Listening to this song this morning, the Litany of Humility came to heart. I drop to my knees, humbled before the immense power of the Trinity, awed by the Majesty of God and overwhelmed that in all this incredible power, He loves me and wants me to be holy and with Him forever.
The last petition of the litany of humility powerfully 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.
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” (Matthew 23:12).
I think that our greatest praise comes in the form of our humility – look at Mary to see this truth.
Pray with me…
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