Litany of humility
The following Litany of Humility is a Catholic prayer that the penitent be granted the virtue of humility.
This Litany is commonly attribted to Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930), Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See under Pope Saint Pius X, but there is scant evidence of this. Father Charles Belmonte, S.Th.D., a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature, who was inspired by the writings of the Cardinal, included it in a collection, the Handbook of Prayers (Studium Theologiae Foundation, Manila, 1986, and in a later edition, by Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, US.) As editor, Belmonte wrote: "attributed to Card. Merry del Val". Subsequent copyists, jumping to conclusions, wrote simply: "by Card. Merry del Val".
A litany is a form of prayer with a repeated responsive petition, used in public liturgical services of the Catholic Church, and in private devotions of Her adherents.
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.