beatifymedalfront.jpg

A Litany of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin

 Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Jesus Christ, hear us.

Jesus Christ, graciously hear us.

God, our Heavenly Father, have mercy on us.

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

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who placed your faith and your hope in the Lord, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who lived your marriage in faithfulness, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who bore many children, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who taught all your children the Christian faith, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who desired sanctity for yourselves and your children, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who offered your children to the Lord, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who lost four children at a young age, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who worked with your hands, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who practiced an ardent charity, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who received your strength from the daily Eucharist, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who prayed faithfully each day, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who shared the concerns of the missions of the Church, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who always placed your confidence in the Virgin Mary, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who have known suffering and illness, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, who now contemplate in Heaven the Adorable Face of God, pray for us.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, watch over our families.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, protect our families.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, intercede for our families.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Pray for us, Blessed Louis and Zélie Martin,

That we may be made worthy of the promises of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer to Saints Louis and Zelie Martin

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin,
after having had the desire for religious life,
you heard the Lord's call to the vocation of marriage. 

You are the "parents without equal"
of whom your daughter Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus speaks;
the fortunate parents of Léonie,
the Servant of God, Sister Françoise-Thérèse;
of Marie, Pauline, and Céline,
transplanted to Mount Carmel;
and of the four children
taken from your affection in their youth:
Hélène, Joseph, Jean-Baptiste, and Mélanie-Thérèse.

 You gave all glory to God
through your humble and patient work,
your commitment to the poor,
and your family life,
where reigned the happiness
of loving and being loved.

 You lived your daily life concretely
through the joys and sorrows of your existence.

 You love us as your own children,
with the heart of a father and the heart of a mother,
because you are the friends of God. 

Listen to our prayer and our request
(state the request . . . )
and intercede for us with God the Father,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
in the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

This prayer is courtesy of the Shrine of Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin in Alencon.
______________________________________________________________________

The below prayer was recited before the canonization:

Prayer for the Canonization of Louis and Zélie Martin

God of eternal love, you give us Blessed Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Therese, as an example of holiness in marriage.  They remained faithful to you and your commandments in all the duties and trials of life. They desired to raise their children to become saints.  May their prayers and example help Christian family life to blossom in our world today.  If it be your will, grant us the graces we ask you now through the intercession of Blessed Louis and Zélie Martin, and let them be counted among the saints of your Church.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

This litany to Saints  Louis and Zélie Martin appeared on the Web site of Sainte-Therese parish in Metz, France, where Louis and Zélie have been the instruments of a profound spiritual renewal.  My thanks to Father Jean-Claude Lange, the pastor of this parish, for his permission to translate the litany into English and to publish it. I thank my fellow apostle, Mary Davidson, for translating it.  You are most welcome to link to it, but please do not re-post or republish the text.  The translation is copyright Maureen O'Riordan 2013-2021.