Attributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (†1930)

Litany of Humility

Asking to be freed from the desire of esteem and the fear of humiliation

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 honoured, 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.

Amen.

SourceAttributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (†1930) · Asking to be freed from the desire of esteem and the fear of humiliation

The history of this prayer

The Litany of Humility is usually attributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (1865-1930), Secretary of State to Saint Pius X, a man known for his life of prayer and his reserve. Yet an almost identical litany was printed in English in 1880, "translated from the French", and a similar one in 1867: most likely the Cardinal prayed and spread a prayer already in circulation, whose original author is unknown.

It is not part of the liturgy but a private prayer. It has two parts: first, asking Jesus to free the soul from the desire of esteem and the fear of humiliation; then, asking the grace to want others to be loved, chosen and holier than oneself, "provided that I may become as holy as I should".

It is a demanding prayer, used by many as a daily examination of self-love. No original Latin text is known, so we give the traditional English form with the Portuguese translation.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote the Litany of Humility?

It is attributed to Cardinal Merry del Val (d. 1930), but nearly identical versions were printed in 1867 and 1880; the original author is unknown.

Is there a Latin original of the Litany of Humility?

No Latin original is known; Latin versions in circulation are recent translations.

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