Litany on the Suffering of Christ and of Men

From The Daily Office, CPH 1965.

O Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who didst send Thy Son to reveal Thy love to us and to show us the way of life, a gracious gift to the ungrateful race of men, make us truly and sincerely thankful for this and for all Thine other benefits; and for Thy long-suffering with the sins and sorrows of men from the beginning even until now:
We thank Thee, O Lord
For the sufferings of Christ in the flesh and for His intercession for mankind in glory:
We thank Thee, O Lord
For the redemption of the world through the shame of the cross and the pain of the Passion:
We thank Thee, O Lord
For all who have suffered in their own bodies for love of Him and of their fellowmen:
We thank Thee, O Lord
For martyrs and confessors; for all who have chosen poverty or solitude for Thy sake; for all men of prayer;  and for all saints in common life:
We thank Thee, O Lord
For all suffering dared and endured for noble ends and for all pain bravely borne and turned to patience of character and purity of life:
We thank Thee, O Lord
O Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sakes didst undergo want and shame and pain, we confess most humbly that we have refused to carry the burden of Thy cross, have denied Thee rather than face mockery, and have sought comfort and security.  Forgive our sin, help us to amend, and give us courage to endure.
Amen.

From all misunderstanding of Thy purpose in pain; from complaint of Thy indifference to our sorrow;
Deliver us, good Lord.
From refusing to share the sufferings of the world; from forgetting the pain and sorrow of others:
Deliver us, good Lord.
From seeking comfort and pleasure; from avoiding burdens and neglecting duties:
Deliver us, good Lord.
From the selfishness of which brings needless sorrow to others:
Deliver us, good Lord.


Almighty Father, who art afflicted in the afflictions of Thy people and art full of compassion and tender mercy, hear us as we pray for those who suffer:
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
For those who bear the pains of childbirth or sickness; for the aged and the dying:
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
For all who are handicapped in the race of life through no fault of their own; for the defective and the delicate; and for all who are permanently injured:
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
For those whose livelihood is insecure: the overworked, the hungry, and the destitute; for those who have been downtrodden, ruined, and driven to despair:
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
For little children whose surroundings hide from them Thy love and beauty; for all the fatherless and motherless:
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
For those who have to bear their burdens alone and for all who have lost those whom they love:
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
For those who are in doubt and anguish of soul; for those who are oversensitive and afraid:
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
For those whose suffering is unrelieved by the knowledge of Thy love:
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.
For those who suffer through their own wrongdoing:
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.


Almighty God, who has shown us in the life and teaching of Thy Son the true way of blessedness, Thou hast also showed us in His suffering and death that the path of love may lead to the cross, and the reward of faithfulness may be a crown of thorns.  Give us grace to learn these hard lessons.  May we take up our cross and follow Christ in the strength of patience and the constancy of faith; and may we have such fellowship with Him in His sorrow that we may know the secret of His strength and peace and see, even in our darkest hour of trial and anguish, the beauty of eternal light.
Amen.