What are Litanies? (Catholic Youth Networking)

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What are Litanies?

If you have ever talked about someone you really look up to, and you listed all their good qualities, you have experienced the basic idea behind litanies. When you're describing someone you love and admire, you want to say all the wonderful things you can think of about that person.

When you pray a Catholic litany, you're telling God, or Mary, or the saints (depending on whom the litany is addressed to), "You're so wonderful! You're so holy! You did so many great things, and I want to be like you. Help me to get to heaven."

How is a litany constructed?

"The word ‘litany’ comes from the Latin ‘litania’, ‘letania.’ It stood for a form of responsory prayer which involved a number of invocations or petitions grouped around one main subject or sacred theme." (A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies by Fr. Albert J. Hebert, S.J., published by TAN Books. Used with permission.)

The Beginning: Litanies usually follow the same pattern. They start with the "Kyrie eleison," whether in Latin or English, ("Lord have mercy on us"), which we say at every Mass. Then we ask each Person of the Blessed Trinity for mercy. ("God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us, etc.)

The Invocations: Next comes the main body of the litany: the invocations. Each invocation praises the one to whom the litany is addressed by describing a different way that makes the person admirable. As an example, if you were writing a litany of a famous sports hero, you could include things like, "Honor of the team," "Joy of the coach," "Perfect goalie," "Scorer of victories," etc.

The Response: Each invocation is answered with a response, such as "pray for us." The response remains the same for most or all of the litany. This is what makes the litany a "responsory prayer," in the same class as the "Prayers of the Faithful" and the Psalm at Holy Mass.

As you read through various litanies, notice the difference in the responses, depending on whom the litany is said to. The response for litanies to God is usually, "Have mercy on us," while litanies to the saints or to Our Lady have "pray for us" as the response.

The Petitions: Often, in a more solemn litany, or in litanies to God, there are a set of petitions after the regular invocations. Sometimes these petitions ask for various graces, and are answered with a response "We beseech Thee, hear us;" other times, they ask God to protect us from various spiritual and physical evils (sin, war, etc.). (see the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus or the Litany of the Saints as examples of petitions used in a litany.)

The Closing: After the invocations (and petitions), is a set of three invocations to the Lamb of God. Usually this is followed by a versicle (marked "V."), said by the leader, and a response (marked "R."), said by the people. (The versicle-and-response can also be found in different sections of longer litanies, such as the Litany of the Saints.) The last item is always a short prayer.

Of course, the best way to understand how litanies are set up is to read one:
Click on the picture below to find some great litanies!

Hints on how to use litanies in prayer. . .

A SHORT HISTORY OF LITANIES. . .

You can find prayers resembling litanies in the Old Testament, especially the Psalms or other hymns of praise. (See Psalm 135(136), or Daniel 3:29-68.)
"Certain early processions in the Church were called ‘litanies.’ When the great persecutions of the Church in the first three centuries were over, public processions were organized. They were frequently planned for those days on which pagan festivals were held so as to offset and replace them with Christian devotions. In these processions, religious pictures and emblems were carried. In Rome each day, but especially during Lent, the pope himself would go to a different church to celebrate Holy Mass. . .The procession held on April 25 was called the Litania Major. . .As these Mass procession-litanies became more and more popular in Christendom, especially in the Middle Ages, a great variety of litany prayer arrangements came into use. In 1601 the historian Baronius claimed there were about eighty forms in use." (A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies by Fr. Albert J. Hebert, S.J., published by TAN Books. Used with permission.)
The oldest litany is the Litany of the Saints, which was in use (of course not in the same form as we know it) as far back as the fourth century A.D.

Click on the picture below to find some great litanies!

For more information about litanies, read the entries for litanies in New Advent's online Catholic encyclopedia.