THE LITANY OF
ST. THERESE

The litany of St. Therese, a prayer for private devotions, gives us a moving profile of the Carmelite nun whose autobiography Story of a Soul touched so many hearts that she was canonized less than 30 years after her death!

Although St. Therese of Lisieux (also known as “the Little Flower”) died relatively unknown from tuberculosis in 1897, her “little way” of serving our Lord with love in simple everyday tasks brought her posthumous fame.

Her approach to doing everything for the love of God and our neighbors has inspired many on their spiritual journey. We don’t need to be heroes (in the sense of founding congregations or saving people from burning buildings) to be holy!

When the litany of St. Therese is prayed in a private setting by two or more people, the lines given in italics below are the responses to a leader.

Lord, have mercy on us, 
Christ, have mercy on us. 
Lord, have mercy on us. 
Christ, hear us. 
Christ, graciously hear us. 
God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us. 
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, 
God, the Holy Ghost, 
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. (Repeat after each line) 
Our Lady of Victory, 
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 
St. Therese of the Child Jesus, 
St. Therese of the Holy Face, 
St. Therese, child of Mary, 
St. Therese, devoted to St. Joseph, 
St. Therese, angel of innocence, 
St. Therese, model child, 
St. Therese, pattern of religious, 
St. Therese, flower of Carmel, 
St. Therese, converter of hardened hearts, 
St. Therese, healer of the diseased, 
St. Therese, filled with love for the Blessed Sacrament, 
St. Therese, filled with angelic fervor, 
St. Therese, filled with an apostle's zeal, 
St. Therese, filled with loyalty to the Holy Father, 
St. Therese, filled with a tender love for the Church, 
St. Therese, filled with extraordinary love for God and neighbor, 
St. Therese, wounded with a heavenly flame, 
St. Therese, victim of divine love, 
St. Therese, patient in sufferings, 
St. Therese, eager for humiliations, 
St. Therese, consumed with love, 
St. Therese, rapt in ecstasy, 
Who desired always to be as a little child, 
Who taught the way of spiritual childhood, 
Who gave perfect example of trust in God, 
Whom Jesus filled with a desire for suffering, 
Who found perfection in little things, 
Who refused God nothing, 
Who sought bitterness in this life, 
Who told us to call you littleTherese, 
Who offered her life to God for priests and missionaries, 
Who gained countless souls for Christ, 
Who promised, after her death, a shower of roses, 
Who foretold: "I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth," 
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, 
Spare us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, 
Graciously hear us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, 
Have mercy on us. 
V. Pray for us, St. Therese. 
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray
O Lord, who hast said: Unless you become as little children you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven; grant us, we beseech Thee, so to follow in humility and simplicity of heart, the footsteps of St. Therese, the virgin, that we may obtain everlasting rewards. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen.

The litany of St. Therese touchingly refers to both her humility and her childlike approach to sanctity. We see this in the reference to our Lord’s words about children in Matthew’s gospel (Matt 18:3) at the conclusion of this prayer. No wonder she is also known as St. Therese of the Child Jesus!

She indeed is spending her heaven “doing good on earth.” Numerous miracles, her “shower of roses,” have been attributed to her, and she has helped many people strengthen their faith. May this litany, like other prayers to her in the link given below, inspire to you serve God in all things, big and small, as well.