Always and Everywhere

In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment,

Good Lord, deliver us.

After the previous petitions, wherein we pray God’s deliverance through the grace made known in the sacred mysteries of our Christian faith, the Litany now concludes this section with one final petition to God—this time recalling our need for God’s deliverance in the ups and downs of our earthly pilgrimage, at the final moments of our life, and at the Last Great Day. In one short phrase the Great Litany manages to combine our daily existence with eternity. This is called eschatology: the spiritual consideration of “the last things” and their impact on the now.

To begin with, the words of this petition—like baptismal and marriage vows—point out that life is necessarily filled with joys and sorrows, times of prosperity and tribulation. We do not seek escape from these variations in life; rather, we pray that God will be palpably present with us throughout the journey. When we are in tribulation, we desperately need God; when we in prosperity, we need God as much! Reaching out to God is much easier when we are in trouble; yet without God in the “good times,” we grow arrogant and complacent. Measuring our life in its current state against this petition is, by itself, a spiritually-nourishing practice.

The petition concludes by emphasizing our finitude—the fact that we are by nature limited and impermanent. By putting us on the edge of eternity itself (the hour of death and the day of judgment), we are encouraged to see our true position in the scheme of Creation: as a priestly people with a mission to embody the Gospel in our thoughts, words, and actions. The rest of the Litany with its many intercessions for the world and its needs is based on that knowledge of who we are, where we stand, and the cosmic scope of our concern.

Midday Prayers in Lent: A Seasonal Devotion

The Great Litany

Arranged for Use in Lent

       It has long been the custom of the Church for individuals to offer the Litany at Noon on Wednesdays and Fridays in Lent, as part of one’s midday prayers. The Litany may be said or sung standing or kneeling. Additional prayers may follow. This prayer is perhaps Anglicanism's most classic statement of intercessional devotion, calling us to offer prayer not only for ourselves and the Church, but for the whole world. It makes visible the centrality of our priestly ministry, placing us before Christ and his Cross, sharing in his reconciling work as members of his Body. 

O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
    Have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

    Have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful,

    Have mercy upon us.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,

    Have mercy upon us.

Saint Mary, Mother of God our Savior Jesus Christ,
    Pray for us.

All holy Angels and Archangels, and all holy orders of Blessed Spirits,
    Pray for us.

All holy Patriarchs and Prophets; Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, and Virgins; and all the blessed company of heaven, 
    Pray for us.

Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses, nor the offenses of our forefathers; neither reward us according to our sins. Spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and by thy mercy preserve us for ever.

    Spare us, good Lord.

From all evil and wickedness; from sin; from the crafts and assaults of the devil; and from everlasting damnation,
    Good Lord, deliver us.

   

From all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all want of charity,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

From all inordinate and sinful affections; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and commandment,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

From lightning and tempest; from earthquake, fire, and flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

From all oppression, conspiracy, and rebellion; from violence, battle, and murder; and from dying suddenly and unprepared,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation; by thy holy Nativity and submission to the Law; by thy Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

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,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

We sinners do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord God; and that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church Universal in the right way,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

   

That it may please thee to illumine all bishops, priests, and deacons, with true knowledge and understanding of thy Word; and that both by their preaching and living, they may set it forth, and show it accordingly,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to bless and keep all thy people,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to send forth laborers into thy harvest, and to draw all mankind into thy kingdom,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to give to all people increase of grace to hear and receive thy Word, and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have erred, and are deceived,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to give us a heart to love and fear thee, and diligently to live after thy commandments,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee so to rule the hearts of thy servants, the President of the United States (or of this nation), and all others in authority, that they may do justice, and love mercy, and walk in the ways of truth,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to make wars to cease in all the world;  to give to all nations unity, peace, and concord; and to bestow freedom upon all peoples,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to show thy pity upon all prisoners and captives, the homeless and the hungry, and all who are desolate and oppressed,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to give and preserve to our use the bountiful fruits of the earth, so that in due time all may enjoy them,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That It may please thee to inspire us, in our several callings, to do the work which thou givest us to do with singleness of heart as thy servants, and for the common good,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to preserve all who are in danger by reason of their labor or their travel,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to preserve, and provide for, all women in childbirth, young children and orphans, the widowed, and all whose homes are broken or torn by strife,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to visit the lonely; to strengthen all who suffer in mind, body, and spirit; and to comfort with thy presence those who are failing and infirm,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to support, help, and comfort all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to have mercy upon all mankind,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to give us true repentance; to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances; and to endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy Word,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to strengthen such as do stand; to comfort and help the weak-hearted; to raise up those who fall; and finally to beat down Satan under our feet,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to grant to all the faithful departed eternal life and peace,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to grant that, in the fellowship of St. Mary [St. _______,] and all the saints, we may attain to thy heavenly kingdom,

    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

 Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us.

    Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,

    Have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,

    Have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,

    Grant us thy peace.

   

O Christ, hear us.

    O Christ, hear us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.               Kyrie eleison.

    Christ, have mercy upon us.        or      Christe eleison.

Lord, have mercy upon us.               Kyrie eleison.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

  hallowed be thy Name,

  thy kingdom come,

  thy will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.

  And forgive us our trespasses,

     as we forgive those who trespass against us.

