The Litany of Humility

Why This Prayer

Rafael Merry del Val was Secretary of State to Pope St. Pius X from 1903 to 1914 — one of the most powerful positions in the Church at the time. He wrote the Litany of Humility as a private devotion, reportedly praying it after every Mass. It became public only after his death in 1930, when it was found among his papers, and has since become one of the most quoted humility prayers in Catholic life.

What makes it different from a general prayer against pride is its precision. Most examinations of conscience ask whether you did something proud — took credit, sought praise, put someone down. This litany goes a layer deeper: it asks God to remove the desire for esteem and the fear of humiliation themselves, on the reasoning that as long as those desires and fears are still running underneath, proud acts will keep resurfacing no matter how carefully you police your behavior.

The final section is the hardest and the point of the whole prayer: it is not enough to stop minding when you are passed over — the litany asks for the grace to actually want others to be loved, praised, and chosen ahead of you. That is a much bigger request than "help me not be jealous." It is asking God to change what you want, not just what you do.

The Litany of Humility

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O 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 go 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.

Helper

1. This is a slow prayer, not a recited one. Most people cannot honestly pray every line at full speed — pause on whichever one stings, and sit with it rather than rushing past it.
2. You do not need to feel ready for the last section. Praying "grant me the grace to desire it" is itself an honest prayer even when you do not yet desire it — you are asking God to grow the desire in you, not claiming to already have it.
3. It is traditionally prayed after Mass or as part of a daily examen, but it also works well any time envy, comparison, or the need for recognition is weighing on you.