Litany of the Blessed Sacrament: Full Text for Eucharistic Adoration

The Litany of the Blessed Sacrament is a litany of praise to Jesus truly present in the Eucharist, calling him by dozens of titles drawn from Scripture and the Fathers: Living Bread, Hidden God, Food of angels, Bread of life, Pledge of future glory. It is a beautiful prayer for Eucharistic adoration, holy hours, visits to the Blessed Sacrament and the feast of Corpus Christi. Below is the full text with its closing prayer, and how and when to pray it.

The Litany of the Blessed Sacrament

The responses are in italics. When praying with others, one person reads the invocations and everyone answers.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
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 Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Living Bread, that camest down from heaven, have mercy on us.
Hidden God and Saviour, have mercy on us.
Wheat of the elect, have mercy on us.
Wine of which virgins are the fruit, have mercy on us.
Bread of fatness and royal dainties, have mercy on us.
Perpetual sacrifice, have mercy on us.
Clean oblation, have mercy on us.
Lamb without spot, have mercy on us.
Most pure feast, have mercy on us.
Food of angels, have mercy on us.
Hidden manna, have mercy on us.
Memorial of the wonders of God, have mercy on us.
Supersubstantial bread, have mercy on us.
Word made flesh, dwelling in us, have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, have mercy on us.
Chalice of benediction, have mercy on us.
Mystery of Faith, have mercy on us.
Most high and adorable Sacrament, have mercy on us.
Most holy of all sacrifices, have mercy on us.
True propitiation for the living and the dead, have mercy on us.
Heavenly antidote against the poison of sin, have mercy on us.
Most wonderful of all miracles, have mercy on us.
Most holy commemoration of the Passion of Christ, have mercy on us.
Special memorial of divine love, have mercy on us.
Affluence of divine bounty, have mercy on us.
Most august and holy mystery, have mercy on us.
Medicine of immortality, have mercy on us.
Tremendous and life-giving Sacrament, have mercy on us.
Bread made flesh by the omnipotence of the Word, have mercy on us.
Unbloody sacrifice, have mercy on us.
Sweetest banquet, at which angels minister, have mercy on us.
Sacrament of piety, have mercy on us.
Bond of charity, have mercy on us.
Priest and victim, have mercy on us.
Spiritual sweetness tasted in its proper source, have mercy on us.
Refreshment of holy souls, have mercy on us.
Viaticum of such as die in the Lord, have mercy on us.
Pledge of future glory, have mercy on us.

Be merciful, spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.

From an unworthy reception of Thy body and blood, O Lord, deliver us.
From the lust of the flesh, O Lord, deliver us.
From the lust of the eyes, O Lord, deliver us.
From the pride of life, O Lord, deliver us.
From every occasion of sin, O Lord, deliver us.
Through the desire wherewith Thou didst long to eat this passover with Thy disciples, O Lord, deliver us.
Through that profound humility wherewith Thou didst wash their feet, O Lord, deliver us.
Through that ardent charity whereby Thou didst institute this divine Sacrament, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy precious blood, which Thou hast left us on our altars, O Lord, deliver us.
Through the five wounds of this Thy most holy body, which Thou didst receive for us, O Lord, deliver us.

We sinners, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to preserve and increase our faith, reverence, and devotion toward this admirable Sacrament, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to conduct us, through a true confession of our sins, to a frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to deliver us from all heresy, perfidy, and blindness of heart, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to impart to us the precious and heavenly fruits of this Most Holy Sacrament, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That at the hour of death Thou wouldst strengthen and defend us by this heavenly viaticum, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Son of God, we beseech Thee, hear us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

V. Thou didst give them bread from heaven.
R. Containing in itself all sweetness.

Let us pray:

O God, Who in this wonderful Sacrament hast left us a memorial of Thy passion, grant us the grace, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may constantly experience within ourselves the blessed fruit of Thy redemption. Who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.

Where the titles come from

Many of the invocations come straight from the Bible and from the Church’s ancient prayers:

  • “Living Bread, that camest down from heaven”: Jesus’ own words in John 6:51.
  • “Hidden manna”: the promise of Apocalypse 2:17, and the manna of the desert (Exodus 16).
  • “Food of angels”: Psalm 77 (78):25, “Man ate the bread of angels,” echoed in the Corpus Christi hymns.
  • “Clean oblation”: the pure offering foretold in Malachias 1:11.
  • “Medicine of immortality”: a title from St. Ignatius of Antioch (about 107).
  • “Thou didst give them bread from heaven”: Psalm 77 (78):24 and Wisdom 16:20, sung at Benediction.

How and when to pray it

  • During Eucharistic adoration or a holy hour, before the tabernacle or the monstrance.
  • On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi and during its octave in the older calendar. See Corpus Christi.
  • On Holy Thursday, at the altar of repose.
  • On First Fridays and Thursdays, days traditionally devoted to the Eucharist.
  • Before or after Mass, as preparation or thanksgiving for Communion.

It takes about ten minutes. You can pray it alone, or alternate the invocations and responses with family or a prayer group.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Litany of the Blessed Sacrament approved for public use?

Only six litanies are approved for public liturgical use in the universal Church: the Litanies of the Saints, of Loreto, of the Holy Name, of the Sacred Heart, of the Precious Blood and of St. Joseph. The Litany of the Blessed Sacrament is a traditional litany for private devotion, printed in many approved prayer books, and it may be prayed by groups in devotional settings.

What is the response in the Litany of the Blessed Sacrament?

Most invocations are answered “have mercy on us.” The petitions beginning “From…” and “Through…” are answered “O Lord, deliver us,” and those beginning “That Thou wouldst…” are answered “we beseech Thee, hear us.”

What other prayers can I pray at adoration?

The Tantum Ergo, O Salutaris, the Divine Praises and spiritual communion. See Eucharistic adoration prayers.

More litanies and Eucharistic prayers

Texts and sources

  • Litany and prayer: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), Litanies, public domain (Wikisource). The responses are laid out by section; details are in our text log.
  • Scripture references follow the Douay-Rheims numbering, with modern numbers in brackets.