Lord, have mercy on me. Christ, have mercy on me. Lord, have mercy on me. God the Father, Creator of the world, Have mercy on me. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on me. God the Holy Ghost, perfecter of the elect, Have mercy on me. O Blessed Trinity, three Persons and one God, Have mercy on me.
Holy Mother of God, All ye holy angels and archangels, All ye blessed company of the just, All ye holy patriarchs and prophets, All ye holy apostles and evangelists, All ye holy disciples of our Lord, All ye holy martyrs, All ye holy bishops and confessors, All ye holy virgins and widows, All ye holy saints of God, make intercession for me.
Have mercy, O Lord, and spare me. Have mercy, O Lord, and hear me.
From all my sins and offences, and the punishment due to them, From all temptations, and the snares of the devil, From all impatience and repining at thy just chastisements, From dejection of spirit, and diffidence in thy mercies, From all undue fears of death, and all immoderate desires of life, From distraction of mind, and neglect of preparation for eternity,
By thy cross and passion, By thy death and burial, By thy glorious resurrection and ascension, By the grace of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, In the hour of death, and in the day of judgment,
That it would please thee to comfort me in sorrows, and enable me to look to a blessed life beyond death, I beseech thee, to hear me. That it would please thee to remind me of all thy mercies, and by them encourage me to a sure confidence in thee, I beseech thee, to hear me. That thou wouldst grant me the grace to order all my temporal affairs with prudence, justice, and charity; and with a free and quiet mind wholly to dispose myself for heaven, I beseech thee, to hear me. That thou wouldst sanctify this thy fatherly correction of me, that the sense of my weakness may add strength to my faith, and seriousness to my repentance, I beseech thee, to hear me. That thou wouldst grant me the grace to confess sincerely, to repent of all my sins, and bestow on me perfect remission and forgiveness of them, I beseech thee, to hear me. That thou wouldst grant me the grace heartily to forgive all those who have offended me, and to satisfy to the utmost of my power whoever hath suffered the least prejudice by me, I beseech thee, to hear me. That being thus reconciled to thee, and to all the world, I may, with assured hope and steadfast faith, receive the sacrament of thy blessed body, and by the strength of that heavenly food, cheer my fainting spirits, and continue with joy in thy favour to the end, I beseech thee, to hear me. That a patient submission under the pains of my sickness may expiate the punishment due to my sins, diminish my love of this world, and increase my desire of the next, I beseech thee, to hear me. That in whatever thy providence hath ordained concerning me, I may readily acquiesce, and both in life and death, be always thine, I beseech thee, to hear me. Son of God, I beseech thee, to hear me.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare me, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Hear me, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on me.
Lord, have mercy on me. Christ, have mercy on me. Lord, have mercy on me.
Our Father, etc.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer, R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Almighty and eternal God, in whose hands are life and death, whose infinite wisdom disposes all things advantageously for those who love thee: behold thy servant whom thou hast cast upon a bed of sickness; comfort, I beseech thee, my afflicted spirit; increase my faith, strengthen my hope, and perfect my charity, sanctify all my sufferings, and if thy mercy shall restore me to health, may I carefully correct the errors of my past life.
If it please thee to call me out of this world, grant that I may safely pass through the shades of death, transported by thy holy angels into the mansions of bliss, where no fear shall trouble me, no pains afflict me, no grief disturb my peace of mind, but pure delight, unspeakable joy and perfect security shall be for ever confirmed to me: Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This litany is prayed in the first person. It is not said over a sick man by those around him; it is what the sick man says himself, and that changes its whole character. Nothing in it asks anyone else to be brave.
What it asks for is worth reading slowly. Only one clause asks for recovery, and it is conditional: if thy mercy shall restore me to health, may I carefully correct the errors of my past life. The rest asks for something else entirely — deliverance from impatience, from dejection of spirit, from “all undue fears of death, and all immoderate desires of life.” It asks for the grace to settle one’s temporal affairs with justice, to forgive everyone who has given offence, and to make restitution to anyone harmed. It asks that the pains of the sickness might be accepted rather than merely endured.
That is the older Catholic understanding of illness, and it is not sentimental. Sickness is treated as a fatherly correction to be sanctified, not an interruption of life to be got through. The closing prayer holds both outcomes open in the same breath — restoration to health, or the passage through the shades of death — and does not pretend to know which is coming.
The text here is taken from The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations (ed. Patrick Francis Moran, 1883), where it stands among the prayers for the sick and dying, just before the prayers for Viaticum and Extreme Unction. Versions of it circulated in a number of nineteenth-century manuals; adaptations rewritten in the third person, for praying over someone, are also in circulation. This is the original, in the voice the book intended.
Lord, have mercy on me. Christ, have mercy on me. Lord, have mercy on me.
God the Father, Creator of the world, Have mercy on me.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on me.
God the Holy Ghost, perfecter of the elect, Have mercy on me.
O Blessed Trinity, three Persons and one God, Have mercy on me.
Holy Mother of God,
All ye holy angels and archangels,
All ye blessed company of the just,
All ye holy patriarchs and prophets,
All ye holy apostles and evangelists,
All ye holy disciples of our Lord,
All ye holy martyrs,
All ye holy bishops and confessors,
All ye holy virgins and widows,
All ye holy saints of God, make intercession for me.
Have mercy, O Lord, and spare me.
Have mercy, O Lord, and hear me.
