18. The Litany of Humility

Written By Jon Marc & Teresa Grodi

VIDEO VERSION

Audio Version

Episode Description

In this episode, JonMarc and Teresa examine one of the most powerful prayers for self-reflection and growth in virtue, The Litany of Humility.

Notes

Litany of Humility prayer card - from a small Catholic artist Etsy Store Link - Abundance of Grace

Litany of Humility Sticker : Etsy Store Link - Santa Clara Designs

Prayer

The 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...
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 ...

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…

Quotes

“Pride has ingrown eyeballs. Humility stares outward in self-forgetful ecstasy (ek-stasis, “standing-outside-yourself”). The God who loves us with an everlasting love is infinitely determined to bring us to that point, the consummation of the spiritual marriage. It is to make that moment possible that he trains us in humility. We must be stripped of all our frumpery and fancy dress for the naked embrace of the Spirit. Humility is the marriage bond of Heaven. Pride is the frigidity of Hell.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“The opponent of pride is not despair but humility, or poverty of spirit. Pride and despair are twin brothers. They do not exclude each other but encourage each other. There is a secret pride in despair—a tragic grandeur, an overweening claim unfulfilled—and there is a secret despair at being human in pride’s demand to play God. Humility is the opponent of both. It keeps us from despair as well as from pride. The greatest virtue keeps us from the greatest vice.” (Peter Kreeft)


“High and holy ambition--to be a saint--is not opposed to holy humility--total reliance on God's grace. Exactly the opposite. Ambition without humility is ambition that fails. It is pride, which goes before a fall (Prov 16:18). Humility without ambition is false humility. In fact, it too is pride, for it rebels against God’s command to strive for “the upward call of God (Phil 3:14).” (Prayer For Beginners, Peter Kreeft)

Books

Jon Marc & Teresa Grodi

Teresa is a member of the Body of Christ, a wife, and a mother of five. She was born, raised, and resides in the Diocese of Toledo, OH. Teresa received her B.A. and M.A. in History at Bowling Green State University, where she met her husband JonMarc. She has been involved in ministry in many capacities and currently organizes pilgrimages for Catholic Faith Journeys. Teresa and JonMarc love to take walks and to discuss faith, philosophy, culture, food, the Domestic Church, the Feminine Genius, and the C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy, among other things.

JonMarc is the Chief Operating Officer of the Coming Home Network International and has been interviewed on EWTN programs such as Life on the Rock and The Journey Home, as well as various radio programs. A graduate student of philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville, JonMarc resides in Perrysburg, OH, with his wife and five young children.  Some of his favorite topics for discussion & writing are the nature of religious faith, aesthetics, Catholic Social Teaching, the writings of G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien, and various intersections of philosophy and theology in family life. You can connect with JonMarc via the Coming Home Network, on social media, or where he occasionally writes at www.RestatementOfTheObvious.com.

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