The Litany in Our Prayers

If ever in your prayers, you have the need for extended intercessions and thanksgivings, you may wish to use "The Litany." While the phrase The Litany has a variety of meaning among our Christian traditions, The Litany, generally understood, is basically a sequence of petitions, thanksgivings, or praises that help the Church widen and deepen her prayer life. The Great Litany in the Book of Common Prayer (148-155) may be "said or sung, kneeling, standing, or in procession; before the Eucharist or after the Collects of Morning or Evening Prayer; or separately especially in Lent and on Rogation days." Among Orthodox Christians, "every liturgical service of the Orthodox Church, as well as virtually all sacraments and special services, start with the Great Litany, sometimes after the reading of psalms. The petitions of this litany address the basic and general needs of every community and its members." In the Lutheran tradition, The Litany, which Luther often called the greatest of prayers, is now spoken or sung to a Byzantine chant; it is typically reserved for Evening Prayer and frequently prayed during Lent.

In our Evening Prayers June and I do not always use The Litany; rather, we usually ask one another "For whom shall we pray?" and then make our intercessions accordingly. Sometimes, however, we find it wholesome to use some form of The Litany, and I have composed one, adapted and edited from our Lutheran and Episcopal traditions but edited so as to include additional intercessions. Here it is:

In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For our home and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For our pastors and priests, for all deacons, bishops, district supervisors, elders, missionaries, evangelists, monks and sisters, especially the Benedictines living at The Dwelling Place Monastery, for all seminarians, and teachers, for all servants of the Church, and for all people, let us pray to the Lord:

Lord, have mercy.
For our public servants, especially for the President of the United States, for the government and those who protect us in this and every place, that they may be upheld and strengthened in every good deed, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For those who work to bring peace (especially for . . .), let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For those who work to promote justice (especially for . . .), let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For those who are ministers of healing (especially for . . .), let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For our enemies, for those who personally dislike us, for those who hate us in this and every country (especially for . . .) , let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For persecuted peoples throughout the world, for our Christian sisters and brothers suffering for their faith (especially for . . .) , let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For those who do good works in our families and congregations, those who toil, those who sing, and all people who await from the Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For those who need and/or who have asked for our intercessions (especially for . . .) , let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For our children, grandchildren, sisters and brothers, our parents, and all in our family, let us pray to the Lord:

These dear ones, O Lord, bless and keep in every place wherever they are.
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For the faithful who have gone before us and are at rest, let us give thanks to the Lord:
Thanks be to God.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

Silence for meditation

In communion with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord, and with all the saints, (especially . . . whom we remember today), let us rejoice and commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ, our Lord:

To you, O Lord. Amen.

By praying this or a similar litany every few days, June and I are able to expand our awareness of the needs of friends, individuals, small groups of people, larger communities, the global Church, and the world. The Litany is a wonderful resource which the Church has bequeathed to us. If you would like for me to email you the text of this litany, please do so by addressing your request to andrew.harnack@eku.edu, and I'll be glad to send it to you as a Word document (.doc).

November 25: Isaac Watts, Hymnwriter, 1748

It was only early this morning that I noticed in small print on my calendar that today (Christ the King, the Last Sunday in the Church Year) is also a day for remembering and celebrating the life and witness of Isaac Watts. So in an hour or so when June and I enter our Morning Prayers, we'll sing a hymn that Watts wrote. Usually June picks the hymns for days, and I'll bet she picks "Oh, That the Lord Would Guide My Ways." Maybe you'd like to sing a Watts hymn today too; you find a good many of them here.

By the way, June and I sometimes struggle to start a hymn off just right, especially in the morning when our voices are a bit "crackly." So last week I bought a pitch-pipe, and using it has done wonders (well, of sorts) to our starting the first lines of hymns and songs in something that approximates what Watts would hope for.

And didn't he write lots and lots of tremendously wonderful hymns! Let's sing!

