Our Prayer for Lent: the Litany of Humility Prayer Ring

My daughter's enthusiastic response to last month's Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes prayer ring encouraged me to search for other litanies that we could incorporate into our morning  prayer.  The Litany of Humility spoke to me as the perfect prayer for Lent. It was written by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val, who was the Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X.

As a close friend to the pope and an influential individual within the Roman Curia, it would have been easy for him to succumb to the temptations of power and prestige.  He prayed this litany each day before serving Mass to help him stay humble.  You can find out more about him here and in this Time Magazine article from 1929.

The prayer challenges us to seek an unassuming and meek life. It urges us to live modestly and without pretensions.  I will admit that it makes me a bit uncomfortable when I pray it. Its message directly contradicts the goals expounded by our secular world. It isn't easy to say phrases like "That others may be more esteemed than I..."  or "That others may be praised and I unnoticed." 

I created a prayer ring that my daughter and I will read each morning. The prayer's verses are color coordinated with two colors, making it easy for a homeschool mom and her child to do guided reading together. For example, one person could read the sections in purple while the other person reads the sections in dark magenta.

Updated  3/5/14:  You can now download a copy of this document for free on Google docs.  Here's the link:  Litany of Humility