From all my sins and offences, and the punishment due to them,
From all temptations, and the snares of the devil,
From all impatience and repining at thy just chastisements,
From dejection of spirit, and diffidence in thy mercies,
From all undue fears of death, and all immoderate desires of life,
From distraction of mind, and neglect of preparation for eternity,
By thy cross and passion,
By thy death and burial,
By thy glorious resurrection and ascension,
By the grace of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
In the hour of death, and in the day of judgment,
That it would please thee to comfort me in sorrows, and enable me to look to a blessed life beyond death, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That it would please thee to remind me of all thy mercies, and by them encourage me to a sure confidence in thee, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That thou wouldst grant me the grace to order all my temporal affairs with prudence, justice, and charity; and with a free and quiet mind wholly to dispose myself for heaven, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That thou wouldst sanctify this thy fatherly correction of me, that the sense of my weakness may add strength to my faith, and seriousness to my repentance, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That thou wouldst grant me the grace to confess sincerely, to repent of all my sins, and bestow on me perfect remission and forgiveness of them, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That thou wouldst grant me the grace heartily to forgive all those who have offended me, and to satisfy to the utmost of my power whoever hath suffered the least prejudice by me, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That being thus reconciled to thee, and to all the world, I may, with assured hope and steadfast faith, receive the sacrament of thy blessed body, and by the strength of that heavenly food, cheer my fainting spirits, and continue with joy in thy favour to the end, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That a patient submission under the pains of my sickness may expiate the punishment due to my sins, diminish my love of this world, and increase my desire of the next, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That in whatever thy providence hath ordained concerning me, I may readily acquiesce, and both in life and death, be always thine, I beseech thee, to hear me.
Son of God, I beseech thee, to hear me.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare me, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Hear me, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on me.
Lord, have mercy on me. Christ, have mercy on me. Lord, have mercy on me.
Our Father, etc.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer,
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Almighty and eternal God, in whose hands are life and death, whose infinite wisdom disposes all things advantageously for those who love thee: behold thy servant whom thou hast cast upon a bed of sickness; comfort, I beseech thee, my afflicted spirit; increase my faith, strengthen my hope, and perfect my charity, sanctify all my sufferings, and if thy mercy shall restore me to health, may I carefully correct the errors of my past life.
If it please thee to call me out of this world, grant that I may safely pass through the shades of death, transported by thy holy angels into the mansions of bliss, where no fear shall trouble me, no pains afflict me, no grief disturb my peace of mind, but pure delight, unspeakable joy and perfect security shall be for ever confirmed to me: Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord, have mercy on me. Christ, have mercy on me. Lord, have mercy on me.
God the Father, Creator of the world, Have mercy on me.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on me.
God the Holy Ghost, perfecter of the elect, Have mercy on me.
O Blessed Trinity, three Persons and one God, Have mercy on me.
Holy Mother of God,
All ye holy angels and archangels,
All ye blessed company of the just,
All ye holy patriarchs and prophets,
All ye holy apostles and evangelists,
All ye holy disciples of our Lord,
All ye holy martyrs,
All ye holy bishops and confessors,
All ye holy virgins and widows,
All ye holy saints of God, make intercession for me.
Have mercy, O Lord, and spare me.
Have mercy, O Lord, and hear me.
From all my sins and offences, and the punishment due to them,
From all temptations, and the snares of the devil,
From all impatience and repining at thy just chastisements,
From dejection of spirit, and diffidence in thy mercies,
From all undue fears of death, and all immoderate desires of life,
From distraction of mind, and neglect of preparation for eternity,
By thy cross and passion,
By thy death and burial,
By thy glorious resurrection and ascension,
By the grace of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
In the hour of death, and in the day of judgment,
That it would please thee to comfort me in sorrows, and enable me to look to a blessed life beyond death, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That it would please thee to remind me of all thy mercies, and by them encourage me to a sure confidence in thee, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That thou wouldst grant me the grace to order all my temporal affairs with prudence, justice, and charity; and with a free and quiet mind wholly to dispose myself for heaven, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That thou wouldst sanctify this thy fatherly correction of me, that the sense of my weakness may add strength to my faith, and seriousness to my repentance, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That thou wouldst grant me the grace to confess sincerely, to repent of all my sins, and bestow on me perfect remission and forgiveness of them, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That thou wouldst grant me the grace heartily to forgive all those who have offended me, and to satisfy to the utmost of my power whoever hath suffered the least prejudice by me, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That being thus reconciled to thee, and to all the world, I may, with assured hope and steadfast faith, receive the sacrament of thy blessed body, and by the strength of that heavenly food, cheer my fainting spirits, and continue with joy in thy favour to the end, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That a patient submission under the pains of my sickness may expiate the punishment due to my sins, diminish my love of this world, and increase my desire of the next, I beseech thee, to hear me.
That in whatever thy providence hath ordained concerning me, I may readily acquiesce, and both in life and death, be always thine, I beseech thee, to hear me.
Son of God, I beseech thee, to hear me.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare me, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Hear me, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on me.
Lord, have mercy on me. Christ, have mercy on me. Lord, have mercy on me.
Our Father, etc.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer,
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Almighty and eternal God, in whose hands are life and death, whose infinite wisdom disposes all things advantageously for those who love thee: behold thy servant whom thou hast cast upon a bed of sickness; comfort, I beseech thee, my afflicted spirit; increase my faith, strengthen my hope, and perfect my charity, sanctify all my sufferings, and if thy mercy shall restore me to health, may I carefully correct the errors of my past life.
If it please thee to call me out of this world, grant that I may safely pass through the shades of death, transported by thy holy angels into the mansions of bliss, where no fear shall trouble me, no pains afflict me, no grief disturb my peace of mind, but pure delight, unspeakable joy and perfect security shall be for ever confirmed to me: Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.