Charles de Condren: Litany in Honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Priest and Victim

 Introduction

The odd litany translated below is found in a collection of chants, songs, and hymns used by the Oratory of Jesus, founded by Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle (1575-1629).  This litany is provided in an appendix, and it is said to be the work of Charles de Condren (1588-1641), the second Superior General of the Oratory, following Bérulle's death.  He was also the confessor of Jean-Jacques Olier (1608-1657), founder of the Sulpicians (Society of the Priests of Saint-Sulpice).  The petitions in this litany are quite unwieldy, being mostly passages from St. Paul--predominantly the Letter to the Hebrews--awkwardly stuffed into the format of a litany.  The theme of the litany is still an interesting one, though, so I have translated it here. 

 

 Litany in Honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Priest and Victim

 
(Extracted from the Epistles of St. Paul by Charles de Condren)

 

Kyrie eleison.
Christ eleison.  Kyrie eleison.
Jesus, Priest and High Priest Most High, hear us.
Jesus, Lamb of God, hearken to us.
God the Father, from the heavens, have mercy on us.
God the Son, redeemer of the world,
Holy Spirit, God,
Holy Trinity, One God,
Jesus, Son of God and Great High Priest,
Jesus, high priest taken from among men,
Jesus, great priest over the house of God,
Jesus, high priest appointed for men in the things pertaining to God,
Jesus, high priest, author and consummator of the faith,
Jesus, high priest of our confession,
Jesus Who did not glorify Yourself so as to become a high priest,
Jesus, having become a high priest because it was said to You: “You are My Son, You are a priest unto eternity, according to the order of Melchizedek,”
Jesus, Who did not become high priest according to the law of the fleshy mandate, but according to the power of an indissoluble life,
Jesus, high priest Whom not the law, but the word of the oath, which is after the law, appointed unto perfect eternity,
Jesus, high priest Whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and power,
Jesus, high priest, called by God according to the order of Melchizedek,
Jesus, high priest Who, coming into the world, says: “Holocausts for sin have not pleased You; behold, I come that I may do Your will, God,”
Jesus, high priest Who were tempted in everything, by likeness, except sin,
Jesus, high priest Who can suffer with our infirmities,
Jesus, high priest Who have the Priesthood because You remain unto sempiternal eternity,
Jesus, high priest Who have no necessity, like the priests, to offer sacrifices for Your own offenses,
Jesus, high priest Who have no necessity to offer daily sacrifices for the offenses of the people, but You did this once, offering Yourself: have mercy on us.
Jesus, minister of the holy places and of the true tabernacle, which God, and not man, erected,
Jesus, Who are not Priest upon earth, but were allotted to a greater ministry, inasmuch as You are the mediator of a greater covenant, which is sanctioned with greater promises.
Jesus, high priest Who, through the Holy Spirit, offered Yourself, immaculate, to God,
Jesus, high priest Who offered Yourself that You might cleanse our consciences from dead works, in order to serve the living God,
Jesus, high priest, mediator of the New Covenant, by Whose death, interceding unto the redemption of the trespasses of those who were under the old covenant, those who were called received the promise of eternal inheritance,
Jesus, high priest Who, in the days of Your flesh, offered prayers and supplications, with strong shout and tears, to Him Who could save You from death,
Jesus, high priest Who were heard because of Your reverence,
Jesus, Who penetrated the heavens that we might have confession,
Jesus Who, sitting as the High Priest of the goods to come, entered once into the Holy Places through the wider and more perfect tabernacle, not made by  hands, that is, not of this creation,
Jesus, high priest Who entered into the Holy Places, having found eternal redemption, not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own Blood,
Jesus, high priest Who entered not into the hand-made holy places, exemplars of the true ones, but into heaven itself, that You might approach the face of God for our sakes,
Jesus, high priest Who sat on the right of the throne of greatness in the heights,
Jesus, high priest, holy, innocent, unpolluted, segregated from sinners, and become higher than the heavens,
Jesus, high priest Who, forerunner, entered within the veil for us, having become High Priest unto eternity,
Jesus, high priest Who did not offer Yourself often, but approached once, in the consummation of the ages, for the destitution of sins through Your sacrifice,
Jesus, high priest Who were once offered to empty the sins of many,
Jesus, high priest Who will appear a second time, without sin, to those awaiting You unto salvation,
Jesus, high priest Who can save unto perpetuity those approaching God through You,
Jesus, high priest always living to intercede for us,
Jesus, high priest Who were consummated for those obeying You, for the cause of eternal salvation,
Jesus high priest, through whose Body’s oblation, once alone, by God’s will, we were sanctified,
Jesus, high priest Who suffered so that You might sanctify, through Your blood, the people beyond the gate,
Jesus, high priest Who consummated, in one oblation, those sanctified unto sempiternity,
Jesus, high priest through Whom the way to the holy places was revealed,
Jesus, high priest, in Whose blood we have confidence when entering into the holy places,
Jesus, high priest Who began for us the new and living way through the veil, that is, Your flesh,
Jesus, high priest by Whose blood the heavenly things were cleansed, as much as by better sacrifices,
Jesus, high priest by Whose blood the new covenant was dedicated and confirmed by death,
Jesus, high priest through Whom we always offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips confessing His Name,
Jesus, high priest Who, offering one sacrifice for sins, sit unto sempiternity at the right hand of God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, high priest Who, on the night on which You were handed over, took bread and the chalice and, giving thanks, broke and said: “This is My Body, which is handed over for us,”
Jesus, high priest Who likewise, taking the chalice, said, “This chalice is the new covenant in My Blood,”
Jesus, high priest Who said: “Do this in memory of Me.”
Jesus, high priest Who made us a kingdom and priests for God and Father,
Jesus, high priest Who, for the sake of those whom the Father gave You, sanctify Yourself, that they, too, might be sanctified in truth,
Jesus, high priest Who, by Your priesthood, glorified Your Father upon earth,
Jesus, high priest Who, by Your priesthood, consummated the work which the Father gave You to do,
Jesus, high priest Who loved us and handed Yourself over to God for us as an oblation and sacrifice in the scent of sweetness,
Jesus, high priest Who loved the Church and handed Yourself over for her,
Jesus, high priest Who sanctified the Church, washing her with the laver of water in the word of life,
Jesus, high priest through Whom we can approach the throne of grace with confidence,
Jesus, high priest through Whom we obtain mercy and we find grace in opportune aid,
Jesus, priest and victim, yesterday and today and unto the ages,
Jesus, high priest and lamb of God, about Whom there is a great and understandable speech to say to us,
Priest and Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, pardon us, Jesus.
Priest and Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, hearken to us, Jesus.
Priest and Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, Jesus.
Jesus, most high Priest, hear us.
Jesus, Lamb of God, hearken to us.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Who, when You were in the form of God, emptied Yourself and willed to be like the brothers in everything, so that You might be a merciful and faithful High Priest before God and might make propitiation for the people’s offenses: have compassion, we beseech You, on our infirmities; by Your Blood, wash our conscience from dead works in order to serve the living God, and bestow it that, approaching the throne of grace with confidence, we might obtain mercy and might find grace in opportune aid.  Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, through all the ages of ages.

℟.  Amen.

℣.  May Jesus, Priest and Lamb of God, hearken to us.
℟.  Now and always.  Amen.


Source: Cantus varii, ad usum Congregationis Oratorii Domini Jesu et Mariae Immaculatae (Paris: Carolum Poussielgue, 1892), 51-53.

Translation ©2023 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the translator.

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