THE PENITENT'S LITANY

The Penitent's Litany

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.
And according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies,
blot out my iniquity. [Psalm 50:3].

Lord, have mercy on me.
Christ, have mercy on me.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on me.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on me.
God the Holy Ghost, Perfecter of the elect, etc.
Holy Trinity, one God, etc.
O God, Who by the voice of Thy prophets and Apostles
dost call upon us incessantly to be converted and to abandon our evil ways,
O Divine Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who didst Thyself come on earth to call sinners to repentance,
O Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Who didst come among us to seek and to save the lost sheep,
O Jesus, Who hast declared that unless we do penance, we shall perish everlastingly,
O Jesus, Who desirest not the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live,
O Jesus, Who hast assured us that there shall be joy in Heaven
over one sinner that is converted and does penance,
O Jesus, Who, in the example of the prodigal son returning home to the bosom of his father,
hast inspired us with confidence in Thy tenderness,
O Jesus, Who for the sake and salvation of sinners wast pleased to undergo so many hardships,
abors and fatigues,
O Jesus, Who didst not refuse to receive publicans and public sinners,
in order to draw them to repentance,
O Jesus, Who callest upon us to be converted to Thee with all our hearts,

Have mercy upon me,
O Lord, and hear my prayer.
Have mercy upon me,
O Lord, and hear my petition.
From all evil, Deliver me, O Lord.
From all sin, Deliver me, O Lord.
From the spirit of impenitence and from all hardness of heart, etc.
From final impenitence, etc.
By Thy Baptism and holy fasting,
By Thy labors and sorrows,
By the merits of Thy Precious Blood, which Thou hast shed for my sins,
On the Day of Judgment,
That Thou would vouchsafe in Thy mercy to create in me
a new heart and a new mind,
I beseech Thee to hear me, O Lord.
That Thou would vouchsafe to conduct me to true repentance,
I beseech Thee to hear me, O Lord.
That as I have imitated the Prodigal in his sins,
so may I also imitate him in his sorrow, etc.
That as I am the lost sheep, so Thou, as the Good Shepherd,
deign kindly to carry me back to the fold upon Thy shoulders,
That as hitherto I have served iniquity unto iniquity,
so henceforth I may serve justice unto sanctification,
That I may cultivate all the virtues of the truly penitent
and bring forth fruits worthy of piety,
That for the time to come, renouncing all impiety and worldly desires,
I may live chastely, soberly and innocently,
That Thou wilt give me the grace and courage to resist my passions,
to bend my will to obedience to Thy laws,
and to crucify my flesh with its vices and concupiscences,
That, like the prudent virgins in the Gospel, I may be always watchful,
that I may cherish prayer and that I may cultivate industry,
That I may with confidence have recourse to the throne of grace,
that thus I may obtain grace in seasonable aid,
That Thou wouldst not deal with me according to my sins,
but in Thine infinite tenderness, have pity upon me,
That I may so purify myself by penance and by the sufferings of this life
as to avoid those torments which are reserved for the impenitent hereafter,

O Lamb of God,
Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare me, O Lord.
O Lamb of God,
Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear me, O Lord.
O Lamb of God,
Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon me, O Lord.

Let Us Pray.
O God, Who willest not the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live, vouchsafe in Thy mercy to look down in compassion upon my misery and my weakness, in order that, remembering that I am only dust and ashes and that soon, in punishment for my sins, I must return to dust and ashes again, I may thus be prepared to receive the pardon of my manifold offenses and receive that recompense which Thou hast promised to the penitent, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

O Father of Mercies and Tender Physician of our Souls, I have grievously sinned against Thee, and I am no longer worthy to be called Thy child. I have repaid Thy benefits with ingratitude and Thy graces with neglect. I have merited Thy displeasure and have deserved the heavy weight of Thy punishments. Deeply aware of this, my unhappy state, behold, I now present myself before Thee to implore Thy pardon. Pardon me then, O God of Love, and remember not the sins of my past life. Remember only that Thou art my Father and that I am still Thy child. Thy mercy still exceeds the greatness of my misery. Wherefore, O God, unworthy sinner that I am, I will not cease to confide in Thee. In Thee, O Lord, I have trusted; let me not be confounded forever. I propose from henceforth daily to bewail my past ingratitude, and I now make at Thy feet the firm resolution never more to offend Thee mortally, and to fly with the most prudent care from all those occasions which I know by experience are dangerous to my weakness. By the help of Thy grace, I will adopt the securest means of overcoming my passions and of subduing my evil habits, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.