Little Litany - Little Litany For The Departed

Little Litany For The Departed

At funerals and memorial services the Little Litany takes a special form, wherein the name of the departed in included:

• Deacon: Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
• Choir: Lord, have mercy.
• Deacon: Again we pray for the repose of the soul(s) of the servant(s) of God , and that he (she)(they) may be forgiven every transgression, both voluntary and involuntary.
• Choir: Lord, have mercy.
• Deacon: That the Lord God will commit his (her)(their) soul(s) to where the righteous repose.
• Choir: Lord, have mercy.
• Deacon: The mercy of God, the kingdom of heaven, and the remission of his (her)(their) sins, let us ask of Christ the Immortal King and our God.
• Choir: Grant this, O Lord.
• Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
• Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Meanwhile, the priest says this prayer silently to himself: O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death, and overthrown the devil, and given life to Thy world: Do Thou Thyself, O Lord, give rest to the soul(s) of Thy departed servant(s) , in a place of light, a place of green pasture, a place of repose, whence all sickness, sorrow and sighing are fled away. Pardon every sin, committed by him (her)(them) in word, deed, or thought, in that Thou art good and the Lover of mankind; for there is no man that liveth and sinneth not, for Thou alone art without sin, Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy word is truth.

• Then, when the deacon and choir are finished with the litany, the priest says this Ekphonesis: For Thou art the resurrection, and the life, and the repose of Thy departed servant(s), , O Christ our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with Thine unoriginate Father, and Thy most holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
• Choir: Amen.