A Litany of Labour
Percy Dearmer
Lord have mercy upon us
Christ have mercy upon us
Lord have mercy upon us
O God the Father of all,
Have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the World,
Have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Ghost, dwelling in humankind,
Have mercy upon us.
O Holy Trinity, on God,
Have mercy upon us.
________________________________________________
Jesus, born in poverty
born to bring peace among humankind,
workman at Nazareth,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, in whom the proud were scattered
and the mighty put down,
giving good things to the hungry,
exalting them of low degree.
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, who fillest the valleys and
levelest the hills in whom every human
thing is holy and precious who
hast taken all humanity into thyself
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, in whom all the nations of
the earth are one, in whom is neither
bond nor free, Brother of all
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, preaching good tidings to the poor,
proclaiming release to the captives,
setting at liberty them that are bruised,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, friend of the poor. Feeder of
the hungry, Healer of the sick.
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, Lord of health, Vanquisher of early
death, Lover of little children,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, denouncing the oppressor, instructing
the simple, going about to do good,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, teacher of patience, pattern of gentleness,
prophet of the Kingdom of Heaven,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, tempted like us, constant in prayer,
companion of the outcast,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, hater of hypocrisy,
enemy of Mammon, stay of the humble,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, forgiving them that love much,
drawing all souls unto thee, calling them
that labour and are heavy laden,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, who camest not to be ministered unto,
but to minister, who hadst not where to lay
thy head, loved by the common people,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, betrayed for the sake of money, Taken by
the chief priest, Condemned by the rulers,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, crucified for us,
Have mercy upon us.
________________________________________________
From the love of money,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From dishonesty in business,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From the forgetfulness of our duty,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From the anger and malice
against opponents,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From neglect of labour,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From the contempt for others,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From offense against thy little ones,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From the oppression of the pooir,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From envy of the rich,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From the acceptance of worldly standards,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From fear of proclaiming thy acceptable year,,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From hardness, narrowness, and distrust,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From a weak will and unstable purpose.
Good Lord, deliver us.
From want of faith in
accomplishment of thy will.
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all pride.
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all avarice
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all lust
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all anger,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all gluttony,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all envy,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all sloth,
Good Lord, deliver us.
By thy taking of our flesh, by thy humble
birth, by thy hard life, by thy bitter death,
by thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension,
Dear Lord, deliver us.
________________________________________________
Be merciful unto us.
Hear us Jesus.
By thy recovering of sight to the blind,
Remove from us all prejudice.
By thy teaching on the Mount,
Teach us to hunger & thirst after righteousness.
By thy miracles at Cana,
Increase among us joy of life.
By thy parables about riches,
Help us to distribute.
By thy words to the Pharisees,
Give us courage to rebuke the wrong
in high places.
By the washing the Disciples’ fee,
Teach us to serve others.
By thy prayer on the Cross,
Teach us to love our enemies.
By thy Cross and Passion,
Help us to suffer for the thruth’s sake.
By thy presence in the Church,
Keep us faithful to thy law of love.
By thy presense in the Church,
Help us to live more nearly as we pray.
By thy prayer thou has given us,
Help us to live more nearly as we pray.
By thy prayer thou hast given us,
Help us to do thy will upon earth.
By thy life and teaching,
Make us to love God before all things.
By thy life and teacher,
Make us to love our neighbour as ourself.
________________________________________________
Finally, we beseech thee, O Lord, Mighty
& ever Wise, that thou wilt guide, protect,
& inspire all those who earn & labour
truly to get their own living.
For those who face peril,
We beseech thee.
For those who suffer pain,
We beseech thee.
For those who strive on the deep waters,
for those who venture in far countries,
We beseech thee.
For those who work in office & warehouses,
for those who labour at furnace & in factories,
We beseech thee.
For those who toil in mines, for those,
who buy and sell,
We beseech thee.
For those who keep house, for those
who train children,
We beseech thee.
For all who live by strength of arm, for all
who live by cunning of hand,
We beseech thee.
For all who control, direct, or employ,
We beseech thee.
For all who enrich the common life though
art, and science, and learning,
We beseech thee.
For all who guide the common though,
as writers or as teachers,
We beseech thee.
For all who may serve the common good as
pastors, physicians, soldiers, lawyers, merchants,
& for all social workers, leaders, and statesmen,
We beseech thee.
And for all those who are poor,
and broken, and oppressed:
For those who work in dangerous trades,
For those who cannot find work,
For those who will not work,
For those who have no home,
For prisoners and oucasts,
For the victims of lust,
For all who are sick or hungry,
For all who are intemperate,
luxurious, & cruel
Dear Lord, we pray to thee.
O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world,
Receive our prayer.
Lord have mercy upon us,
Christ have mercy upon us,
Lord have mercy upon us
OUR FATHER ETC.
Let us pray:
O Father of light and God of all truth, Purge the whole
world from all errors, abuses, corruptions, and sins. Beat
down the standard of Satan and set up everywhere
the standard of Christ. Abolish the reign of sin, and
establish the kingdom of grace in all hearts. Let humility
triumph over pride and ambition: charity over hatred,
envy, and malice; chastity and temperance over lust
and excess; meekness over passion; disinterestedness
and poverty of spirit over coventousness and the love of
this perishing world. Let the Gospel of Christ in faith
and practice, prevail throughout the world; Through
him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy
Ghost, one God world without end. Amen.