# Litany of the Sacred Passion of Christ
*2015-07-24*

> Bill Young reflects on the feast of St. Sharbel Makhluf and leads the Litany of the Sacred Passion of Christ, invoking Christ’s mercy through the events of His Passion.

## St. Sharbel Makhluf – The Lebanese Hermit

Good afternoon, I’m Bill Young. Today is Friday, July 24th, the feast day of St. Sharbel Makhluf, the hermit of Lebanon. Though he never traveled far from his native village of Beka‑Kafra, his influence spread widely. Born Joseph Makhluf, he was raised by an uncle after his father, a mule driver, died when Joseph was three. At age 23 he entered the monastery of St. Maron in Lebanon and took the name Sharbel, after the second‑century martyr. He made his final vows in 1853 and was ordained six years later. Following the example of the fifth‑century St. Mor Mouly, Sharbel lived as a hermit until his death in 1865. His reputation for holiness drew many to seek his prayers. He kept a strict fast and was devoted to the Blessed Sacrament, gladly administering the sacraments when asked. He died on the afternoon of Christmas Eve and was canonized in 1972.

## The Litany of the Sacred Passion

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
God the Father, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Mary, Mother of our Redeemer, intercede for us.
Jesus, King of Glory, who went to Jerusalem to fulfill the work of redemption, have mercy on us.
Jesus, prostrate before the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, oppressed by the sorrows of the world, have mercy on us.
Jesus, struck by fear, overcome by sorrow, reduced to agony, covered with sweat and blood, abandoned by all, have mercy on us.
Jesus, betrayed by one of your nearest friends and sold for a low price, have mercy on us.
Jesus, bound, beaten, and scourged, brought before the Sanhedrin and treated as a blasphemer, have mercy on us.
Jesus, taken before Pilate and accused of being an agitator and dangerous rebel, have mercy on us.
Jesus, mocked, crowned with a purple cloak, have mercy on us.
Jesus, scourged with the Roman whip of thirty‑nine lashes, the cords tearing flesh from bone, have mercy on us.
Jesus, crowned with thorns and clothed in a purple robe, insulted and exposed to the crowd, have mercy on us.
Jesus, compared with the violent criminal who was set free instead of you, have mercy on us.
Jesus, condemned by the crowd and abandoned by your enemies, have mercy on us.
Jesus, exhausted by suffering and bearing the great weight of the cross on the road to Calvary, have mercy on us.
Jesus, stripped of your clothes, laid upon the ground, nailed to the cross, have mercy on us.
Jesus, nailed without pity to the infamous wood, among the worst sinners, have mercy on us.
Jesus, who forgave those who offered you wine mixed with gall, have mercy on us.
Jesus, who prayed to the Father for forgiveness for your persecutors, have mercy on us.
Jesus, who obeyed the Father unto death, offering your spirit into his hands, have mercy on us.
Jesus, who bowed your head and died for us, have mercy on us.
Jesus, whose side was pierced by the lance, revealing eternal mercy, have mercy on us.
From every evil, deliver us, O Lord.
From hatred and ill‑will, deliver us, O Lord.
From pride and possessions, deliver us, O Lord.
From disorder of the senses, deliver us, O Lord.
From hardness of heart, deliver us, O Lord.
From sudden death, deliver us, O Lord.
From eternal damnation, deliver us, O Lord.
For the sake of your sweat, have mercy on us.
For the sake of your painful scourging, have mercy on us.
For the sake of your crown of thorns, have mercy on us.
For the weight of the cross, have mercy on us.
For the pain of the crucifixion, have mercy on us.
For the wound of your side, have mercy on us.
For your death, have mercy on us.
At the hour of our death, have mercy on us.
On the day of judgment, have mercy on us.
We adore you, O Christ, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, Lord.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.

## Closing Prayer

Let us pray. O Jesus, who redeemed us by your death on the cross out of love for us, pour out upon us the merits of your holy Passion and death, and grant us the mercy by which, through these merits, we may obtain the special graces we desire. We now place our special intentions before you, asking that you consider the sorrows and prayers of your holy Mother at the foot of the cross. Amen.

*Through the litany we enter into Christ’s suffering, asking his mercy to transform our own trials into opportunities for grace.*