A Little Litany of Household Saints

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (AV)

I suppose I am thinking about the Liturgy of the Hours a great deal lately, and the Feast of All Saints brings one thing to the front: The Litany of the Saints.

Traditionally, after the morning office of Lauds, the monks will pray a long Litany invoking a host of saints to pray for them throughout the day. I love this tradition. It is meant to put us in mind of Hebrews 11 and 12, in which the litany of the Faithful who have gone before us concludes with an exhortation:

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (AV)

These saints who have gone before us in faith and fear are our witnesses, our brothers, and our examples of how to imitate Christ. I imagine their example to us and their prayer for us as almost two sides of the same action, one facing us and the other facing the Throne of God. Their faithful witness becomes their eternal prayer to God, outside of time, and their example for us inside of time.

But the Litany of the Saints is long, and as a husband and a father of three small children with work and dishes and sleep to accomplish, once I have prayed Lauds I do not feel I have the time to pray the full Litany. A few months ago, to make up this difference, I began praying what I call the Little Litany of Household Saints. The Little Litany differs in every home, but it always has the same structure. It begins by appealing to the Holy Family: a Hail Mary, prayer to Saint Joseph, and the Jesus Prayer. Then, it goes through the Name Saints or the Confirmation Saints of every member of the household, special saints for special intentions, and usually the Name Saints of anyone who has asked me for prayer. Then it concludes with the St. Michael prayer, and the Sign of the Cross.

So here is the Little Litany of Household Saints, as I pray it right now:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Saint Joseph, Pray for us.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Saint Jerome, pray for us.

Saint Therese, pray for us.

Saint Wendelin, pray for us.

Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Saint Lucy, pray for us.

Saint Columbanus, pray for us.

Saint Rocco, pray for us.

Saint John Henry, pray for us.

Saint George, pray for us.

Saint Jude, pray for us.

Saint Kevin, pray for us

Saint James, pray for us.

Saint Thomas a Becket, pray for us.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

As an adaptation of the Liturgy for the lay life, this has been extremely helpful to me, as my minor participation in the Litany according to my ability.