But God gives all the more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, teach me.
From all pride and its effects, deliver me, Jesus.
From coveting greatness for its own sake or to excess, deliver me, Jesus.
From contempt of You and Your law, deliver me, Jesus.
From a puffed-up self-image, deliver me, Jesus.
From claiming to be a self-made man, deliver me, Jesus.
From ingratitude for Your gifts, deliver me, Jesus.
From thinking that I have earned Your gifts by my effort alone, deliver me, Jesus.
From boasting of having what I do not have, deliver me, Jesus.
From excusing my faults while judging others, deliver me, Jesus.
From wishing to be the sole possessor of the skills I have, deliver me, Jesus.
From setting myself before others, deliver me, Jesus.
From all vainglory, deliver me, Jesus.
From craving praise for its own sake, deliver me, Jesus.
From looking for flattery, deliver me, Jesus.
From withholding glory from You, deliver me, Jesus.
From showing off to the harm of my neighbor, deliver me, Jesus.
From presumption and false self-confidence, deliver me, Jesus.
From boastfulness, deliver me, Jesus.
From hypocrisy, deliver me, Jesus.
From the excessive need to be fashionable, deliver me, Jesus.
From obstinacy and contention, deliver me, Jesus.
From disobedience, deliver me, Jesus.
From all false humility, deliver me, Jesus.
From forfeiting my dignity as a child of God, deliver me, Jesus.
From burying the talents that You gave me, deliver me, Jesus.
From an unreasonable fear of failure, deliver me, Jesus.
From avoiding my true vocation, deliver me, Jesus.
From despair at my weakness, deliver me, Jesus.
In the ways of humility, teach me, Jesus.
To know my limits and my strengths, teach me, Jesus.
To acknowledge the depravity of my past sins, teach me, Jesus.
To acclaim You as the author of all the good I do, teach me, Jesus.
To put my confidence in You, teach me, Jesus.
To be subject to You and Your Church, teach me, Jesus.
To be subject to others for Your sake, teach me, Jesus.
To revere Your presence in others, teach me, Jesus.
To rejoice in Your gifts in others, even the gifts unseen, teach me, Jesus.
To do great things by Your help and for Your glory, strengthen me, Jesus.
To seek greatness in heavenly things and lasting virtue, strengthen me, Jesus.
To do my best even when unnoticed, strengthen me, Jesus.
To put my share of Your gifts at Your service, strengthen me, Jesus.
To be neither puffed up by honor nor downcast by shame, strengthen me, Jesus.
To do penance for my sins and those of others, strengthen me, Jesus.
Above all, to strive to love You with all my being, strengthen me, Jesus.
And to love my neighbor as myself, strengthen me, Jesus.
In Your name, I pray. Amen.
Litany of Humility by Joseph Martin Hagan.
In a break between rivers and whilst fly fishing with John Stanley on my Surrender Novena weekend with him, we paused to read this litany. It was a powerful experience for us.
Jesus delivers, teaches, and strengthens us for His generous service when we empty ourselves in humility. He gives us more grace when we come before Him with humility.
What part of this litany stood out to you? Sit with Jesus. Thank Him for bringing that to your attention. Ask Him to deliver, teach, and strengthen you, providing whatever you need.
I needed a weekend of “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!” If you do too, start by humbling yourself. God opposes the proud but lavishes to overflowing grace to humble.
I make the trek from Soldiers Grove to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this morning, and then fly back to Denver, Colorado, this afternoon. I give thanks that I have been enriched with an abundance of the grace of God.