How to be humble

I have been trying to think about humility during Lent. It is not easy! But it is really very necessary, for without humility we can't get very far on the path to perfection. This is what St Alphonsus Liguori says in 'The Glories of Mary':

"Humility," says St. Bernard, "is the foundation and guardian of virtues;" and with reason, for without it no other virtue can exist in a soul. Should she possess all virtues, all will depart when humility is gone.

St Alphonsus Liguori

 But, on the other hand, as St. Francis de Sales wrote to St. Jane Frances de Chantal, "God so loves humility, that whenever He sees it, He is immediately drawn thither."

 This beautiful and so necessary virtue was unknown in the world; but the Son of God Himself came on earth to teach it by His Own example, and willed that in that virtue in particular we should endeavor to imitate Him: Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart. 

 Mary, being the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus Christ in the practice of all virtues, was the first also in that of humility, and by it merited to be exalted above all creatures. It was revealed to St. Matilda that the first virtue in which the Blessed Mother particularly exercised herself, from her very childhood, was that of humility. 

A wise priest recently recommended to me the Litany of Humility, which I am praying every day of Lent. It is tough. At first, I balked. I understand about not being exalted or esteemed, but am I supposed to pray not to be loved?

But as I continued, I realised that we are not praying not to be loved, or praised or esteemed - we are praying to be released from the desire of these things. This is the ideal - to be as unaffected by praise as we are by scorn and ridicule. True humility and lack of ego is what we recognise and esteem in holy priests, and it is what characterises all the great saints and makes them so heroic in their imitation of Christ.

The Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me. 


From the desire of being esteemed,
 Deliver me, Jesus. (repeat after each line)

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. (repeat after each line) 

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.

Amen.