners of Christ with saints and martyrs, Fra Angelico (1423–24)

The All Saints Litany ( Latin Litania Sanctorum ) or Great Litany is a great supplication of the Roman Catholic and Old Catholic Churches, in which the saints are invoked for their intercession before God in alternating chant between cantor or Schola and community .

The litany in the liturgy

The litany is sung especially at the solemn dispensing of some sacraments and sacramentals , e.g. B. at sacred orders (Diakonen-, Priests, Bishop ordination) Abtsbenediktion , ceremonial profession , virgin Weihe , Kirchweihe and altar ordination and in the dedication of the baptismal water in the Easter Eve . The supplication processions on the days of supplication began with the singing of the litany of All Saints, from which the name litaniae for these days was derived. When accompanying the dying, the All Saints litany can be spoken as “ litany of death” ( litania pro agonizantibus ).

Everyone kneels to the litany, except during Easter . Unless the litany is sung in a consecration service or perpetual profession, prosternieren the candidates or professed in the traditional way in the sanctuary .

Outside the liturgy , for example during devotions or on the days of prayer , the litany can also be spoken alternately.

Emergence

The invocation of saints has its models in Asia Minor around the year 400. This form of prayer was also taken up in Celtic piety and can be found in the early medieval Laudes regiae . The hybrid form of invocation and concern litany emerged in the 7th century.

In 1601, Pope Clement VIII severely restricted the use of a large number of litanies in the liturgy and, in addition to the Lauretanian litany, only allowed the All Saints litany expressly for worship.

construction

The All Saints Litany in a breviary from 1509

Part 1: Invocation Litany

The first part of the All Saints' Litany is an invocation litany. First, God is invoked for his mercy in the Kyrie litany , with which almost all Christian litanies begin . This is followed by the invocation of saints who are asked to intercede with God.

The litany can contain over 100 invocations. Usually, however, a selection of different saints is chosen, including those of local or special importance for the occasion (e.g. patron saints , church patrons , diocese saints, holy virgins ). A shorter version is part of the consecration of baptismal water on Easter Vigil, the litany of death was also shortened. Invocations, requests and orations can be varied according to the occasion.

In the invocations of the saints a certain hierarchy is observed: Mary - angels - patriarchs and prophets - apostles and evangelists - martyrs and martyrs - bishops, confessors and doctors of the church - priests and Levites - monks and hermits - virgins and widows - holy men and women.

Part 2: litany of concerns

The second part is followed by the requests for the aversion of evil, the naming of God's saving act and finally a series of intercessions . In their broad subject matter, these are reminiscent of the great intercessions of the Good Friday liturgy and the oldest surviving forms of general prayer from the 4th century.

As in other litanies, the end of the litany is formed by the threefold Agnus Dei and, outside of consecration services, an oration . Up until the Second Vatican Council , the Agnus Dei was followed by extensive other prayers: a series of calls to Christ with renewed Kyrie eleison , the Pater noster , Psalm 70 , a responsory with verses and further intercessions for the Pope, the benefactors, the deceased and the “absent brothers”, after the acclamation Dominus vobiscum ten oration-like prayers and a final verse with a wish to be heard, at the very end a wish for peace for the deceased.

Text of the litany

introduction

if necessary, invitation to prayer by the celebrating bishop or priest . Deacon : Bend your knees.

Schola	All
Lord, have mercy	Lord, have mercy.
Christ have mercy	Christ have mercy
Lord, have mercy	Lord, have mercy.
Christ hear us	Christ hear us.
God the Father in Heaven	Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world	Have mercy on us.
God Holy Spirit	Have mercy on us.
Holy Triune God	Have mercy on us.

Invocation of the saints

Schola	All
Holy Mary , Mother of God	please for us.
Holy Virgin above all virgins	please for us.
Saint Michael	please for us.
Holy angels of God	pray for us.
Holy Abraham	please for us.
Saint moses	please for us.
Saint John the Baptist	please for us.
Saint Joseph	please for us.
Holy Patriarchs and Prophets	pray for us.
Saint Peter	please for us.
Saint Paul	please for us.
Saint Andrew	please for us.
Saint James	please for us.
Saint John	please for us.
Holy Apostles and Evangelists	pray for us.
Saint Stephen	please for us.
Saint Lawrence	please for us.
Saint Agnes	please for us.
Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicitas	pray for us.
Saint Lucia	please for us.
Holy Agatha	please for us.
Saint Anastasia	please for us.
Saint Catherine	please for us.
Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian	pray for us.
Saint Teresa Benedicta from the cross	please for us.
You holy martyrs	pray for us.
Saint Gregory	please for us.
Saint Ambrose	please for us.
Saint Augustine	please for us.
Saint Jerome	please for us.
Saint Martinus	please for us.
Saint Nicholas	please for us.
Holy Popes and Bishops	pray for us.
Holy Teachers of the Church	pray for us.
Saint Mary Magdalene	please for us.
Saint Anthony	please for us.
Saint Benedict	please for us.
Saint Bernard	please for us.
Saint Dominic and Saint Francis	pray for us.
Holy Clare	please for us.
Saint Ignatius	please for us.
Holy Pastor of Ars	please for us.
You holy deacons and priests	pray for us.
You holy virgins and monks	pray for us.
Saint Thomas More	please for us.
Saint Monica	please for us.
Holy fathers and mothers	pray for us.
You saints of our land	pray for us.
All saints of God	pray for us.

