“Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, I am not worthy to be called thy son.” ( Luke 15, 21)
Today we recall the importance of penance and prayer in the message of Our Lady of Fatima. Without sufficient reparation, this chastisement will only worsen until hell reigns on earth. It is too late to stop this chastisement which has been unleashed while our religious and lay leaders were distracting us with the usual secular solutions to the deeply spiritual war that is raging.
The three little shepherds of Fatima represented the three calls to respond to the message of Our Lady of Fatima, that is, Francisco, the mystic, responded with his vocation to console Our Lord and Our Lady in penance and prayer, Jacinta’s calling was to save souls by her sacrifices, penances and prayers, while Lucia’s vocation was to obedience, chastity and poverty and the constant struggle to spread the truth about the message of Our Lady of the Rosary and devotion to her Immaculate Heart. The scarlet thread that runs throughout these three calls and unites them is penance and prayer.
We offer here a Litany for Penitents. There are several variations online, but this seems most apt to our needs today. For private use.
LITANY FOR PENITENTS
Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out our iniquity. (Psalm 50:3)
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on 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, Perfecter of the elect, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
O God, Who by the voice of Thy prophets and Apostles dost call upon us incessantly to be converted and to abandon our evil ways, have mercy on us.
O Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, Who didst Thyself come on earth to call sinners to repentance, have mercy on us.
O Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Who didst come among us to seek and to save the lost sheep, have mercy on us.
O Jesus, Who hast declared that unless we do penance, we shall perish everlastingly, have mercy on us.
O Jesus, Who desires not the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live, have mercy on us.
O Jesus, Who has assured us that there shall be joy in Heaven over one sinner that is converted and does penance, have mercy on us.
O Jesus, Who, in the example of the prodigal son returning home to the bosom of his father, hast inspired us with confidence in Thy tenderness, have mercy on us.
O Jesus, Who for the sake and salvation of sinners was pleased to undergo so many hardships and labors, have mercy on us.
O Jesus, Who didst not refuse to receive sinners, in order to draw them to repentance, have mercy on us.
O Jesus, Who calls upon us to be converted to Thee with all our hearts, have mercy on us.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, and hear our prayer. Have mercy upon us O Lord, and hear our petition.
From all evil, deliver us, O Lord.
From all sin, deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of impenitence and from all hardness of heart, deliver us, O Lord.
From final impenitence, deliver us, O Lord.
By Thy Baptism and holy fasting, deliver us, O Lord.
By Thy labors and sorrows, deliver us, O Lord.
By the merits of Thy Precious Blood, which Thou hast shed for my sins, deliver us, O Lord.
On the Day of Judgment, deliver us, O Lord.
That Thou would vouchsafe in Thy mercy to create in us a new heart and a new mind, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That Thou would vouchsafe to conduct us to true repentance, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That as we have imitated the Prodigal in his sins, so also may we imitate him in his sorrow, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That as we are the lost sheep, so Thou, as the Good Shepherd, deign kindly to carry us back to the fold, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That as hitherto we have all served iniquity unto iniquity, so henceforth may we serve justice unto sanctification, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That we may cultivate all the virtues of the truly penitent and bring forth fruits worthy of piety, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That for the time to come, renouncing all impiety and worldly desires, we may live chastely, and innocently, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That Thou wilt give us the grace and courage to resist temptation, to bend our wills to obey Thy laws, and to subdue our flesh in its vice and concupiscence, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That, like the prudent virgins in the Gospel, we may be always watchful, and may cherish prayer and cultivate industry, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That we may with confidence have recourse to Thy throne of grace, and thus may obtain grace in seasonable aid, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That Thou wouldst not deal with us according to our sins, but in Thine infinite tenderness, have pity upon us, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
That we may so purify ourselves by penance and by accepting the sufferings of this life that we may avoid the eternal pains of Hell, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, we beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Let Us Pray
O God, Who wills not the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live, vouchsafe in Thy mercy to look down in compassion upon our misery and weakness, and remember that we are only dust and ashes and that soon, in punishment for our sins, must return to dust and ashes. We beg of Thine infinite mercy, forgiveness for our many offenses; restore in us a clean heart O Lord!
O Father of Mercies and tender Physician of our Souls, we have all grievously sinned against Thee, and are no longer worthy to be called Thy children. We have ignored the blasphemies and sacrileges offered Thee by the impious and have scorned Thy graces with indifference. Thus, we have merited Thy displeasure and have deserved the heavy weight of Thy chastisement. Deeply aware of our unhappy state, we now come before Thee to implore Thy pardon. O Sweet Savior, look not on our sins but see our great need of Thy mercy! We trust in Thy mercy, O Lord, let us not be confounded forever!
By the help of Thy grace, we promise to repent of our past ingratitude every day and firmly resolve never to offend Thee again, and to avoid the occasions which lead us to sin. Through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary we will from henceforth make reparation for our sins, and the sins of the Church, and unfailingly beg the conversion of all poor sinners that the reign of Thy Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart of Mary be established in our hearts, in our families, in our parishes, and throughout the Church and the world. Amen.
For other posts about reparation:
The Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
The Figure of a Woman, Anticipating 2017
This is all about sin!
Remember – Our Lady needs us to obey: First Saturdays of Reparation, daily rosary, at least 5 mysteries, wear her brown scapular and live your Total Consecration to her Immaculate Heart, offering daily duties in reparation and for the conversion of poor sinners.
† Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
† Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!
† Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.
† St. Joseph, protect us, protect our families, protect our priests.
† St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!