The Litany of Humility: Full Text, History, and How to Pray It Daily

You heard it mentioned at Mass, in a homily, or from a friend in your prayer group the Litany of Humility. Maybe you searched for it afterward and found three or four slightly different versions, none of them citing a source. That’s common with this prayer. Here is the complete traditional text, an honest look at where it actually came from, and a simple way to start praying it daily.

The Full Text of 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,

Deliver me, Jesus.

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,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

This is the version most commonly printed today, drawn from the prayer book long used by Jesuit retreatants and reprinted by EWTN, Ascension Press, and other Catholic publishers. Wording varies slightly between missalettes some say “hear me” where others say “graciously hear me,” some list a few more or fewer petitions because, as the history below explains, the prayer passed through several hands before it settled into its familiar form.

Who Wrote the Litany of Humility? (The Honest Answer)

Most sources you’ll find online simply state that Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (1865–1930), Cardinal Secretary of State under Pope St. Pius X, wrote the Litany of Humility. That attribution is real and old C. S. Lewis credited Merry del Val with composing it in a March 1948 letter to Don Giovanni Calabria. It’s also, most likely, not the whole story.

A prayer titled “A Litany to Obtain Holy Humility” was published in 1867 by an anonymous author identified only as “A R.C. Clergyman” decades before Merry del Val, who was born in 1865, could have written anything. A closely related version appeared again in 1880, described as translated from a French fifth edition, meaning it had already gone through multiple printings in another language before that. The most careful conclusion, drawn from that publication history, is that Merry del Val was likely praying and popularizing an already existing, lesser-known prayer rather than composing it from scratch and, in the end, the original author of the Litany of Humility remains unknown.

None of that makes the Merry del Val attribution wrong, exactly it’s just incomplete. He’s the reason the prayer became famous, even if he didn’t coin the first line.

Why Cardinal Merry del Val Is Still the Name Attached to It

Even if he wasn’t the original author, the association isn’t accidental. Merry del Val was one of the most powerful men in the Church of his era Pope Leo XIII sent him to Canada as Apostolic Delegate, and he later served as a close collaborator of St. Pius X and by every account, he prayed this litany personally, using it as a daily check on the temptations that come with high office. That lived example is what made the prayer stick to his name.

Pope Leo XIV Just Recommended It Here’s What He Said

On October 13, 2025, at a Vatican conference marking the 160th anniversary of Cardinal Merry del Val’s birth, Pope Leo XIV singled out the Litany of Humility, saying its petitions “outline a model that is valid for all those who exercise responsibilities in the Church and in the world”, addressing it especially to Vatican diplomats.

He walked through several of the petitions directly. On the line about the desire for esteem, the Pope said “the desire for recognition is a constant temptation for those in positions of responsibility.” On the petition about being consulted, he noted that Merry del Val could easily have considered himself irreplaceable given his position, but instead modeled a servant who lets the truth of Christ speak rather than pushing his own voice to the front. And on the litany’s closing line the plea that others may become holier, provided one becomes as holy as one should the Pope framed it as a reminder that holiness isn’t measured by comparing yourself to others, but by communion with them.

It’s a small but telling detail: a 20th-century cardinal’s favorite prayer, rooted in an anonymous 19th-century text, was just held up by a 21st-century pope as a working guide for anyone who carries responsibility in a parish, an office, or a family.

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What the Litany of Humility Actually Means

The prayer is built in two matched halves, and understanding that structure is what makes it easier and more uncomfortable to pray honestly.

• The first half asks to be freed from disordered desires and fears. Not the desire to be loved or approved of in a healthy sense, but the disordered craving for esteem, praise, and being consulted, along with the anxious fear of being humiliated, forgotten, or wronged. Each line names something small and specific rather than a vague “help me be humble.”
• The second half goes further: It asks for the grace to actually want others to be preferred, praised, and thought better of than yourself. This is the part people find hardest. It isn’t just asking to tolerate being overlooked it’s asking God to change your heart so that you genuinely wish for someone else’s success even when it comes at the cost of your own recognition.

That’s exactly why it feels uncomfortable to pray. It’s not a prayer about feeling humble; it’s a prayer that puts your finger directly on the specific ways pride shows up in ordinary situations a compliment withheld, a decision made without you, credit going somewhere else and asks God to disarm your reaction to each one, one line at a time.

How to Pray the Litany of Humility Daily

You don’t need anything elaborate to make this part of a daily rhythm. A few approaches that work well in practice:

• Pair it with an existing prayer time. Many people add it after morning prayer or a daily Rosary, since it’s short enough (roughly two minutes) not to compete for time.
• Pray it slowly, one line at a time, rather than rushing to the end. Because each petition names something concrete, pausing after a line that stings is often more fruitful than reciting the whole thing on autopilot.
• Use an app or printed card if memorization feels intimidating. The Catholic prayer app Hallow includes the Litany of Humility in its library with an audio-guided option, which is useful for praying it during a commute or a walk. EWTN and Ascension Press also publish the text on printable cards for a wallet, car visor, or desk.
• Return to it during a specific temptation, not just on a fixed schedule. Some people keep it for moments when they notice themselves fishing for a compliment or resenting someone else’s success praying the one relevant line in that moment, rather than waiting for a scheduled prayer time.
• Don’t expect it to feel comfortable. If a line makes you flinch, that’s usually a sign it’s doing its job, not a sign you’re praying it wrong.

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Conclusion

The Litany of Humility offers a powerful way to grow in faith and self awareness. By praying this litany daily, we can learn to let go of our pride and embrace humility. This simple yet profound prayer helps us connect with God and others in a deeper way. As we reflect on its words, we open our hearts to true peace and understanding.

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