November 30: St. Andrew's Day

Well, this will be a big day for me; it's the Commemoration of my namesake, my patron saint. Seventy years ago I was baptized by my father, a Lutheran pastor, on St. Andrew's Day, November 30 in Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Quite frankly I've always been delighted that I was baptized as an infant because that's always helped me understand what Jesus said to Andrew in the Gospel of John:

You did not choose Me but I chose you [emphasis mine], and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

Being chosen (adopted by God is the phrase St. Paul likes to use in his Letterto the Romans) to be a precious member of the Most Holy Trinity's family as an infant has always been a great blessing for me. As a toddler, little boy, teenager, and young adult, the Church, especially my godparents--Aunt Pearl and Uncle Ward--helped me remember my holy baptism with cards, phone calls, and prayers. Whenever I had a big event in my life, Pearl and Ward were there with me. With the Church they taught me that when we say, "In the Name of the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit" (and perhaps make the sign of the cross on our bodies) at the beginning of worship and in our morning and evening prayers, we are to remember that "we are baptized!" That means we are saved by the grace of God. That announcement means that I always knew I was a child of God--even when I was a "bad boy," a prodigal child. It is Holy Baptism that gives us our family identify as members of the Body of Christ. It is Holy Baptism that clearly reminds us that we are saved by grace--God's choosing us! Holy Baptism tells us that it is the Holy Spirit who creates our ever-growing and lively faith in Christ--from baby-breath to dying breath. Holy Baptism places us squarely and cross-wise into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as Paul tells us in Romans 6. In Holy Baptism we are washed to walk in newness of life. So when sin, frustrations, doubts, guilt, and anxieties attack us, we are to say, as Luther so often did, "I am baptized!" That's how the Most Holy Trinity gives us the victory we have in Christ.

So on November 30 when I got my name and was baptized, I'm especially happy to look back over the past seventy years and see how true it has been: "Andy, you did not choose Me; I have chosen you."

Now it's my responsibility and calling to live like my namesake. St. Andrew liked to introduce others, like Peter, to Christ. And that may be my special calling: to introduce others to Jesus. Tradition says that St. Andrew died on an X-shaped cross. The shape of that cross reminds me that I need to put myself on an "X" too: an X to ego, an X to worry and anxiety, an X to sin, an X to everything that keeps me from being a faithful witness to Jesus. So here's the prayer,the collect, that I'll be saying with you on St. Andrew's day:

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that He readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give unto us, who are called by your Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

A postscript: Because I need to be "on the road" a good bit next week, I may not be posting much for several days, but you can surely count on my sharing the beginnings of Advent with you on the evening of December 1 when I'm back in Richmond, Kentucky.

November 23: Miguel Agustin Pro, Martyr, 1927

One of the good things I like about working with Church calendars from various traditions is that it gives me opportunities to deepen my understanding of the catholicity of the Church, the nature and meaning of faith, and how one converts words and thoughts into actions. When I see what each day holds in memory, I often discover that the Holy Spirit is providing all of us with witnesses and examples of memorable and authentic Christian living. And when I explore the examples and lives of these remarkable women and men, the Holy Spirit deepens my prayer life so that throughout the day I have imprinted on my thinking sharper ways of confessing the Church's faith. Today, for example, my Lutheran calendar tells me that Miguel Agustin Pro, Martyr, 1927, is someone to keep in memory before God. Father Pro was executed for the sake of Christ. As I read summaries of his life, witness, and death (and looked at the various pictures of him), I ask myself, "Andrew, how are you facing your 'executions,' large or small as they may be, today? Are you taking seriously what Jesus says to you, "Whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it"? How might you exclaim, Viva Cristo Rey!"--"Long live Christ the King!" All of this is worth much prayer--prayer translated into action--letting myself die for the sake of Christ.

Using the Church's calendar of memories and commemorations as a kind of lectio, a good part of the day may be nourished by what the Holy Spirit wishes us to ponder in prayer.

God our Father,you gave your servant Miguel Agustinthe grace to seek ardently your greater glory and the salvation of your people. Grant that, following his example, we may serve you and glorify youby performing our daily duties with fidelity and joy and effectively helping our neighbor. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,One God, for ever and ever.

If you wish to know more about Miguel Agustin Pro, pilgrimage yourself to one or more of the following sites:

Women for Faith and Family

Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro

Blessed Miguel Pro: A Martyr for Our Times

November 23, Clement of Rome


Almighty God, who chose your servant Clement of Rome to recall the Church in Corinth to obedience and stability: Grant that your Church may be grounded and settled in your truth by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and may evermore be kept blameless in your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.



