Have mercy on the dying!

Everyday around 150,000 people die, from all causes, and enter eternity. They meet Christ the Judge of the living and the dead. If they have come to the use of reason, there are only two possibilities. Either they have responded to and cooperated with the grace and mercy of God, or, they have refused Him to the end.

Have mercy on yourself too!

One day you and I will die. If we have practised mercy for the dying ourselves, then according to the word of Christ, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”, we will

have an abundance of grace, light and mercy in our own last hour. This is a case of a legitimate, “enlightened self interest.”

A great act of charity and mercy

The most urgent thing to pray for is for the poor sinners, and even more so, the poor unbelievers, who must soon die. Using the Church’s own prayers for them is very powerful. So here is the Litany for the Dying taken from the Last Rites of the traditional Roman Liturgy, with one small change.

The official, liturgical Litany for the dying says “for her” or “for him” but since this is intended for all the dying of the whole world it says “for them”, as in, all the dying of the next twenty four hours. When it is one saint, we say in the singular, pray for them, ora pro eis and when it is more than one, we say orate pro nobis.

Litany for the Dying

Kyrie, eleison. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.

Sancta Maria, ora pro eis.

Omnes sancti Angeli et Archangeli, orate pro eis.

Sancte Abel. ora.

Omnis chorus iustorum, ora pro eis.

Sancte Abraham

Sancte Joannes Baptista

Sancte Ioseph

Omnes sancti Patriarchae et Prophetae,

Sancte Petre

Sancte Paule

Sancte Andrea

Sancte Joannes

Omnes sancti Apostoli & Evangelistae

Omnes sancti Discipuli Domini

Omnes sancti Innocentes,

Sancte Stephane

Sancte Laurenti

Omnes sancti Martyres

Sancte Silvester

Sancte Gregori

Sancte Augustine

Omnes sancti Pontifices

Sancte Benedicte

Sancte Francisce

Omnes sancti Monachi et Eremitae

Sancta Maria Magdalena

Sancta Lucia

Omnes sancte Virgines etViduae

Omnes Sancti et Sanctae Dei, intercedite pro eis

Propitius esto, parce eis, Domine.

Propitius esto, exaudi eos, Domine.

Propitius esto, libéra eos, Domine.

Ab ira tua, libera eos, Domine.

A periculo mortis, libera eos, Domine.

A mala morte, libera eos, Domine.

A poenis inferni, libera eos, Domine.

Ab omni malo, libera eos. Domine.

A potestate diaboli, libera eos, Domine.

Per Nativitatem tuam, libéra eos, Domine.

Per crucem et passionem tuam, libera eos, Domine.

Per mortem et sepulturam tuam, libera eos, Domine.

Per gloriosam resurrectionem tuam, libera eos, Domine.

Per admirabilem ascensionem tuam, libera eos, Domine.

Per gratiam Spiritus Sancti Paracleti, libéra eos. Domine.

In die iudicii, libera eos, Domine.

Peccatores, te rogamus, audi nos.

Ut eis parcas, te rogamus, audi nos.

Kyrie, eleison. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.

Manuel de l’archiconfrérie du Cœur Agonisant de Jésus, 1868, by Fr. Marin de Boylesve, s.j., with ecclesiastical approbation of Blessed Pope Pius IX.