Fr. Todd 9/7/25

Dear Sacred Heart & St. Mary on the Lake,

                 I want to share this prayer, the Litany of humility, that you might find helpful to have in your repertoire.  It is particularly helpful in light of last weekend’s readings exhorting us to humility, that if I had been on the ball I would have put in that bulletin article.  Better late than never!

                 The Litany of humility is powerful because it puts words to that which we can struggle to articulate.  Largely though, humility is rooted in knowing who we are before God and, most importantly, that only God can fulfill us – not what the world or anyone else offers, good though they may be.  As Mother Teresa said so well – “If you are humble nothing will touch you – neither praise nor disgrace, because you know who you are.”  Here is a link to a great article about this prayer if you want to learn more:

https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-litany-of-humility/

O Jesus! Meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

1. Ask Jesus to deliver you from the desire for people to see you in a particular way or light.  After each petition, respond with, “Deliver me, Jesus.”

From the desire of being esteemed,

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,

2. Ask Jesus to deliver you from the fears that prevent you from living life with compassion for God, others, and yourself.  After each petition, respond with “Deliver me, Jesus.”

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,

3. Ask Jesus to guide you toward loving your neighbors before yourself.  Respond with, “Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.”

That others may be loved more than I,

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.

God Bless,

Fr. Todd