One of the blessings of praying within the Church's calendar is that the Holy Spirit, using such "timings," gives us near daily opportunities to appreciate more deeply how the Body of Christ--both anciently and currently--practices the Faith. On November 23, many in the Church will briefly focus their attention on Clement of Rome. Clement was an early Roman Pope, and many Protestants (with their Catholic and Orthodox friends in Christ) thank God for the life and witness of this remarkable Christian.


When I was in seminary, we read The Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians and found it to be like other New Testament letters, especially those written by Paul. Usually dated around 96 A. D., this letter was read, studied, and shared by Christians in the early church because it helped them live more fully evangelical lives. You might wish to take a look at too! As one introductory note to the First Epistle remarks, "the high tone of evangelical truth which pervades it, the simple and earnest appeals which it makes to the heart and conscience, and the anxiety which its writer so constantly shows to promote the best interests of the Church of Christ, still impart an undying charm to this precious relic of later apostolic times."

The calendar of your Episcopal and Lutheran friends indicates that today (November 22) we remember the life and remarkable witness of C. S. Lewis, scholar and spiritual writer, someone for whom we address God with this prayer:

Almighty God, whose servant C S Lewis received of your grace Singular gifts of insight in understanding the truth in Christ Jesus, and of eloquence and clarity in presenting that truth to his readers: Raise up in our day faithful interpreters of your Word, that we, being set free from all error and unbelief, may come to the knowledge that makes us wise unto salvation: through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

If you need or want to know more about C. S. Lewis, you can take a pilgrimage to

• The C. S. Lewis Foundation


• Into the Wardrobe


• C.S. Lewis

And on this Thanksgiving Day morning, Leena Vijaykumar from Karnataka, India, in The Upper Room shares these thoughts with us:

Bountiful Blessings

The Lord said, "I will never again curse the ground because of humankind . . . nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done."
-Genesis 8:21 (NRSV)

INCESSANT rains had almost paralyzed our region. Homes were washed away and traffic was disrupted by damaged bridges. Many people were feared drowned in the floods. As we began our family bedtime prayer, there was fear on the faces of our children.

Because we live near the tsunami-affected areas, knowing about the recent earthquakes in northern India, the floods near the northwest Indian border, and the hurricanes in the U.S.A. created a sense of fear in our children's minds. My son wanted reassurance about God's promise to Noah to never again destroy the world by water. As we prayed, "Give us this day our daily bread," both a new day and our daily bread seemed very precious and no longer to be taken for granted.

Whether we consider clean water, sunshine, shelter, or good health, we sometimes realize the true value of our blessings only when we fear losing them. God's bountiful blessings can remind us to be thankful for what we have and to understand the difficulties of those who do not have the same. Let us thank God for each new day we live, each breath we breathe, and every meal we eat.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the wonderful gift of life, for each new day, and for all the blessings that come with it. Amen.

Getting Ready for Sunday, November 25, Christ the King, the Last Sunday in the Church Year

The last Sunday of the Church Year is for many Christians celebrated as The Feast of Christ the King. If you wish to prepare yourself for this coming Sunday's worship, you may enjoy reading the comments of Michael Paquarello III who teaches homiletics at Asbury Theological Seminary.

November 21

O God, who have enlightened your Church by the teaching of your Servant Dionysius: Enrich us evermore with your heavenly grace, and raise up faithful witnesses who by their life and doctrine will set forth the truth of your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever.

On this day, many Christians remember Dionysius of Alexandria, Bishop and Scholar, who died in 265 A.D. James E. Kiefer provides this short biography of his life and witness:

Dionysius was a pupil of Origen in the great catechetical school in Alexandria, and then headed that school himself for fourteen years. In 247 he was made bishop of Alexandria. Persecution soon after broke out, and he directed his church from hiding for several years, until the death of the Emperor Decian in 251. In the period of peace that followed, Dionysius was a zealous supporter of lenient treatment for the lapsed (those who had renounced the faith under pressure, and now wished to be received back into the Church). His seventeen years as a bishop were turbulent ones, during which Alexandria suffered civil strife, plague, and famine, and the church was subject to repeated persecutions. He died on 17 November 265.

