A prayer came across my path recently and it stopped me in my tracks. In a culture that certainly does not esteem humility, but instead promotes pride and the protection of our “rights,” this prayer stares all of that in the face and shines the kind of life that Jesus actually lived. And the life he desires us to live as well. St. Augustine, a Doctor of the Church and author of the well-known book The Confessions said, ‘If you ask me what the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ is, I shall reply: first, humility; second, humility, and third, humility.”
This trait of humility is not easy. Unfortunately, the only way to become humble is to join Jesus in his path of self-sacrifice, ridicule and servanthood. As St. Teresa of Ávila said, “There is more value in a little study of humility and in a single act of it than in all the knowledge in the world.”
We can say we have humility and that we are humble before God. But how can we say that we have humility with God when we can’t demonstrate humility before the people around us? This is impossible in our own power because the more we believe ourselves to be humble, the more likely pride will rear its ugly head and we are back to square one! So this is an act that only God can do in us. So how can we even begin to approach this trait?
Prayer is the first place to start. We need Him to guide us in this endeavor, and then we can see how God works little acts throughout our day that give us the opportunity to demonstrate humility. So let’s look into this Litany of Humility.
A litany is a kind of prayer that can be prayed publicly or privately. In a public, liturgical setting, a priest or deacon would recite the first part of the prayer and the members of the congregation would respond with a set response. There are only a handful of public litanies that are used in the Church today. But as a private prayer, there are many more that individuals can pray. The Litany of Humility is one of the litanies that is prayed privately (not in a liturgical celebration like Mass). The Litany of Humility is attributed to the Secretary of State to Pope Saint Pius X, Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val who lived from 1865-1930.
I would like to share this prayer in case you have never never had the opportunity to pray this powerful prayer. Can you imagine what the world would look like if we all prayed this prayer daily? If instead of getting upset when I am slighted, disregarded or insulted, I instead considered it an answer to my prayer to draw closer to Jesus in His humility? I hope that this prayer blesses you and challenges you as much as it has me. In this prayer, you pray the first part of the prayer and then respond with a set response to your request. The first part of the prayer is in regular font with the response italicized. And in case you are not familiar with the word, calumniated means to “utter maliciously false statements, charges, or imputations about” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Join me in praying this prayer.
The Litany of Humility
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
As this prayer shows, only Jesus, through his grace, can do this in us. The entirety of this prayer is asking Jesus to deliver us and give us His grace. We need only ask and then obey when times come for us to live out this humility. In a time when we all want to be right–about our political beliefs and our rights and the color of the sky–let’s strive to be humble instead of right. Only in living this life of humility can Jesus be seen in our lives, and boy does he need to be seen in our world right now. Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. Amen.
Kasey Jordan is a former missionary and lives in Monticello
