LITANY OF HUMILITY Dear Friends: Allow me to share this prayer/litany, which I found, quite by accident, in the last pages of my New American Bible, Revised Edition, St. Benedcits Press version. It was written by a well-known prelate of the late 19th, early 20th century Church, Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (1865-1930), Secretary of State to Pius X. This prayer has given me a new insight into the soul of Merry del Val, a prelate whose personal history I know little about, but who always gave me the impression, from Church History texts and other accounts, of being a sincere, honest, dedicated but somewhat rather mundane person. Surely this prayer has dispelled such misconception from my mind. Here it goes: O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being extolled, 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 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 to 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. This is the most defining prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyolas Third Way of Humility, a counter-cultural prayer, a song of liberation of joy, that rises from the Heart of the Crucified and Risen One, from the hearts of Sts. Francis, Ignatius, Teresa, John of the Cross, the entire Christian tradition of mystics and doctors, this is the very palpitating Heart of God. Oremus pro invicem. Sixto AT THE SUNSET OF OUR LIVES, WE WILL BE JUDGED BY LOVE St. John of the Cross Sayings of Light and Love, 59 WE WILL NEVER LOVE ENOUGH Bl. Charles de Foucauld Letter to Marie de Bondy, December 1, 1916, The day of his Martyrdom BLOG: sixtogarcia.wordpress/
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 16:33:22 +0000
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