Dionysius was a scholar, a keen student of pagan as well as Christian learning.

Faced with the rise of certain dissident theological views in his diocese, he proceeded, not by excommunication, but by challenging his opponents to a public debate, with the thirty of them on one side and himself on the other. The debate lasted three days, by the end of which time he had talked all thirty of his opponents round to his side.

Only a few of his considerable writings have survived. One detail that I have encountered in a Bible commentary is his judgement that the book of Revelation had a different author from the Gospel of John, a view which he based on differences in the style of writing and other internal evidence. (The reader is reminded that the writer of the book of Revelation tells us that his name is John, but not that he is the Apostle of that name, so that Dionysius cannot be said to be contradicting the Bible.)

If you want to read more about this Christian forefather, visit New Advent's Dionysius of Alexandria.

Inasmuch as our Praying Daily family is an ecumenical (and wishing to be more so always) community, I’m going to publish an ecumenial calendar of sorts that will highlight what we Christians in various traditions are thinking about and praying for as we move through the days of our lives. Realizing that I may not be fully aware of important dates, commemorations, and festivals that are important to you ( I know next to nothing, for example, about important days Mennonites hold special), I ask that you supplement the calendar with what you think important for all of us to know and share with one another. Admittedly for a while, I'll be "calendaring" from a Lutheran heritage, but I will do my best to be as inclusive as possible. As I develop our awareness of who’s doing what when, right now I’m relying on what I can gather from published calendars, hymnals, parish notices, and so on.

As I find more resources, I'll share them. Please join in by making our shared sense of “sacred time” as complete as possible. In late December, in addition to the Advent Sundays and Christmas Eve and Day, many traditions make a special effort to note and/or provide worship for the following remembrances associated with the life of Jesus and the mystery of our redemption.

• December 1: Nicholas Ferrar, Deacon, 1637
• December 2: Channing Moore Williams, Missionary Bishop in China and Japan, 1910
• December 3: Francis Xavier, Missionary to Asia, 1552
• December 4: John of Damascus, Priest, ca. 760
• December 5: Clement of Alexandria, Priest, ca. 210
• December 6: Nicholas of Myra, ca. 342
• December 7: Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397
• December 11: Lars Olsen Skrefsrud, Missionary to India, 1910
• December 13: Lucy [Lucia], Martyr of Syracus, ca. 304
• December 14: John of the Cross, Renewer of the Church
• December 17: O Sapeintia
• December 18: Mary, the Lord's Servant
• December 21: St. Thomas, Apostle
• December 26: St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr
• December 27: St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
• December 28: The Holy Innocents
• December 29: Thomas Becket, Martyr, 1170
  
  As we come closer to each of these days, I post a few words about each of them. Once again, if you know of a day or series of days that's important for you Christian life, worship, and service, create a post and let us know!

If you have not done so, it's time to order your new Church Year Calendar(s). Visit the following for excellent publications, each of which provides notably fine calendars:

Ashby Church Year Guide Calendars
P.O. Box 2051 Erie, Pennsylvania 16512
1-800-413-2220 Fax: 814-453-4698

• The St. James Calendar of the Church Year, 2008

Advent begins on Sunday, December 2. On this first Sunday of Advent you may well see an Advent wreath in your sanctuary. In some parishes the beginning of Advent is a time for the hanging of the green, decoration of the church with evergreen wreaths, boughs, or trees that help to symbolize the new and everlasting life brought through Jesus the Christ. Some churches have a special weekday service, or the first Sunday evening of Advent, or even the first Sunday morning of Advent, in which the church is decorated and the Advent wreath put in place. This service is most often primarily of music, especially choir and hand bells, and Scripture reading, along with an explanation of the various symbols as they are placed in the sanctuary.

The Advent wreath is an increasingly popular symbol of the beginning of the Church year in many churches as well as homes. It is a circular evergreen wreath (real or artificial) with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the center. Since the wreath is symbolic and a vehicle to tell the Christmas story, there are various ways to understand the symbolism. The exact meaning given to the various aspects of the wreath is not as important as the story to which it invites us to listen, and participate. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life. Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His son.

