Litany of Saint Charbel

A litany is one of the oldest forms of Christian prayer: a series of short invocations, each answered by a repeated refrain. The repetition is the point - title after title, the names of a saint become a slow portrait, and the refrain turns reading into prayer. Litanies can be prayed alone, with the invocations and responses alternating in the same heart, or by a group, a leader calling and everyone answering.

The Litany of Saint Charbel calls on the hermit of Annaya under twenty-nine titles. Some name his life - the vows, the mortification, the long adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Some name his graces - the miracles, the glowing tomb, the "fragrant incense from the cedars of Lebanon." Together they read like a compressed biography set to a rhythm. It needs no beads and takes about five minutes.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
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.
St Joseph, spouse of Mary, pray for us.

St Charbel, holy hermit of God, pray for us.
St Charbel, lover and assiduous imitator of the Redeemer, pray for us.
St Charbel, devout client of the Virgin, pray for us.
St Charbel, light of the Church, pray for us.
St Charbel, brilliant gem of sanctity, pray for us.
St Charbel, glory of the Maronite order, pray for us.
St Charbel, example of charity, pray for us.
St Charbel, model of perfection, pray for us.
St Charbel, Servant of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us.
St Charbel, heart full of compassion, pray for us.
St Charbel, filled with the Spirit of prophecy, pray for us.
St Charbel, famous for astonishing miracles, pray for us.
St Charbel, curing bodies and souls, pray for us.
St Charbel, sanctuary of heavenly wisdom, pray for us.
St Charbel, angel vested in human nature, pray for us.
St Charbel, preacher of grace, pray for us.
St Charbel, chaste and obedient above all praise, pray for us.
St Charbel, cultivator of a mortified life, pray for us.
St Charbel, model of abstinence, pray for us.
St Charbel, renouncer of all the richness of this world, pray for us.
St Charbel, rose of patience, pray for us.
St Charbel, violet of humility, pray for us.
St Charbel, fervent in zeal for divine worship, pray for us.
St Charbel, thirsting for the salvation of souls, pray for us.
St Charbel, martyr in desire, pray for us.
St Charbel, lover of the Cross, pray for us.
St Charbel, glorious Light, whose tomb was glowing, pray for us.
St Charbel, fragrant incense from the cedars of Lebanon, pray for us.
St Charbel, precious perfume invading the world, pray for us.

From all evil of body and soul, St. Charbel, deliver us.
Through your intercession, St. Charbel, protect us.
Throughout the course of life, St. Charbel, protect 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.

V. Pray for us, O Holy Hermit of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Lord, infinitely Holy and glorified in Saint Charbel, grant us the grace of loving and serving You, following his example. Hear our demands, through his intercession, and deliver us from all evil of body and soul. Amen.

Pray it slowly. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, pray through the invocations without hurry, and let the closing collect carry your intention: it asks to love and serve God after Saint Charbel's example and to be delivered "from all evil of body and soul." With a group, one voice leads and the rest answer; alone, pray both parts yourself. As with every prayer on this site: prayer asks, and God remains free - no formula guarantees an outcome.

Any day suits a litany, and some days suit it especially: the 22nd of the month, the monthly pilgrimage day at Annaya; the days of the novena before the July feast; or an evening when five quiet minutes are what you have. If you prefer beads, the chaplet of Saint Charbel is the same devotion in another form.

What is the Litany of Saint Charbel?

A responsive prayer of twenty-nine invocations honoring the hermit of Annaya, from "holy hermit of God" to "precious perfume invading the world," prayed to the refrain "pray for us" and closed with a collect.

How long does the litany take to pray?

About five minutes at an unhurried pace. It needs no beads and no preparation - only an intention.

Can I pray the litany alone?

Yes. With a group, a leader prays the invocations and everyone answers "pray for us"; alone, you pray both parts yourself. The closing prayer carries your intention either way.

What do the titles in the litany mean?

They compress his life and his graces: the vows and hidden labor ("cultivator of a mortified life"), his Eucharistic adoration ("Servant of the Blessed Sacrament"), the wonders around his tomb ("glorious Light, whose tomb was glowing"), and Lebanon itself ("fragrant incense from the cedars of Lebanon").

What is the difference between the litany and the chaplet?

The litany is prayed in words alone, invocation and response. The chaplet is prayed on beads - red, white, and blue sets - with the Our Father and Hail Mary. Both honor the same saint; many devotees pray both.

Continue with the novena, the chaplet, the traditional texts in Saint Charbel Prayers, and a prayer for every need in the prayer library.

• Charbel's Friends: Litany of Saint Charbel - the full traditional text of the twenty-nine invocations and the closing collect
• Mothers for Priests: Litany of Saint Charbel (PDF) - independent printing of the same text, invocation for invocation