Friday, September 12, 2008

We could all use a dose of humility.


By far one of the hardest prayers I've ever had to pray. I think everything else in my life is easier to change than this. That's why I pray it as often as I can lately.


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,
From the desire of being extolled,
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I,
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase, and I may decrease,
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should.

- Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val


God Bless!

2 comments:

  1. I had a priest give me the litany of humility to pray daily from Ash Wednesday through Easter as penance. :-) It changed my life!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this prayer and pray it every week in the chapel. Everyone needs humility and this prayer puts us in our place.

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Thanks so much if you have some thoughts to share here! Please keep them kind - think, would you say this to your friend?