  And lead us not into temptation,

     but deliver us from evil. Amen.

 V. O Lord, let thy mercy be showed upon us;

 R. As we do put our trust in thee.

    
Let us pray.

Almighty God, who hast promised to hear the petitions of those who ask in thy Son's Name: We beseech thee mercifully to incline thine ear to us who have now made our prayers and supplications unto thee; and grant that those things which we have asked faithfully according to thy will, may be obtained effectually, to the relief of our necessity, and to the setting forth of thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Other prayers may be added. Some appropriate prayers follow:

A Collect for Lent

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

For use during Fridays from Noon until 3 PM

Blessed Savior, at this hour thou didst hang upon the cross, stretching out thy loving arms: Grant that all the peoples of the earth may look unto thee and be saved; for thy tender mercies’ sake.  Amen.

A Collect for Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, who didst stretch out thine arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of thy saving embrace: So clothe us in thy Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know thee to the knowledge and love of thee; for the honor of thy Name.  Amen.

The General Thanksgiving

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving‑kindness to us and to all men. We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end.  Amen.

The prayers after the Litany then end with The Grace

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Lent: The Season of Spiritual Heart Surgery

The Collect for Ash Wednesday asks God to give us “new and contrite hearts.” The renewal of our true and innermost being—symbolized by the heart in biblical language—can only happen by a kind of surgical re-shaping (contrition means “to wear down” or to “grind away”). This is one of the main purposes of Lent, and each year we are called to take seriously where God is calling us to open our lives to his providential, careful work of healing and softening hardened, sick hearts.

The passage below is from one of the earliest extant Christian documents, perhaps even older than some of the books of the New Testament in their final form. It is from a letter written by the Bishop of Rome to the Christians of Corinth when their internal dissention had risen like a thundercloud on the horizon of the Church’s mission. Their divisions were hurting the common life of the Body, and Clement sought to do the work of a true pastor: open the eyes of the flock to the truth of their situation, giving them the remedy. Like all Christians, they stood in need of repentance when they had lost their way.

The season of Lent is, to a certain degree, a renewal of our sense of eagerness for the Kingdom of God, something early Christians knew and felt with great naturalness. Such eagerness exposes everything adverse to God’s way of love, exposing it to view and inviting the Master Surgeon to remove the cancer of sin, wherever it grows. It is that heartfelt desire Lent seeks to rekindle in us, for this season and beyond.

If we want as individuals and as a community to experience something of the transforming grace and motivating energy of ancient and authentic Christianity, we must offer ourselves for the same surgical procedure without delay. For, as Scripture says, “now is the acceptable time,” and a new and healed heart awaits us…our very lives depend on it!

            Let us fix our attention on the blood of Christ and recognize how precious it is to God his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.

            If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached God’s message of repentance, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they repented, their prayers gained God’s forgiveness for their sins, and they were saved, even though they were not of God’s people.

            Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God’s grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole universe himself spoke of repentance with an oath: As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the death of the sinner but his repentance. He added this evidence of his goodness: House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell the sons of my people: If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to me with your whole heart and say, “Father”, and I will listen to you as a holy people.

            In other words, God wanted all his beloved ones to have the opportunity to repent and he confirmed this desire by his own almighty will. That is why we should obey his sovereign and glorious will and prayerfully entreat his mercy and kindness. We should be suppliant before him and turn to his compassion, rejecting empty works and quarrelling and jealousy which only lead to death.

            Brothers, we should be humble in mind, putting aside all arrogance, pride and foolish anger. Rather, we should act in accordance with the Scriptures, as the Holy Spirit says: The wise man must not glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches. Rather, let him who glories glory in the Lord by seeking him and doing what is right and just. Recall especially what the Lord Jesus said when he taught gentleness and forbearance. Be merciful, he said, so that you may have mercy shown to you. Forgive, so that you may be forgiven. As you treat others, so you will be treated. As you give, so you will receive. As you judge, so you will be judged. As you are kind to others, so you will be treated kindly. The measure of your giving will be the measure of your receiving.

            Let these commandments and precepts strengthen us to live in humble obedience to his sacred words. As Scripture asks: Whom shall I look upon with favor except the humble, peaceful man who trembles at my words?

            Sharing then in the heritage of so many vast and glorious achievements, let us hasten toward the goal of peace, set before us from the beginning. Let us keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Father and Creator of the whole universe, and hold fast to his splendid and transcendent gifts of peace and all his blessings.

(From The First Letter to the Corinthians, by Clement, Bishop of Rome, c. 100)

The hours before Lent...

The last days before Lent are commonly called Shrovetide, coming to us from the old word "shrive," meaning to be forgiven for sin, as making confessions prior to Lent's start was--and is--a traditional part of these days. Shrovetide is a kind of mixture of fun activities (pancakes &c.) and thinking about what particular matters of spiritual concern are at issue in our life as we begin Lent on Wednesday. 

One of the prayers that sums up the focus of the season ahead was written by St. Ignatius Loyala, founder of the Jesuits (the order who gave us Pope Francis). This prayer shows the author's profound spiritual intensity and also a deep love for God. It might serve as a kind of "motto" for our Lenten journey ahead.

Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve: to give and not count the cost; to fight and not heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we are doing your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Ignatius Loyola