Incessant Litany

After the Gospel, there is another Litany. This one has the congregation singing "Lord have mercy" in sets of 3, overlapping the petitions being offered by the deaon. In other words, the "Lord have mercys" are sung continuously while the petitions are being chanted.

Deacon: Let us all say with our whole soul and our whole mind, let us say,
Response: Lord have mercy.

Deacon: Lord and Master of all, God of our fathers, we pray Thee, hear us and have mercy on us.
Response: Lord have mercy.

Deacon: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, we pray Thee hear us and have mercy on us.
Response: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Deacon: We pray also for our most Blessed Father, Pope Benedict, our Metropolitan Lucian, and our Most Reverend Bishop John Michael, and for all our brethren in Christ.
Deacon: We pray also for our country, its president and government, and all who are in authority.
Deacon: We pray also for our brethern, priests, monks, and all our brotherhood in Christ.

Response: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Deacon: We pray also for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, remission and forgiveness of sins of the servans of God, the brethren of this holy Church.
Deacon: We pray also for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy Church, and for all our faithful fathers and brethren, who have fallen asleep before us and who, here and elsewhere, rest in the Lord.

Response: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Deacon: We pray also for those who bring gifts and do good unto this holy and blessed Church, and for those who labor, for those who sing, and for the people here present awaiting Thy great and abundant mercy.

Priest (quietly): O Lord, our God, accept from thy Servant this suppliant prayer and have mercy on us according to the greatness of Thy mercies; grant Thy blessing to us, and to all Thy people, who await Thy rich mercies.

(aloud) For Thou are a merciful God, lover of mankind, and to Thee do we offer glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit(+), now, and awlays and forever and ever.

Response: Amen.

Next comes the Cherubic Hymn. This, again is one of my most favorite parts of the Liturgy. Stay tuned!

**I italicized the already bolded part of this petition that I use for some of my daily prayer. Isn't it lovely!**

(photo by Greg Tarczynski)