The Litany of Humility
The complete Litany of Humility — the piercing prayer attributed to Cardinal Merry del Val, asking deliverance from the desire to be esteemed and the fear of being forgotten.
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. Amen.
History
Traditionally attributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (1865–1930), Secretary of State to Pope St. Pius X, who is said to have prayed it daily after Mass. Whatever its exact authorship, it has become one of the most loved — and most feared — prayers of the twentieth century, because it asks for exactly what our age most resists.
When to Pray
When recognition, comparison, or the fear of being overlooked has a grip on you. Many pray it daily; few pray it comfortably. That is the point.