About this prayer
The Church invokes the intercession of the saints while asking God for mercy, deliverance, and help. The complete historical devotional form below comes from the 1909 Catholic prayer book Mary, Help of Christians. Historical wording and saint names are retained. It is not represented as the current text for a particular liturgical celebration; use the Church’s designated books when praying within a liturgy. In the Saints litany, N. denotes the person named in the petition. Historical indulgence notices are omitted as commentary, not prayer.
Learn more: Prayer background & source ↗
Prayer text
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 Ghost,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins,
pray for us.
St. Michael,
pray for us.
St. Gabriel,
pray for us.
St. Raphael,
pray for us.
All ye holy angels and archangels,
pray for us.
All ye holy orders of blessed spirits,
pray for us.
St. John Baptist,
pray for us.
St. Joseph,
pray for us.
All ye holy patriarchs and prophets,
pray for us.
St. Peter,
pray for us.
St. Paul,
pray for us.
St. Andrew,
pray for us.
St. James,
pray for us.
St. John,
pray for us.
St. Thomas,
pray for us.
St. James,
pray for us.
St. Philip,
pray for us.
St. Bartholomew,
pray for us.
St. Matthew,
pray for us.
St. Simon,
pray for us.
St. Thaddaeus,
pray for us.
St. Mathias,
pray for us.
St. Barnabas,
pray for us.
St. Luke,
pray for us.
St. Mark,
pray for us.
All ye holy apostles and evangelists,
pray for us.
All ye holy disciples of Our Lord,
pray for us.
All ye holy innocents,
pray for us.
St. Stephen,
pray for us.
St. Lawrence,
pray for us.
St. Vincent,
pray for us.
SS. Fabian and Sebastian,
pray for us.
SS. John and Paul,
pray for us.
SS. Cosmas and Damian,
pray for us.
SS. Gervaise and Protaise,
pray for us.
All ye holy martyrs,
pray for us.
St. Sylvester,
pray for us.
St. Gregory,
pray for us.
St. Ambrose,
pray for us.
St. Augustine,
pray for us.
St. Jerome,
pray for us.
St. Martin,
pray for us.
St. Nicholas,
pray for us.
All ye holy bishops and confessors,
pray for us.
All ye holy doctors,
pray for us.
St. Anthony,
pray for us.
St. Benedict,
pray for us.
St. Bernard,
pray for us.
St. Dominic,
pray for us.
St. Francis,
pray for us.
All ye holy priests and levites,
pray for us.
All ye holy monks and hermits,
pray for us.
St. Mary Magdalen,
pray for us.
St. Agatha,
pray for us.
St. Lucy,
pray for us.
St. Agnes,
pray for us.
St. Cecilia,
pray for us.
St. Catherine,
pray for us.
St. Anastasia,
pray for us.
All ye holy virgins and widows,
pray for us.
All ye men and women, saints of God:
Make intercession for us.
Be merciful:
Spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful:
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
From all evil,
O Lord, deliver us.
From all sin,
O Lord, deliver us.
From a sudden and unprovided death,
O Lord, deliver us.
From the snares of the devil,
O Lord, deliver us.
From anger, hatred, and ill will,
O Lord, deliver us.
From the spirit of fornication,
O Lord, deliver us.
From lightning and tempest,
O Lord, deliver us.
From the scourge of earthquake,
O Lord, deliver us.
From pestilence, famine, and war,
O Lord, deliver us.
From everlasting death,
O Lord, deliver us.
Through the mystery of Thy holy incarnation,
O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy coming,
O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy nativity,
O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy baptism and holy fasting,
O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy cross and passion,
O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy death and burial,
O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy holy resurrection,
O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy admirable ascension,
O Lord, deliver us.
Through the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
O Lord, deliver us.
In the Day of Judgment,
O Lord, deliver us.
We sinners, Beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou spare us,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou pardon us,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou vouchsafe to bring us to true penance,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou vouchsafe to govern and preserve Thy holy Church,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou vouchsafe to preserve our apostolic prelate and all ecclesiastical orders in holy religion,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou vouchsafe to humble the enemies of Thy holy Church,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou vouchsafe to give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou vouchsafe to grant peace and unity to all Christian people,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou vouchsafe to confirm and preserve us in Thy holy service,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou lift up our minds to heavenly desires,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou render eternal good things to all our benefactors,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou deliver our souls and those of our brethren, kinsfolk, and benefactors from eternal damnation,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou vouchsafe to give and preserve the fruits of the earth,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou vouchsafe eternal rest to all the faithful departed,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou vouchsafe graciously to hear us,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
Son of God,
we beseech Thee, hear us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord,
have mercy on us.
Christ,
have mercy on us.
Lord,
have mercy on us.
Our Father, etc.
V. And lead us not into temptation.
R. But deliver us from evil.
PSALM LXIX
INCLINE unto my aid, O God: O Lord, make haste to help me.
Let them be confounded and ashamed: that seek after my soul.
Let them be turned backward and blush for shame: that desire evils unto me.
Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame, that say to me: Tis well, 'tis well.
Let all that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: and let such as love Thy salvation say always, The Lord be magnified.
But I am needy and poor: O God, help Thou me.
Thou art my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, make no delay.
Glory be to the Father, etc.
V. Save Thy servants:
R. Trusting in Thee, O my God.
V. Be unto us, O God, a tower of strength:
R. From the face of the enemy.
V. Let not the enemy prevail against us:
R. Nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt us.
V. O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins:
R. Neither reward us according to our iniquities.
V. Let us pray for our chief bishop, N.
R. The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.
V. Let us pray for our benefactors:
R. Vouchsafe, O Lord, for Thy name's sake, to reward with eternal life all those who have done us good.
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. O my God, save Thy servants trusting in Thee.
V. Send them help, O Lord, from Thy holy place:
R. And from Sion protect them.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer:
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
Let us pray
O GOD, whose property it is always to have mercy and to spare, receive our petitions, that we, and all Thy servants who are bound by the chain of sin, may, in the compassion of Thy goodness, mercifully be absolved.
Hear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the prayer of Thy suppliants, and pardon the sins of them that confess to Thee, that of Thy bounty Thou mayest grant us pardon and peace.
Out of Thy clemency, O Lord, show Thy unspeakable mercy to us, that so Thou mayest both acquit us of our sins and deliver us from the punishment we deserve for them.
O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people who make supplication to Thee, and turn away the scourges of Thy anger, which we deserve for our sins.
O almighty and eternal God, have mercy on Thy servant N., our chief bishop, and direct him, according to Thy clemency, in the way of everlasting salvation, that, by Thy grace, he may desire the things that are agreeable to Thy will, and perform them with all his strength.
O God, from whom all holy desires, righteous counsels, and just works do come, give to Thy servants that peace which the world can not give; that, our hearts being disposed to keep Thy commandments, and the fear of enemies being taken away, the times, by Thy protection, may be peaceable.
Inflame, O Lord, our reins and hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit; to the end that we may serve Thee with a chaste body, and please Thee with a clean heart.
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give to the souls of Thy servants departed the remission of all their sins, that by pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired.
Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy inspirations, and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance; that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from Thee, and by Thee be happily ended.
Almighty and eternal God, who hast dominion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all whom Thou foreknowest shall be Thine by faith and good works; we humbly beseech Thee that they for whom we have purposed to offer our prayers, whether this present world still detains them in the flesh, or the next world has already received them divested of their bodies, may, by the clemency of Thine own goodness and the intercession of Thy saints, obtain pardon and full remission of all their sins. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
V. May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us.
R. Amen.
V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R. Amen.
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