If you're looking for the litany of humility text, you've probably reached a point where you're tired of the constant pressure to be noticed, praised, or "first" in everything. It's a heavy-hitting prayer, and honestly, the first time most people read it, they find it a little terrifying. It doesn't ask for health, wealth, or even happiness in the way we usually think of those things. Instead, it asks for the grace to be okay with being overlooked.
It's a bit of a paradox, isn't it? We spend so much of our lives building up our "personal brands" or worrying about what our neighbors think of our new car, and then here comes this text that basically asks for all of that ego-stroking to just stop.
Where Did This Prayer Come From?
The litany of humility text is most commonly attributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, who was the Secretary of State to Pope Pius X back in the early 1900s. Now, when you think of a high-ranking official in the Vatican, you might imagine someone who enjoys a bit of prestige. But by all accounts, Merry del Val was someone who genuinely struggled against his own ego. He wanted to remain a simple servant despite his high-profile job.
He reportedly prayed this every day after celebrating Mass. It wasn't just a poem to him; it was a survival tactic for his soul. He knew that the more power and influence he had, the easier it would be to fall into the trap of pride. That's why the words feel so raw—they were written by someone who knew exactly how addictive praise can be.
Breaking Down the Prayer
The beauty of the litany of humility text is its structure. It's essentially split into two main sections. The first half is a list of things we want to be "delivered" from, and the second half is a list of things we want others to receive instead of us.
The "Deliver Me" Section
This part of the prayer targets our internal insecurities. It lists things like: * The desire of being esteemed * The desire of being loved * The desire of being extolled * The desire of being honored * The desire of being praised * The desire of being preferred to others * The desire of being consulted * The desire of being approved
Think about that for a second. Imagine a day where you didn't feel the "itch" to be approved of or the "need" to be preferred over a colleague. It sounds almost like a superpower. Most of our daily stress comes from these exact desires. We get upset when we aren't "consulted" on a project or when a friend doesn't "praise" a photo we posted. The text asks for the strength to let go of those hooks that the world uses to pull us around.
The "Fear" Section
Then it moves into the things we are usually afraid of. It asks for deliverance from: * The fear of being humbled * The fear of being despised * The fear of suffering rebukes * The fear of being calumniated (which is just a fancy word for being lied about) * The fear of being forgotten * The fear of being ridiculed * The fear of being wronged * The fear of being suspected
This is where it gets really real. Nobody wants to be forgotten or ridiculed. But the prayer isn't saying these things are "good" in a vacuum; it's saying that the fear of them is what keeps us enslaved. When you aren't afraid of being forgotten, you're finally free to do the right thing without worrying about who sees you doing it.
Why This Prayer Is So Hard to Say
Let's be totally honest—praying the litany of humility text feels like a punch in the gut sometimes. We live in a culture that is the exact opposite of this prayer. Everything on social media is designed to make us want to be esteemed, loved, praised, and preferred. We are taught to "manifest" our own greatness and to make sure everyone knows our worth.
Then you read these lines: "That others may be loved more than I That others may be esteemed more than I That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease."
It goes against every survival instinct we have. But that's kind of the point. The "ego" is a hungry ghost; the more you feed it, the hungrier it gets. You get ten compliments, and you feel great for an hour, but then you need an eleventh to keep the high going. This prayer is meant to starve that ghost so that you can find a deeper, more stable kind of peace that doesn't depend on what people are saying about you today.
Using the Text in Daily Life
You don't have to be a monk to get something out of the litany of humility text. In fact, it's probably more useful for people living "in the world."
If you're going into a meeting where you know you're going to want to show off, reading this text beforehand can keep your feet on the ground. It reminds you that the goal is to do good work, not to be the "star" of the room.
If you've been hurt by a rumor or felt left out of a social gathering, these words can be incredibly healing. Instead of stewing in the hurt of being "forgotten," the prayer helps you lean into it. It shifts the perspective from "Why didn't they invite me?" to "It's okay if I'm not the center of attention."
Making it a Habit
Some people find that reading the entire text every day is too much to digest. One way to handle it is to pick just one line to carry with you throughout the day.
For example, maybe today your focus is: "From the desire of being consulted, deliver me."
When someone makes a decision without asking for your input, and you feel that familiar flare of annoyance, you can just repeat that line to yourself. It's like an anchor. It stops the emotional drift before you get swept away by bitterness.
The Freedom of Humility
The end goal of the litany of humility text isn't to make you a doormat or to make you hate yourself. True humility isn't about thinking poorly of yourself; it's about thinking of yourself less.
When you stop worrying about your status, you suddenly have a lot more energy. You're not constantly scanning the room to see if people are impressed by you. You're not replaying conversations in your head to see if you sounded smart enough. You're just there. Present.
There's a massive amount of freedom in being "forgotten" if it means you're no longer performing for an audience. You can finally be authentic because you aren't trying to maintain a specific image.
Closing Thoughts on the Prayer
If you decide to start working with the litany of humility text, be patient with yourself. You're going to fail at it. You're going to pray "deliver me from the desire of being praised" and then immediately check how many likes your latest post got. That's just being human.
The point isn't to become a perfect, ego-less saint overnight. The point is to acknowledge that our ego is often the source of our own misery. By keeping these words nearby, we give ourselves a chance to step back, breathe, and remember that we don't have to be the best, the brightest, or the most loved to be worthy of peace.
It's a tough road, but as anyone who has stuck with it will tell you, the quiet that comes after the ego stops shouting is worth every bit of the struggle.