When I read the topic of this weeks Walk with him Wednesday, The Litany of Humility immediately came to my mind. I am not a humble person, in fact of all the deadly sins, pride is pretty high up on my list of struggles. I am always wanting validation. I want my accomplishments to be acknowledged. Nothing upsets me more than when I clean the house spotless and my husband walks through the door and doesn't say a word about it. Here, I have worked my tail off all day to make the home pleasing for him and he can't even acknowledge it!? Now of course, I can't tell you the last time he walked through the door and I immediately let him know how great he was for laboring so hard all day in the hot sun to provide for our family (thoughtfulness is also not an area of strength for me) but I don't ever think about that, I am just looking for my recognition.
To be humble should not be such a task. It's not like Jesus is asking us to part the sea or walk on water. He is asking very simple things, simple things that for some reason can seem impossible to live by. When I pray The Litany of Humility I sometimes have to pause and add the words "lord please help me to truly mean what I am saying" So much of the prayer I can't even bring my self to truly want. It tastes like vinegar coming out of my mouth. Hopefully one day I can say this prayer with ease and truly feel and mean every word of it. Then, hopefully, I will not have the urge to have everyone tell me how wonderful I am for being so humble :). When the litany of humility is prayed in a private setting by two or more people, the lines given in italics below are the responses to a leader. I always say it by myself.
To be humble should not be such a task. It's not like Jesus is asking us to part the sea or walk on water. He is asking very simple things, simple things that for some reason can seem impossible to live by. When I pray The Litany of Humility I sometimes have to pause and add the words "lord please help me to truly mean what I am saying" So much of the prayer I can't even bring my self to truly want. It tastes like vinegar coming out of my mouth. Hopefully one day I can say this prayer with ease and truly feel and mean every word of it. Then, hopefully, I will not have the urge to have everyone tell me how wonderful I am for being so humble :). When the litany of humility is prayed in a private setting by two or more people, the lines given in italics below are the responses to a leader. I always say it by myself.
The 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
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
