Litany of Humility for Lent

Our family tries to live out the liturgical year of the Catholic Church by following the saints' feast days and the seasons within the Church.  We incorporate prayers and various activities into our days to help us live our Faith in this way.  I primarily use two calendars, the beautiful, traditional calendar published by the Fraternity of St. Peter and this 2014 Saints Calendar and 16-month Planner published by TAN Books.  The latter calendar lists the saint feast days for the new, traditional, and historical calendars of the Catholic Church.  At least once a week I will post a devotion that helps our family follow the liturgical year through prayer.  I hope you find these posts useful.

With the holy season of Lent upon us, let us keep the image of our Crucified Lord near our minds and hearts, meditating upon the great sacrifice Jesus offered for us. The season of Lent, with its solemness and penance, provides an opportune time to focus on our spiritual life and strive for greater holiness. As we kneel beneath the Cross with our Sorrowful Mother, let us pray that we humbly and gratefully recognize God's Presence in each moment of our day.

Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.  

From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus. (**Repeat each time.)  

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 each time from this point forward.)

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.

--Composed by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930), Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X

--Taken from
A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies: 116 Catholic Litanies and Responsory Prayers
compiled by Fr. Albert Hebert