Catholic Prayer: Litany of Saint Maurus

Description:

This Medieval litany (the translation in St. Benedict's Manual, pub. by Fred. Pustet 1879) one of the best of its kind, since the invocations and petitions are in inalienably affixed to the Saint honored and tell something of his life and apostolate—in many devotional litanies honoring saints the formula could be applied to numerous others than the one intended to be honored, since there is nothing that identifies it with a given saint: to call a saint "model of obedience," "model of purity," "lover of God," etc. is simply a kind of redundancy, superfluous padding of a litany.

Prayer:

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. 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. Holy Abbot Saint Maurus, Pray for us. Saint Maurus, first disciple of Saint Benedict, Pray for us. St. Maurus, who from the first dawn of reason didst serve God, Pray for us. St. Maurus, who from earliest youth didst despise the vanity of the world, Pray for us. St. Maurus, who, while yet a child, wast placed under the care of St. Benedict, Pray for us. St. Maurus, who by thy advance in virtue didst gain the particular love of St. Benedict, Pray for us. St. Maurus, who wast regarded as a model of the monastic life, Pray for us. St. Maurus, illustrious for obedience, Pray for us. St. Maurus, who didst walk on the water as on solid ground, to rescue Saint Placidus from the waves, Pray for us. St. Maurus, great lover of fasting, Pray for us. St. Maurus, who in a vision didst perceive the soul of St. Benedict on a path of light ascend to Heaven, Pray for us. St. Maurus, who for forty years didst govern thy monasteries in great sanctity, and finally yield up thy soul in the hands of thy Creator, Pray for us. St. Maurus, great patron of all who invoke thee, Pray for us. That we may follow thy example, Pray for us. That we may be converted to God, Pray for us. That we may know the vanity of the world and fly from all danger of sin, Pray for us. That by keeping the commandments of God and His holy Church we may daily increase in virtue, Pray for us. That we may give a good example to our neighbor, Pray for us. That we may be obedient to our Superiors, Pray for us. That we may despise all earthly good, and practice self-denial, Pray for us. That we may, through charity, love and assist our neighbor, Pray for us. That we may love fasting, Pray for us. That freed from all sloth we may zealously strive to fulfill the will of God, Pray for us. That we may attain the spirit of true devotion, Pray for us. That we may gain the grade of a happy death, Pray for us. That with thee we may love and praise God eternally, Pray for 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. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Our Father (secretly). Hail, Mary (secretly).

V. Pray for us, O holy Abbot Saint Maurus: R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, Who through the holy Abbot Maurus didst spread the Order of Saint Benedict throughout. France, and there increase and preserve it: grant us in Thy mercy the grace, that through the merits and intercession of this Thy faithful servant, and all the holy sons of Saint Benedict, the Order may also be spread in our days; and that we may imitate the virtues of Saint Maurus in such a manner, as to gain Heaven, where, in company with the blessed, we may praise Thee for all eternity. R. Amen.

Prayer Source: Kyrie Eleison — Two Hundred Litanies by Benjamin Francis Musser O.F.M., The Magnificat Press, 1944