The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which themselves symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. The colors of the candles vary with different traditions, but there are usually three purple or blue candles, corresponding to the sanctuary colors of Advent, and one pink or rose candle. One of the purple candles is lighted the first Sunday of Advent, a Scripture is read, a short devotional or reading is given, and a prayer offered. On subsequent Sundays, previous candles are relighted with an additional one lighted. The pink candle is usually lighted on the third Sunday of Advent. However, different churches or traditions light the pink candle on different Sundays depending on the symbolism used (see above on Colors of Advent). In Churches that use a Service of the Nativity, it is often lighted on the fourth Sunday of Advent, the final Sunday before Christmas.The light of the candles itself becomes an important symbol of the season. The light reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God's grace to others (Isa 42:6). The progression in the lighting of the candles symbolizes the various aspects of our waiting experience. As the candles are lighted over the four week period, it also symbolizes the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and the shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. The flame of each new candle reminds the worshippers that something is happening, and that more is yet to come. Finally, the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas, and worshippers rejoice over the fact that the promise of long ago has been realized.

The first candle is traditionally the candle of Expectation or Hope (or in some traditions, Prophecy). This draws attention to the anticipation of the coming of a Messiah that weaves its way like a golden thread through Old Testament history. As God’s people were abused by power hungry kings, led astray by self-centered prophets, and lulled into apathy by half-hearted religious leaders, there arose a longing among some for God to raise up a new king who could show them how to be God’s people. They yearned for a return of God’s dynamic presence in their midst.And so, God revealed to some of the prophets that indeed He would not leave His people without a true Shepherd. While they expected a new earthly king, their expectations fell far short of God’s revelation of Himself in Christ. And yet, the world is not yet fully redeemed. So, we again with expectation, with hope, await God’s new work in history, the second Advent, in which He will again reveal Himself to the world. And we understand in a profound sense that the best, the highest of our expectations will fall far short of what our Lord’s Second Advent will reveal! The remaining three candles of Advent may be associated with different aspects of the Advent story in different churches, or even in different years. Usually they are organized around characters or themes as a way to unfold the story and direct attention to the celebrations and worship in the season. So, the sequence for the remaining three Sundays might be Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angels. Or Peace, Love, Joy. Or John the Baptist, the Magi, Mary. Or the Annunciation, Proclamation, Fulfillment. Whatever sequence is used, the Scripture readings, prayers, lighting of the candles, the participation of worshipers in the service, all are geared to telling the story of redemption through God’s grace in the Incarnation.The third candle, usually for the Third Sunday of Advent, is traditionally Pink or Rose, and symbolizes Joy at the soon Advent of the Christ. Sometimes the colors of the sanctuary and vestments are also changed to Rose for this Sunday. However, as noted above, increasingly in many churches, the pink Advent candle is used on the fourth Sunday to mark the joy at the impending Nativity of Jesus.Whatever sequence is adopted for these Sundays, the theme of Joy can still be the focus for the pink candle. For example, when using the third Sunday to commemorate the visit of the Magi the focus can be on the Joy of worshipping the new found King. Or the Shepherds as the symbol for the third Sunday brings to mind the joy of the proclamation made to them in the fields, and the adoration expressed as they knelt before the Child at the manager. If used on the fourth Sunday of Advent, it can symbolize the Joy in fulfilled hope.The center candle is white and is called the Christ Candle. It is traditionally lighted on Christmas Eve or Day. However, since many Protestant churches do not have services on those days, many light it on the Sunday preceding Christmas, with all five candles continuing to be lighted in services through Epiphany (Jan 6). The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.

Source: Dennis Bratcher, The Season of Advent: Anticipation and Hope

A Wonderful Retreat!

On Friday afternoon, October 26, four of us--Grace Gutekunst, Steve Locke, and June and Andy Harnack--made the beautiful fall drive to the Dwelling Place Monastery at Martin, Kentucky to spend the evening, all of Saturday, and Sunday morning with a community of Benedictine sisters.

Meeting frequently with our Oblate Director, Sr. Judy Yunker, our converesations about the Rule of St. Benedict and life at the community were profoundly engaging. Praying the Daily Office with sisters was such a privilege, and the Agape on Sunday was unforgettable, an experience each of us will remember for the rest of our lives.

All of us thank the sisters at the Dwelling Place with heartfelt gratitude!