This past week, Pope Francis suggested that during Lent we pray the Litany of Humility, a prayer usually attributed to Cardinal Merry de Val (1865-1930). A number of versions are available, below you'll find my take on one of them.
I find it difficult to make this prayer my own - and you may have the same experience. The litany asks for the grace of a radical humility which puts God and neighbor always before the self. In my experience, the petitions in the litany which I find most difficult and offputting are precisely the petitions I most need to pray!
Before dismissing this prayer as dated, pious self-negation, consider some contemporary psychological research and opinion on its importance in our social and societal relationships.
And finally... below the litany you'll find a shorter, musical version of the litany by Thomas Muglia, a musician I just discovered but from whom I think we'll be hearing more...
O
Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire to be popular,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire to impress others, '
Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire to be the center of attention,
Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being consulted,
Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire to boast and glorify myself,
Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire to prove myself
intellectually, physically, and spiritually,
Deliver me, Jesus
From egocentric and self-centered conversations,
Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire to be thanked for what I do,
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 being rebuked,
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
From prideful desires and self-reliance,
Deliver me, Jesus
That others may be more popular than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
it.
That others may be preferred over me,
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, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
it.
That I may delight in the gifts and talents of others,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
it.
That I may rejoice in the success of others,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
it.
That I may accept small irritations with good humor,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
it.
That I may always choose the more difficult task,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
it.
That others be more holy than I,
provided I am as holy s holy as I can be,,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
it.
That I may realize on a deeper level every day
that apart from You, Jesus, I can do nothing,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
it.
Lord, give me the humility which
realizes its ignorance,
admits its mistakes,
recognizes its needs,
welcomes advice
and accepts rebukes.
Help me always
to praise rather
than criticize,
to
encourage rather than to discourage,
to build rather
than to destroy,
and to think of others at their best,
not their worst.
Amen.
Litany of Humility by Thomas Muglia
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