Litany of Humility

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 honored, 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,  Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

- Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)

On Obedience and Ascetism

...from Way of the Ascetics (by Tito Colliander):

   Obedience is another indispensable implement in the struggle against our selfish will.  With obedience you cut off your physical members the better to be able to serve with the spiritual, says St. John Climacus.  And again, obedience is the grave of your own will, but from it rises humility.
   You must remember that you have of your own free will given yourself over to slavery, and let the cross you wear around your neck be a reminder of this: through slavery you are proceeding towards true freedom.  But has the slave a will of his own?  He must learn to obey.
   Perhaps you ask: Whom shall I obey?  The saints answer: you shall obey your leaders (Hebrews 13:17).  Who are my leaders, you ask?  Where shall I find any, now that is is so utterly hard to discover a genuine leader?  Then the holy Fathers reply:  the Church has foreseen this too.  Therefore since the time of the apostles it has given us a teacher who surpasses all others and who can reach us everywhere, wherever we are and under whatever circumstances we live.  Whether we be in city or country, married or single, poor or rich, the teacher is always with us and we always have the opportunity to show him obedience.  Do you wish to know his name?  It is holy fasting.