The Litany to the Sacred Head of Jesus is a profound and beautiful Catholic prayer honoring the Sacred Head of Our Lord Jesus Christ as the Seat of Divine Wisdom, the Source of Eternal Light, and the Dwelling Place of all Divine Knowledge. This traditional Catholic litany invites the faithful to meditate on the mysteries of Christ’s Sacred Head — from His formation by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, to His crowning with thorns, to His death on Calvary.
Litany to the Sacred Head of Jesus
The Seat of Divine Wisdom
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 Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
inseparably united to the Eternal Word of God,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
Sanctuary of Divine Wisdom,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
source of Eternal Light,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
Dwelling Place of Divine Knowledge,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
our Refuge against all error,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
Light of Heaven and Earth,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
Treasure of all knowledge and fountain of faith,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
radiant with beauty, justice, and love,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
full of grace and truth,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
living witness of all humility,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
mirroring the infinite Majesty of God,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
heart of the universe,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
object of the Father’s eternal delight,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
upon whom the Holy Spirit rested,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
around whom the glory of Mount Tabor shone,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
who had no place on earth whereon to rest,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
consoled by the loving anointing of Mary Magdalene,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
bathed in sweat and blood in Gethsemane,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
who wept for our sins,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
crowned with thorns,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
outraged by the cruelties of the Passion,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
tenderly consoled by Veronica,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
bowed low at the moment of death on Calvary,
redeeming the earth,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
Light of every soul born into this world,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
our guide and our hope,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
who knows all our needs,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
governing all the movements of the Sacred Heart,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
whom we desire to adore and proclaim throughout the world,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
who knows every secret of our hearts,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
joy and wonder of angels and saints,
enlighten our minds.
Sacred Head of Jesus,
whom one day we hope to behold unveiled forever,
enlighten our minds.
Jesus, we adore Your Sacred Head. We surrender utterly to all the decrees of Your Infinite Wisdom. Amen.
Let us pray.
O Jesus, Divine Wisdom made flesh, we offer You our minds, our hearts, and our lives. May Your Sacred Head, which governs all things in heaven and on earth, guide us safely through this life, protect us from all error, and bring us at last to the eternal light of Your presence. Amen.
This litany is adapted from a French original bearing the imprimatur of Fredericus Gui, Liverpool, April 1927, and Richardus, Archbishop of Liverpool, September 1931. The congregational response, certain invocations, and the closing prayer have been revised.
