A litany, which, in its original Greek means a "supplication" or "petition," was used for a wide range of liturgical occasions, as well as for penitential processions, for visiting the sick and the dying, and for private devotion. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, derived its original name, the Litany of Loreto (Litaniae laurentanae BMV), from its use at the sanctuary of the House of Loreto. It contains invocations dating back to the earliest days of the Church, and is one of the most popular of the litanies. Historically the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary was used as a rogationes or processional prayer to avert calamities and to offer atonement "in accordance with ancient custom." The popularity of this litany and its use is further evidenced by the numerous musical settings by composers such as Palestrina, Leopold and Wolfgang Mozart.

The feast of the Annunciation of the Lord is both a festival of Christ and of the Virgin: a celebration which honors the Word who became the Son of Mary, and the Virgin who became the Mother of God through the workings of the Holy Spirit. It is a remembrance of that moment in time, which was the pinnacle in the dialogue initiated by God with the human race concerning our salvation. Further, it is the remembrance of Mary's consent and of her participation in the fulfilment of God's plan for our redemption. Concerning the feast of the Annunciation, St. Augustine writes: "The Lord is believed to have been conceived on the 25th day of March, upon which day he also suffered. [Early Christians believed this date to be the date of Christ's death on the cross.] So the womb of the Virgin in which he was conceived, where no mortal was ever begotten, corresponds to the new grave in which he was buried, wherein no one was ever laid, neither before him nor since."

Recitation of the litany or a presentation of one of the musical settings of the Litaniae lauretanae BMV by a parish choir would be most appropriate during any of the months in which a feast of the Blessed Mother is celebrated or when prayers are offered in celebration of the dignity of human life.

The leader invites the assembly to pray:

Let us pray.

Loving God,
you are our creator and the benevolent giver of life,
give to your people health in mind and body.
Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary
free us from the sorrows of this life
and lead us to happiness in the life to come.²

Grant this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, one God,
for ever and ever.

The assembly responds: Amen.

¹ The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sub tuum praesidum, in Celebrating the Marian Year: Devotional Celebrations in Honor of Mary, Mother of God. Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 1987, pp. 9-12.

² Ibid., 72.

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