The Litany of Humility
Humility, Humility, Humility
Men,
I would like to dedicate this post to the Litany of Humility. Before we go into the litany itself, let us first address what a litany actually is. A litany is both a public and private devotion that relates to supplication or petition. Litanies are said within the context of Mass (Kyrie, eleison - Christe, eleison) or in private while praying for a specific virtue or characteristic.
The structure is simple - first giving a number of statements or petitions with each one followed by a specific response. This form of prayer has grown in popularity since the 5th century. Although many litanies are prayed publicly, the most well known being the Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, the Litany of the Immaculate Conception, and the Litany of St. Joseph, there are ones that are said quite a bit in private, such as the the Litany of humility.
Litany of Humility
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus. (repeat after each line)
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,
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. (repeat after each line)
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,Amen.
The last petition of the litany of humility suggests what holiness entails: loving God and neighbor above all else, putting others' needs before ours. We are not to worry how we “rank” in godliness. Otherwise we might as well be like the Pharisees our Lord scorned who took more delight in the trappings of religion, rather than in love of God and neighbor, so that “all their works they do in order to be seen” (Matt 23:5).
In seeking God’s help to cast out our sins of pride we are in tune with our Lord’s famous Gospel message “He who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt 23:12).
Litania Humilitatis
O Jesu, mitis et humilis corde, exaudi me.
A desiderio, ut amer, libera me Domine.A desiderio, ut exalter, libera me Domine.
A desiderio, ut honorer, libera me Domine.
A desiderio, ut lauder, libera me Domine.
A desiderio, ut aliis praeterear, libera me Domine.
A desiderio, ut consular, libera me Domine.
A desiderio, ut approber, libera me Domine.
A timore, ne humilier, libera me Domine.
A timore, ne calumniam feram, libera me Domine.
A timore, ne oblivioni trader, libera me Domine.
A timore, ne irridear, libera me Domine.
A timore, ne iniuriam accipiam, libera me Domine.
A timore, ne suspiciar, libera me Domine.Ut magis alii amentur quam ego, Iesu, da mihi gratiam ita desiderandi.
Ut plus alii aestimentur quam ego, Iesu, da mihi gratiam ita desiderandi.
Ut alii extollantur in mundi existimatione, ego autem minuar, Iesu, da mihi gratiam ita desiderandi.
Ut alii eligantur, ego autem praeterear, Iesu, da mihi gratiam ita desiderandi.
Ut alii mihi in omnibus rebus praeferantur, Iesu, da mihi gratiam ita desiderandi.
Ut alii me, dum sanctus fieri debeam, sanctiores sint, Iesu, da mihi gratiam ita desiderandi.Amen.