Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Litany of Admonitions & Precautions of St. John of the Cross for Lent

JMJT! Praise be Jesus Christ! Now and Forever!




The Lenten season is upon us once again.  Inspired by the writings of  St. John of the Cross, I wrote this litany a few months ago and plan on using it as an examination of conscience for this penitential season. It is indeed very challenging, but I believe it can be a source of strengthening our resolve to practice detachment from worldly concerns and distractions during a time of intense societal, political, cultural, spiritual and familial upheaval. By practicing these admonitions, St. John of the Cross believed that we could love God and others better. May it be so. 

Litany of Admonitions & Precautions of St. John of the Cross

[for private use only]

Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From the world, the flesh and the devil.

Deliver me, O Jesus

From any person, place or thing which is an impediment to complete union with God.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From any excessive desire for worldly goods.

Deliver me, O Jesus

From imprudent concern and zeal over worldly affairs of which I have no jurisdiction or control or doesn’t concern me.

Deliver me, O Jesus

From disordered affections and preferences of one person over another.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From speaking about others without good reason.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From selfishness.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From disobedience to others in rightful authority over me.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From pride & taking action for my own pleasure & ego.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From sensuality arising from the heart, the mind & the flesh.

Deliver me, O Jesus

From violating my religious/spiritual, temporal and vocational obligations, both large and small.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From covetousness and an unbridled desire for possessing.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From rash judgment of others.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From doing evil that appears under the guise of good.

Deliver me, O Jesus

From a mediocre state filled with imperfections & venial sins.

Deliver me, O Jesus

         From the spirit of envy and jealousy of others’ goods and gifts.

Deliver me, O Jesus

        From a spirit of vanity & self-love.

Help me, Jesus

        To become the servant of all.

Help me, Jesus

        To overcome my self-will.

Help me, Jesus

          To never omit anything which may cause natural repugnance.

Help me, Jesus

        To show an equal love for all & disinterest in judging 

men’s affairs.

Help me, Jesus

To adapt myself to all situations & become all things to all people in order to gain all.

Help me, Jesus

        To develop a deep spirit of self-abnegation.

Help me, Jesus

        To suffer in silence.

Help me, Jesus

        To love my neighbor purely in the heart of God.

Help me, Jesus

To do my work permeated with charity for God and others.

Help me, Jesus

To make sacrifices with a free and generous love for others.

Help me, Jesus

That my natural love may be subordinated to supernatural charity.

Help me, O Jesus,

To love both my friends and enemies with sweetness of spirit & tenderness of soul.

Help me, O Jesus,

        To be meek, gentle, humble in word and deed & patient.

Help me, O Jesus

To foster and practice a sincere, practical love for all; a predilection for those closest to God; and a paternal solicitude for those in greatest need.

Help me, O Jesus

        To practice abundant love of neighbor, with great affection for them and expecting nothing in return.

Help me, O Jesus

        To be indifferent to all that I eat, drink and wear.

Help me, O Jesus

           To discipline and moderate the desires for material blessings.

Help me, O Jesus

        To become poor in spirit.

Help me, O Jesus

To never marvel at nor be scandalized by anything I see or hear as I cannot know or interpret the motives, faults or circumstances of others but instead to recognize my own failings & human weaknesses.

Help me, O Jesus

        To restrain my tongue.

Help me, O Jesus

        To see and accept persons as they really are.

Help me, O Jesus

To practice prompt obedience [even over sacrifice] & to strive for perfect submission of my will to the Will of God.

Help me, O Jesus 

        To be filled with sincerity and truth.

 

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, help us to follow the wisdom of St. John of the Cross as found in these precautions and counsels in a spirit of humility, detachment and sacrifice in order that we may learn to love as you love.  Grant us this grace through the intercession of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Joseph, and the power of your Most Holy Name in the Holy Spirit, all for the Glory of God the Father. Amen.