Humility in Prayer
I am reading aloud to my children Pauline Jaricot: Foundress of the Living Rosary and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith by Mary Fabyan Windeatt. And I was struck by the following thought:
Upon her return to Lyons, the idea of asking other people for prayers took on greater importance for Pauline! What a meritorious practice if was! And how simple as well! Even if people said they would pray and then forgot, all was not lost. Pleased with the humility of the who had asked for help, God would not hesitate to send a generous reward. As for the human frailty of the forgetful ones–that was no barrier to His kindness. He would be mindful of their good intention. But the ones who did not forget–ah, what untold graces would be coming their way because of their kindness and generosity. (page 122, emphasis mine)
Now that was an entirely new thought to me. That it was a matter of humility to ask others for prayer and that particular expression of humility and the public acknowledgement of my dependence on my brothers and sisters in Christ was pleasing to God. Just to be clear, I do know that humility is pleasing to God. It was just that it had never occurred to me that my resistance to asking others to pray for me might be a form of spiritual pride. I have a thousand reasons for not asking others for prayer. My needs are not as great as others. I am private and don’t want to voice my needs aloud. I don’t want to trouble others. But could it be that the root is a lack of humility? I must confess that the idea is uncomfortably plausible.
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 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 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 more esteemed 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 become as holy as I should, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it. Amen.
by Rafael Cardinal Merry de Val
