The Litany of the Holy Ghost

The Litany of the Holy Ghost is a traditional litany to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity - the Spirit of God, the Lord and Giver of life. It calls upon the Holy Ghost under the titles by which Scripture and the Church name Him, and asks for His sevenfold gifts.

The Litany of the Holy Ghost

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son, Have mercy on us.
Spirit of the Lord, the God of Israel,
Lord of men,
Filling the whole earth,
Having every virtue,
Author of all good, watchman over all,
Adorning the heavens, stable and secure,
Spirit of truth, furnishing and distributing everything,
Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
Spirit of counsel, fortitude, knowledge, and piety,
Spirit of fear of the Lord and prudence,
Spirit, through whose inspiration the holy men of God spoke,
Who Announces the things to come,
Gift and promise of the Father,
Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, accuser of the world,
Spirit, by whom demons are expelled,
Spirit, through whom we are reborn,
Spirit, through whom the love of God is diffused into our hearts,
Spirit of adoption of the sons of God,
Spirit of grace and mercy,
Spirit helping our weaknesses and restoring witness to us, that we are sons of God,
Spirit of sweetness and kindness, sweeter than honey,
Spirit, who art the pledge of our inheritance, leading us into righteous lands,
Spirit of principal, life-giving and strengthening,
Spirit of salvation, judgment, and joy,
Spirit of faith, peace, and love,
Spirit of humility, charity, and chastity,
Spirit of kindness, goodness, patience, and gentleness,
Spirit of mildness, truth, unity, and consolation,
Spirit of good conscience, promise, renewal, and sanctification,
Spirit of life, patience, continence, and modesty,
Spirit of every grace,

Be merciful, Spare us, O Holy Ghost.

Be merciful, Hear us, O Holy Ghost.

From the spirit of error, Deliver us, Spirit of the Living God.
From an unclean spirit,
From the spirit of blasphemy,
From all stubbornness and despair,
From every presumption and contradiction of the truth,
From every malice and depraved habit,
From the disdain of fraternal charity,
From final impenitence,
Through Thy eternal procession from the Father and the Son,
Through Thy invisible anointing,
Through every fullness of grace, in which Thou didst always possess the Virgin Mary,

Through that overflowing abyss of sanctity, which Thou didst pour forth upon the Mother of God at the conception of the Word.
Through Thy holy apparition at Christ's baptism,
Through Thy saving advent upon the apostles at Pentecost,

Through Thy limitless goodness, by which Thou dost govern the Church, advise leaders, strengthen martyrs, illumine teachers, and establish religious institutes.

We sinners, We ask Thee, hear us.
That we may walk in spirit, and not filled with earthly desires,
That we may never sadden Thee,

That Thou wouldst deign to preserve all in Holy Orders in holy religion and the spirit of truth.
That Thou wouldst deign to grant the whole Christian people one heart and one soul,
That Thou wouldst deign to grant us every virtue,
That Thou wouldst deign to hear us,
Spirit of God,

Lamb of God, Thou who taketh away the sins of the world Pour forth the Holy Ghost in us

Lamb of God, Thou who taketh away the sins of the world Send forth the Spirit, the promise of the Father, to us

Lamb of God, Thou who taketh away the sins of the world Grant us the good spirit. (Lk 11:13)

V. The Spirit of the Lord has filled the Earth: It is all-embracing, and knows man's utterances

Let us pray: We beseech Thee, O Lord, that the strength of the Holy Ghost who mercifully cleanses our hearts and protects us from all adversity be with us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of that selfsame Holy Ghost, God, forever and ever.

Where it comes from

Devotion to the Holy Ghost, especially the prayer to Him in preparation for Pentecost, is ancient in the Church. This litany gathers the traditional invocations of the Holy Ghost into one prayer, in the traditional form handed down.

When to pray it

The Litany of the Holy Ghost is prayed especially during the novena before Pentecost - the first novena, made by the Apostles and Our Lady in the upper room - and whenever one asks for the light and strength of the Spirit of God.

It is one of the traditional Catholic litanies prayed by the Church.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Holy Ghost in the Trinity?

The Holy Ghost is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, true God, equal in all things to the Father and the Son. He proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son as from one principle, as the litany itself professes ("Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son"). The Catechism of the Council of Trent calls Him the Lord and Giver of life, one God with the Father and the Son.

Who is the Holy Ghost in the Trinity?

The Holy Ghost is not a force or a feeling but a Divine Person, distinct from the Father and the Son yet sharing the one undivided Godhead. He is named the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, and the Gift and promise of the Father. By Him we are reborn, and through Him "the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts" (Romans 5:5, Douay-Rheims).

What is the gift of the Holy Ghost?

The Holy Ghost bestows His sevenfold gifts, which the litany names: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and the fear of the Lord (cf. Isaias 11:2-3). These gifts perfect the soul and dispose it to follow the inspirations of grace. We ask for them especially in the novena before Pentecost, the first novena, made by the Apostles and Our Lady in the upper room.

(Iter Fidei serves this litany in full - in Latin and your own language, with audio to pray along - in the app.) Download it here.

Sources. The traditional Litany of the Holy Ghost; the prayers to the Holy Ghost of the Roman tradition.