Litany of Humility

Click to enlarge: A little girl kissing the hand of the crucified Jesus. I encountered this while searching for a picture on humility and liked it.

I wish i could pray this prayer and mean it. I found it on someone’s blog that I scan regularly.

Litany of Humility

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.

 

c0

Click to enlarge: A picture of Albert Einstein with a quote about ego attributed to him: "More the knowledge lesser the ego, lesser the knowledge, more the ego."

I may have elsewhere related a story about the father of one of my best boyhood friends, Jerry Beers: Rev Beers pastored a Wesleyan Methodist church in Erie, PA, and one Sunday finished a sermon on humility by crawling out of the sanctuary on his hands and knees.

I will forever remember that image of humility even though I only know it as it was told to me and I didn't actually witness it, but I felt it, and feel it still as surely as if I’d been there.

[2013-09-05]

 

c0