Litany
Litanies - a prayerful sequence of supplications which are intoned by a deacon or the priest in the name of all those praying. After each petition the choir, or people, sing, "Lord, have mercy," or, "Grant this, O Lord."
Each of litany concludes with an exclamation by the priest glorifying the Holy Trinity.
Contents
Great Litany
The Great Litany, or Litany of Peace, begins with the words "In peace, let us pray to the Lord." It contains many different petitions for prosperity and salvation of various groups.
Small Litany
The Small Litany is a shortened form of the Great Litany. It begins with the words: "Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord." It contains three petitions.
Augmented Litany
The Augmented Litany is so called because it consists of the petitions contained in the Litany of Fervent Supplication, augmented by two petitions at the beginning: "Let us say with all our soul and with all our mind, let us say:" and "O Lord Almighty, the God of our Fathers, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy." The responses to these augmented petitions, unlike those taken from the Litany of Fervent Supplication, consist of a single "Lord have mercy," instead of three.
Litany of Fervent Supplication
The Litany of Fervent Supplication is characterized by the three-fold Lord, have mercy.
This litany is the one through which the people pray for their own particular needs, as well as those of the entire Church, their neighbors, their country and the entire world.
Litany for the Reposed
The Litany for the Reposed is composed of entreaties to the Lord that he might grant rest in the Heavenly Kingdom to the souls of the departed by forgiving them all their sins.
