What Is The Litany Of Penitence?

The Litany of Penitence is a formal prayer of confession and repentance, typically used during the liturgy for Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. It is a solemn and introspective prayer that invites worshippers to acknowledge their sins, both individual and corporate, before God, seeking His mercy and forgiveness. This litany reflects the Anglican tradition’s emphasis on penitence, humility, and the transformative grace of God, aligning with the broader Christian practice of self-examination during Lent.

Below is a The Litany of Penitence that can also be used as an examination of conscience, a key lenten practice. An examination of conscience is an introspective practice involves reflecting on one’s thoughts, words, and actions to identify sins or shortcomings. Learn more below.

Reader: Lord, have mercy upon us:

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For all our unfaithfulness and disobedience; for the pride, vanity, and hypocrisy of our lives, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For our self-pity and impatience, and our envy of those we think more fortunate than ourselves, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For our unrighteous anger, bitterness, and resentment; for all lies, gossip, and slander against our neighbors, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For our sexual impurity, our exploitation of other people, and our failure to give of ourselves in love, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our intemperate pursuit of worldly goods and comforts, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For our dishonesty in daily life and work, our ingratitude for your gifts, and our failure to heed your call, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For our wastefulness and misuse of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For all false judgments, for prejudice and contempt of others, and for all uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For our negligence in prayer and worship; for our presumption and abuse of your means of grace, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For seeking the praise of others rather than the approval of God, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: For our failure to commend the faith that is in us, Lord, have mercy upon us.

People: For we have sinned against you.

Reader: Show favor to your people, O Lord, who turn to you in weeping, fasting, and prayer. For you are a merciful God, full of compassion, long-suffering, and abounding in steadfast love. You spare when we deserve punishment, and in your wrath you remember mercy. Spare your people, good Lord, spare us; in the multitude of your mercies, look upon us and forgive us; through the merits and mediation of your blessed Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.