Little Litany

The Little Litany or Little Ektenia or Little Synapte is a brief ektenia (litany) which is recited at various times during the liturgical worship of the Byzantine Rite, as observed by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Greek Catholic Churches.

The litany is called 'Little' to distinguish it from the Great Ektenia, which often precedes it in the service. The Little Litany is composed of only three petitions, chanted by the deacon (if there is no deacon, the priest says his parts). In many cases, there is a prayer which is said silently by the priest while the litany is being recited:

• Deacon: Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
• Choir: Lord, have mercy.
• Deacon: Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
• Choir: Lord, have mercy.
• Deacon: Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life unto Christ our God.
• Choir: To Thee, O Lord.

The priest then says an ekphonesis (audible exclamation) which sums up the prayer, after which the choir chants, "Amen". The text of both the silent prayer and the ekphonesis will differ depending upon the point in the service at which the little ektenia occurs, but the words of the deacon and the choir remain the same.

Little litanies are performed after the initial antiphons of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, except in many churches of the Carpatho-Rusyn heritage (parishes of the Ruthenian Catholic Church or the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese). All Byzantine churches, however, pray the little litanies traditionally prescribed for Matins and Vespers.

There is also a poem called "A Little Litany" by G. K. Chesterton, which is unrelated to the Byzantine liturgical usage.