Litany of Loreto

A litany is a form of prayer containing a series of petitions. Usually one invokes a title or saint and the others respond with, “Pray for us”. There are public litanies used by priests during mass, such as the Litany of the Saints, which you are probably familiar with hearing on All Saints Day, and private litanies, such as the Litany of Humility, that can be used as private forms of prayer and devotion. The Litany of Loreto is our Blessed Mother’s official Church-approved public litany. It gets its name from the house of Loreto, which is believed to be the actual house the Holy Family lived in during the time of Jesus’s childhood, which is now located in Loreto and is worth a Google search if you’ve got time today. In regards to this litany, EWTN states, “The Litany's titles and invocations set before us Mary's exalted privileges, her holiness of life, her amiability and power, her motherly spirit and queenly majesty.”

I read a book that a good friend gave me recently called Champions of the Rosary by Fr. Calloway. In it, he discusses how the power of the rosary comes from the meditation. How it’s strength is really released when the mysteries are truly meditated upon. This is a lesson I honestly could use in all my praying- just really making an effort to be present and truly aware of what I’m saying and praying. The Litany of Loreto is a beautiful prayer to do this with. The litany walks through many prominent titles of our Blessed Mother, and I find it just lovely to really focus on each one in a meditative way and try to call to mind an image with each title- just whatever the Holy Spirit brings to my mind when I hear the title and just close my eyes and soak in that image of our Blessed Mother. So I encourage you to pray this devotion a bit slower than you normally might… Ask the Holy Spirit to come to you and to show you our Blessed Mother in all her beautiful titles today… as you read each title, let the image come to mind and just breathe in and out as if you’re breathing in the peace and comfort of our Blessed Mother and breathing out honor to her as our queen.

The Litany of Loreto

Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy.

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 Spirit,

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.

Mother of Christ, 

Pray for us.

Mother of the Church, 

Pray for us.

Mother of Mercy,

Pray for us. 

Mother of Divine Grace,

Pray for us.

Mother of Hope,  

Pray for us.

Mother most pure, 

Pray for us.

Mother most chaste, 

Pray for us.

Mother inviolate, 

Pray for us. 

Mother undefiled, 

Pray for us.

Mother most amiable, 

Pray for us.

Mother admirable, 

Pray for us.

Mother of good counsel, 

Pray for us.

Mother of our Creator, 

Pray for us. 

Mother of our Savior, 

Pray for us.

Virgin most prudent, 

Pray for us.

Virgin most venerable, 

Pray for us.

Virgin most renowned, 

Pray for us.

Virgin most powerful, 

Pray for us. 

Virgin most merciful, 

Pray for us.

Virgin most faithful, 

Pray for us.

Mirror of justice, 

Pray for us.

Seat of wisdom, 

Pray for us.

Cause of our joy, 

Pray for us. 

Spiritual vessel, 

Pray for us.

Vessel of honour, 

Pray for us.

Singular vessel of devotion, 

Pray for us.

Mystical rose, 

Pray for us.

Tower of David, 

Pray for us. 

Tower of ivory, 

Pray for us.

House of gold, 

Pray for us.

Ark of the covenant, 

Pray for us.

Gate of heaven, 

Pray for us.

Morning star, 

Pray for us. 

Health of the sick, 

Pray for us.

Refuge of sinners, 

Pray for us.

Solace of migrants,

Pray for us.

Comfort of the afflicted, 

Pray for us.

Help of Christians, 

Pray for us. 

Queen of Angels, 

Pray for us.

Queen of Patriarchs, 

Pray for us.

Queen of Prophets, 

Pray for us.

Queen of Apostles, 

Pray for us.

Queen of Martyrs, 

Pray for us. 

Queen of Confessors, 

Pray for us.

Queen of Virgins, 

Pray for us.

Queen of all Saints, 

Pray for us.

Queen conceived without original sin, 

Pray for us.

Queen assumed into Heaven, 

Pray for us. 

Queen of the most Holy Rosary, 

Pray for us.

Queen of families, 

Pray for us.

Queen of peace.

Pray for us. 

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world

Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, 

Have mercy on us. 

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. 

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord God, that we, your servants, may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body; and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sorrow, and obtain eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.