This litany is one of the main tools I use each Embertide. While it was written for clergy (or those about to be ordained), much of it is easily adaptable to lay members of the Church.
In spite of its being written in older style English (or, perhaps, because of it being so), I think this litany works as a sort of prolonged meditation on the ways in which we know, honor, and receive guidance from the Holy Spirit in our lives as Christians. I encourage you to pray it slowly, taking time between petitions. You might wish to take some time in silence afterwards, either simply to stand before God, or to journal your own response to what is revealed through this prayer.
One of the effects of this prayer on me is a deeper sense of reverence and gratitude for the ministry I have been given. Each one of us, no matter where we serve or in what order, must continually seek nourishment from the author of our ministry so that we will neither become overwhelmed or arrogant in our work. I pray that you will find this a worthy prayer, adapt it as needed, and use it with profit.
A Litany of the Holy Spirit
(Especially for use at the Embertides)
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
O God the Father, of heaven;
Have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world;
Have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter;
Have mercy upon us.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, who at the beginning didst move upon the face of the waters;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, by whose inspiration holy men of old spake as they were moved;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, power of the highest, that didst overshadow Mary;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, through whom the holy Child Jesus waxed strong in spirit, and was filled with wisdom;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, who didst descent like a dove, and lighten upon Christ our Lord, at his baptism;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, of whom Jesus was led up into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, eternal Spirit, through whom Christ our Priest and Victim offered himself without spot to God;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, who on the day of Pentecost didst descend upon the Apostles in the likeness of fiery tongues;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, by whom we have been brought out of darkness and error into the clear light and true knowledge of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, by whom the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, by whom we were new-born in Baptism;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, who didst strengthen us with they sevenfold gift at Confirmation;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, who makest intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered;
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Spirit, by whom the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts;
Have mercy upon us.
By thy eternal procession from the Father and the Son;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
By thy glorious work in the mystery of the Incarnation;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
By thy lighting as a dove upon Jesus at his baptism;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
By thy descent in likeness of fire on the day of Pentecost;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
By thy life-giving power and might;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
By thine all-powerful intercession;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
By thy continual abiding in the Church;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From all sin;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From presumption and despair;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From impenitence and hardness of heart;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From impurity, whether of mind or body, and from all that has ever defiled thy temple within us;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From the spirit of thoughtlessness and levity;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From the spirit of covetousness and self-seeking;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From the lust of honor and pride of life;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From deafness to they call and warnings;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From neglect of thy graces and inspirations;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
From that sin against thee which has no forgiveness;
Deliver us, O Holy Spirit.
[In our preparation for the work of the ministry;
Help us, O Holy Spirit.
In the solemn hour of Ordination;
Help us, O Holy Spirit.]
In our dealings with souls committed to our charge;
Help us, O Holy Spirit.
In success and in failure;
Help us, O Holy Spirit.
In the solemn account that we must one day give;
Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.
We sinners do beseech thee to hear us, O Holy Spirit, that it may please thee to guide thy holy Church universal into all truth, and to fill it with thy love;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may give diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That, as we live in the Spirit, we may also walk in the Spirit;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may mortify the deeds of the body;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That with sincerity of purpose we may aim in all things at God’s greater glory;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That, in all our thoughts, words, and words, we may be confirmed more and more to the life and passion of the Lord Jesus;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may be gentle, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may ever reverently handle and devoutly receive the blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may be enabled to shew forth thy light in the world, and be holy examples to the flock of Christ;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may be filled with thy sevenfold gift; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and ghostly strength, the spirit of knowledge and true godliness, and the spirit of thy most holy fear;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That in our ministry we may not care to please, nor fear to displease, any but him who has called us to his service;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may count not our lives dear unto us, so that we may finish our course with joy, and the ministry received of the Lord Jesus;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may ever be mindful of that solemn account, which, for ourselves and others, we must one day give at the judgment-seat of Christ;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
That we may have grace to persevere unto the end;
Hear us, O Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit;
We beseech thee to hear us.
Lord, and Giver of life;
We beseech thee to hear us.
Thou who didst descend at Pentecost;
Have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Our Father, &c.
V. The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost;
R. He shall teach you all things.
Let us pray.
God, who didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people by the sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Savor, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of thy faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before thee for all members of thy holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and godly serve thee; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
[And these prayers may be added or used as alternatives.
Let us pray for those who are to be ordered Priests.
O God, great in power, unsearchable in understanding, wondrous in counsels toward the children of men; Fill, we beseech thee, with the gift of thy Holy Spirit those who at this time humbly desire thy holy office of the Priesthood; that thy may be worthy to stand before thy holy altar unblameably, to announce the word of thy truth, to offer gifts and spiritual sacrifices unto thee, and to renew thy people in the laver of regeneration; that at the second coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, thin only-begotten Son, thy may go forth to meet him, and by thy multitude of thy mercies receive their reward: through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for those who are to be ordered Deacons.
O Lord, our God, who by thin own presence dost shed the abundance of thy Holy Spirit on those who are set apart by thine inscrutable power, to become ministers and to serve thy spotless Mysteries; Keep thy servants who humbly desire the holy office of Deacon, that they may hold the mystery of the faith in pure conscience, with all virtue; enable them to discharge according to thy good pleasure the office assign to them by thy mercy; and fill them with thy holy and life-giving Spirit, with all faith and love, all power and sanctification. For thou art our God, and to thee we render glory, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
We pray and beseech thee, O Lord, in thy love and goodness: Send out from the height of thy holy dwelling-place, on all these thy servants for whom we have now made supplication unto thee, the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, the Holy, the Lord, the Giver of life, who spake in law and prophets and apostles, who is everywhere present and filleth all things, and worketh by his sovereign choice in whom he will, sanctifying them after thy good pleasure; that thy great and holy name may be glorified through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.]
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen.
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