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Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus

Litaniae Sanctissimi Nominis Iesu

To Jesus 📜 Earliest form: Approved for public use by Pope Leo XIII in 1886 ✍️ The Church (approved 1886) 🕯️ Used liturgically

Latina

Kýrie, eléison. Christe, eléison. Kýrie, eléison.
Iesu, audi nos.
Iesu, exáudi nos.
Pater de cælis, Deus, miserére nobis.

KEE-ree-eh, eh-LEH-ee-son. KREE-steh, eh-LEH-ee-son. YEH-zoo, splen-DOR PAH-trees, mee-zeh-REH-reh NOH-bees. YEH-zoo, rex GLOH-ree-eh, mee-zeh-REH-reh NOH-bees.

Iesu, Fili Dei vivi, miserére nobis.
Iesu, splendor Patris, miserére nobis.
Iesu, candor lucis ætérnæ, miserére nobis.
Iesu, rex glóriæ, miserére nobis.
Iesu, sol iustítiæ, miserére nobis.
Iesu, Fili Maríæ Vírginis, miserére nobis.
Iesu admirábilis, miserére nobis.
Iesu, Deus fortis, miserére nobis.
Iesu, pater futúri sǽculi, miserére nobis.
Iesu, mitis et húmilis corde, miserére nobis.
Iesu, amátor castitátis, miserére nobis.
Iesu, Deus pacis, miserére nobis.
Iesu, auctor vitæ, miserére nobis.
Iesu, refúgium nostrum, miserére nobis.

(Ecclesiastical Latin guide; "Iesu… miserere nobis" = "Jesus… have mercy on us.")

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, parce nobis, Iesu.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, exáudi nos, Iesu.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis, Iesu.

Vernacular

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, splendor of the Father, have mercy on us.
Jesus, brightness of eternal light, have mercy on us.
Jesus, King of glory, have mercy on us.
Jesus, sun of justice, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on us.
Jesus most admirable, have mercy on us.
Jesus, mighty God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Father of the world to come, have mercy on us.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, have mercy on us.
Jesus, lover of chastity, have mercy on us.
Jesus, God of peace, have mercy on us.
Jesus, author of life, have mercy on us.
Jesus, our refuge, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Jesus.

Prayer History

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The Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus adores Our Lord under the Name that is above every name. From the beginning the Christian people have revered that Name, for it was given not by men but by God: the angel commanded both Our Lady and St. Joseph to call the Child "JESUS" — in Hebrew Yeshua, "God saves" — "for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31). St. Paul teaches that God "hath given him a name which is above all names: that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow" (Philippians 2:9–10), and St. Peter that "there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

The litany itself grew from the great flowering of devotion to the Holy Name in the fifteenth century, spread by St. Bernardine of Siena and St. John Capistran, who carried before them the radiant monogram IHS (the first letters of the Name of Jesus in Greek). It titles the Lord in a long series of names drawn from Scripture — "splendor of the Father," "brightness of eternal light," "King of glory," "sun of justice," "mighty God," "Father of the world to come" — each answered by the humble cry, "have mercy on us."

Pope Leo XIII approved the litany for public use in 1886 and extended it to the whole Church. The Church keeps a Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in January, and grants an indulgence to those who devoutly bow the head at the Holy Name. To pray this litany is to make one’s own the counsel of the saints: to keep the Name of Jesus ever on the lips and in the heart, as a light in temptation and a comfort in death.

📋 Quick Facts

Type An approved litany to the Holy Name of Jesus

The Name Means "God saves" (Hebrew Yeshua)

Given By The angel, to Mary and Joseph (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31)

St. Paul "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow" (Philippians 2:10)

St. Peter "No other name… whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12)

Spread By St. Bernardine of Siena and the IHS monogram (15th c.)

Approved By Pope Leo XIII, 1886

Feast The Most Holy Name of Jesus, in January

💡 Did You Know?

✦ The Name "Jesus" was chosen by God, not men: the angel told both Mary and Joseph to give the Child this Name, "for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

✦ "Jesus" is the Latin form of the Hebrew Yeshua, which means "God saves" — the Name itself is a proclamation of the Gospel.

✦ St. Paul writes that God gave Jesus "a name which is above all names: that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Philippians 2:9–10).

✦ St. Peter declared before the Sanhedrin: "there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

✦ The great apostle of the Holy Name was St. Bernardine of Siena (d. 1444), who preached holding up the golden monogram IHS — the first three letters of "Jesus" in Greek.

✦ Pope Leo XIII approved this litany for public use in 1886; it is one of only a handful of litanies approved for the universal Church.

✦ An indulgence is granted for devoutly bowing the head at the Holy Name of Jesus — a small act of reverence the Church has always encouraged.

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Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus

Litaniae Sanctissimi Nominis Iesu

Kýrie, eléison. Christe, eléison. Kýrie, eléison.
Iesu, audi nos.
Iesu, exáudi nos.
Pater de cælis, Deus, miserére nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, parce nobis, Iesu.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, exáudi nos, Iesu.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis, Iesu.

✠ Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam ✠

Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus

Prayer History

📋 Quick Facts

💡 Did You Know?

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