To Be Humbled...

Since the beginning of Lent (ok, it's been less then a week, but still) I have been praying the Litany of Humility daily. I have heard of this prayer, and seen it numerous times in the past but have always had reservations about praying it. Not because of any legitimate reason, but because of fear.

It's funny what fear can do to you, isn't it? It can be totally crippling. See, I was terrified of praying this prayer because I was scared of emptying myself in front of God, and asking him to knock me down a few notches. I was (and still am) afraid of admitting that I need to be humbled. I mean, I know in my heart that I of course need to be humbled, but to admit it to myself, and to God is another story. That in itself is incredibly humbling.

What is so neat about praying this litany is that it offers a list of fears we would like God to deliver us from. The fear of being forgotten, for example. But, it also offers a list of desires we would like for Him to deliver us from. The desire of being loved, or approved, or consulted. It is hard to not desire praise for something we feel we do well. But it is even more difficult to be forgotten for what we've done, or to be humiliated when we try our hardest to succeed at something.

What is harder then both of those things though is to truly desire to be humbled. To truly want to be forgotten or disapproved of or to never be consulted. So, pray with me for the desire to want to be humbled. Because, it is in great humility that God can make "become as holy as I should."

Litany of Humility:

O Jesus! Meek and humble of hear, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled...
From the desire of being honoured...
From the desire of being praised..
From the desire of being prefferred 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.
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...

-Emily xo