Homily Fourth Sunday of the Year 3 February 2008

In the late 1800s, Cardinal Rafael Merry del Valle…
Secretary of State under Saint Pope Pius X…
wrote this prayer…which he often said before the celebration of Mass:

O Jesus meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver, me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver, me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
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, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase, and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should,Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

This exquisite prayer…called the “Litany of Humility”…
perhaps sounds strange to our ears…perhaps “old-fashioned”
in a world that has “progressed” beyond humility.

However, surely the problem lies not in the prayer…
but in those who forget its lesson.

The lesson of this prayer…
as well as today’s readings from Sacred Scripture…
is, quite simply: “the world does not revolve around us!”

God calls His faithful people to practice humility.

God chooses the humble to carry out His mission…
the foolish in the eyes of the world to shame the wise…
the weak of this world to shame those who are strong
according to their own designs.


In God’s eyes, the poor in spirit, the humble,
are blessed and shall receive eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.

Humility is that virtue which causes us
to recognize our natural weakness and sins…
to understand ourselves and our relationship with God…
and thus restrain within us any temptation
to exalt ourselves above God, the Church, or one another.

For if we know our weakness and sins…
we surely know that none of us is in a position
to make ourselves the center of the world.

Of course, humility does not mean that we reject our talents and abilities.
We simply recognize that they are not of our own creation.
They are from God…and we use them in His service.

Only when we have become humble in spirit before God…
then He can use us to teach the wise and shame the strong.

It is interesting that Cardinal del Valle prayed the litany he wrote before Mass.
For truly, humility is most necessary whenever priests or the faithful
approach the sacred mysteries of the Altar.
We ought not ever consecrate or receive the Eucharist
without a profound sense of humility
before the living and abiding presence of Jesus Christ in our midst.

Celebrating the Sacred Liturgy is not about being intelligent or artistic enough
to create a beautiful celebration…
but about being humble enough to accept what the Church gives us
which is infinitely more beautiful and holy than our own designs.
For the Church’s Liturgy is the work of God in our midst.

He who humbled Himself to become man
and to suffer the agony of the Cross for our sins…
now humbles Himself to come into our midst
under the forms of bread and wine.

May we receive Him with profound humility…
and live His humility in our lives…
that the joy of His kingdom…now and in eternity…may be ours!