Ask for redemption

Schola	All
Jesus, have mercy on us	Lord, set us free.
Of all evil	Lord, set us free.
From all sin	Lord, set us free.
From eternal damnation	Lord, set us free.
Through your incarnation and your sacred suffering	Lord, set us free.
Through your death and resurrection	Lord, set us free.
Through the sending of the Holy Spirit	Lord, set us free.

Various invocations and requests

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world

We poor sinners

Schola	All
We poor sinners	we ask you, listen to us.
Protect and lead your church	we ask you, listen to us.
Enlighten the Pope, our Bishop and all pastors	we ask you, listen to us.
Fill all the members of the Church with the power of the Holy Spirit	we ask you, listen to us.
Renew your church in faith, hope and love	we ask you, listen to us.
(if baptized persons are present) Give new life to these elect in the water of baptism	we ask you, listen to us.
Strengthen the Church in adversity and confusion	we ask you, listen to us.
Give insight and repentance to their enemies	we ask you, listen to us.
Lead your people to unity	we ask you, listen to us.
Give peace and freedom to the peoples of the earth	we ask you, listen to us.
Protect them from abuse of power and all wrong	we ask you, listen to us.
Strengthen and keep us in your holy service	we ask you, listen to us.
Let all people participate in the goods of the earth	we ask you, listen to us
Fill us with love and compassion	we ask you, listen to us.
Bless all who do us good	we ask you, listen to us.
That the couple remain faithful	we ask you, listen to us.
That parents and children understand each other	we ask you, listen to us.
Prepare us for repentance and conversion	we ask you, listen to us.
That we remain in your service	we ask you, listen to us.
That you will find us awake when you come	we ask you, listen to us.
Give eternal life to the dead	we ask you, listen to us.

Schola	All
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world	Lord spare us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world	Lord hear us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world	Lord, have mercy.
Christ hear us	Christ hear us.

Oration

V	All
Let us pray. Merciful God, you help your servants in their need and answer their requests. We thank you for showing us mercy. Protect us from harm and give us joy in your service. Through Christ our Lord.	Amen.

literature

To use beautiful prayers from the holy four toe helpers in need, including a beautiful litany, in peculiar needs, so to Anger in Unter = Steyer they are singularly venerated; Along with a litany on the bitter suffering and death of Jesus Christ . With the permission of the superiors. Grätz [dihd. Graz] printed by Widmannstätterischen Erben, 1775.
Heinrich Samson: The All Saints Litany explained historically, liturgically and ascetically. Bonifacius, Paderborn 1894.
Carl Kammer: The Litany of All Saints. Rauch, Innsbruck 1962.

Web links

Wiktionary: All Saints Litany - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

^ Liber Usualis , Parisii, Tornaci, Romae 1954, pp. 835ff.
↑ Balthasar Fischer : Litany. I. Liturgical . In: Walter Kasper (Ed.): Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 6 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1997, Sp. 955 .
↑ Balthasar Fischer : Litany. I.3 Invocation Litanies . In: Walter Kasper (Ed.): Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 6 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1997, Sp. 955 .
↑ Pontificals for the Catholic dioceses of the German-speaking area, hand edition with pastoral liturgical references, ed. from the Liturgical Institutes, Freiburg - Basel - Vienna
↑ Apostolic Constitutions , Eighth Book; see: Wetzer and Welte's Church Lexicon or Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology and its auxiliary sciences. Second edition, in a new version, Freiburg im Breisgau 1881–1903, Art. Litany 3. [1]
↑ p. 7f. ( II. The history of the All Saints' Litany ) is almost verbatim, but without reference to the source, taken from: Wetzer and Welte's Church Lexicon or Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology and its auxiliary sciences. Second edition, in a new version, Freiburg im Breisgau 1881–1903, Art. Litany 3. [2]

[1] Liber Usualis , Parisii, Tornaci, Romae 1954, pp. 835ff.

[2] Balthasar Fischer : Litany. I. Liturgical . In: Walter Kasper (Ed.): Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 6 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1997, Sp. 955 .

[3] Balthasar Fischer : Litany. I.3 Invocation Litanies . In: Walter Kasper (Ed.): Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 6 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1997, Sp. 955 .

[4] Pontificals for the Catholic dioceses of the German-speaking area, hand edition with pastoral liturgical references, ed. from the Liturgical Institutes, Freiburg - Basel - Vienna

[5] Apostolic Constitutions , Eighth Book; see: Wetzer and Welte's Church Lexicon or Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology and its auxiliary sciences. Second edition, in a new version, Freiburg im Breisgau 1881–1903, Art. Litany 3. [1]

[6] . 7f. ( II. The history of the All Saints' Litany ) is almost verbatim, but without reference to the source, taken from: Wetzer and Welte's Church Lexicon or Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology and its auxiliary sciences. Second edition, in a new version, Freiburg im Breisgau 1881–1903, Art. Litany 3. [2]