I lied in Chruch yesterday.

Yesterday (actually day before yesterday as its 00:30 hrs now) in Church during Ash Wednesday service I lied like anything when I was saying the ‘Litany of Humility’ which is there below.

The words in italics are response of the congregation. There were a few places where I was telling the truth, but there were points which I had qualms respondinging but I responded nevertheless.

Things like not being loved, approved, consulted, I lied. I have always wanted to be love, approved and consulted. Things like being suspected, wronged. I have always wanted to be on the right, never be betrayed. And the last para was almost all lies.

I wish I could meet Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val the guy who wrote this, but I guess this guy has been dead for more than a centaury now.

Gosh!!! Hope someday I wouldn’t have to lie like this. Humility is a virtue that is almost non-existent now-a-days. If anyone thinks he is humble, it just that he is proud enough to consider himself humble. As Christians, we ought to make a consious effort to nurture it.


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,
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 may become as holy as I should.
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.


- Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val