A Benedictine Litany of Humility

On Chapter VII of the Holy Rule

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

O Jesus, who didst empty Thyself, taking the form of a servant,
Empty Thou me of myself.
O Jesus, who didst humble Thyself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross,
Unite Thou me to Thy obedience.
O Jesus, who art silent, humble, and hidden in the Host,
Take Thou my soul into thy keeping.

On Monday
1. That my heart be not exalted nor mine eyes lifted up; *
I come to Thee, O Jesus.
2. That I may keep always the fear of God before mine eyes; *
I come to Thee, O Jesus.
3. That I may be ever mindful of all that God hath commanded; *
I come to Thee, O Jesus.
4. That I may hasten to cut off the desires of the flesh; *
I come to Thee, O Jesus.
5. That I may not forget that I am always beheld from heaven by God; *
I come to Thee, O Jesus.
6. That I may not forget that my actions are everywhere seen by the eye of the Divine Majesty
and at every hour reported to Him by His angels; *
I come to Thee, O Jesus.
7. That I may turn away from my own will; *
I come to Thee, O Jesus.

On Tuesday
8. That the will of the Father may be done in me;
Do Thou, O Jesus, unite me to Thyself.
9. That I may lay all my desire before Thee; *
Do Thou, O Jesus, unite me to Thyself.
10. That I may be on guard against evil desires; *
Do Thou, O Jesus, unite me to Thyself.
11. That I may love not my own will, nor delight in fulfilling my own desires; *
Do Thou, O Jesus, unite me to Thyself.
12. That I may submit myself to my superior in all obedience for the love of God; *
Do Thou, O Jesus, unite me to Thyself.
13. That I may imitate Thee, of Whom the apostle saith,
“He was made obedient even unto death”; *
Do Thou, O Jesus, unite me to Thyself.
14. That I may embrace patiently hard and contrary things, nay even injuries done to me, with a quiet conscience, and not grow weary or give in; *
Do Thou, O Jesus, unite me to Thyself.

On Wednesday
15. That I may let my heart be comforted, and wait for Thee; *
I adore Thee who art silent in the Host.
16.  That secure in my hope of the divine reward, I may go on with joy, saying, “But in all these things we overcome, through Him Who hath loved us”; *
I adore Thee who art silent in the Host.
17. That I may fulfil Thy precept by patience in adversities and injuries; *
I adore Thee who art silent in the Host.
18. That I may bear with false brethren, and bless those that curse me; *
I adore Thee who art silent in the Host.
19. That I may not hide from my abbot any of the evil thoughts that beset my heart, or the sins committed in secret, but humbly to confess them; *
I adore Thee who art silent in the Host.
20. That I may make known my way unto Thee, and hope in Thee, and confess to Thee for Thou art good and Thy mercy endureth forever; *
I adore Thee who art silent in the Host.
21. That I may be contented with the meanest and worst of everything; *
I adore Thee who art silent in the Host.

On Thursday
22. That I may esteem myself a bad and worthless labourer; *
Hide me, O Jesus, in the secret of Thy Face.
23.  That I may say with the Prophet, “I have been brought to nothing,
yet I am always with Thee”; *
Hide me, O Jesus, in the secret of Thy Face.
24.  That, in my inmost heart, I may believe myself lower and viler than all; *
Hide me, O Jesus, in the secret of Thy Face.
25.  That I may say at every humiliation, “It is good for me that Thou hast humbled me, that I may learn Thy commandments”; *
Hide me, O Jesus, in the secret of Thy Face.
26.  That I may do nothing except what is authorised by the common rule of the monastery or the example of my seniors; *
Hide me, O Jesus, in the secret of Thy Face.
27.  That I may refrain my tongue from speaking, keeping silence until I am questioned; *
Hide me, O Jesus, in the secret of Thy Face.
28.  That I be not not easily moved and prompt to unseemly laughter; *
Hide me, O Jesus, in the secret of Thy Face.

On Friday
29.  That I may speak gently, humbly, gravely, with few and reasonable words; *
Let Thy Name, O Jesus, be ever in my heart and on my lips.
30.  That I be not noisy in my speech; *
Let Thy Name, O Jesus, be ever in my heart and on my lips.
31. That I may say always in my heart what the publican in the Gospel said with his eyes fixed on the earth: “Lord, I a sinner am not worthy to raise mine eyes to heaven”; *
Let Thy Name, O Jesus, be ever in my heart and on my lips.
32.  That I may rejoice to repeat with the Prophet,
“I am bowed down and humbled on every side”; *
Let Thy Name, O Jesus, be ever in my heart and on my lips.
33. That I may presently arrive at that love of God which, being perfect, casteth out fear; *
Let Thy Name, O Jesus, be ever in my heart and on my lips.
34.  That I may begin to keep Thy precepts for love of Thee,
and of a good habit, and a delight in virtue; *
Let Thy Name, O Jesus, be ever in my heart and on my lips.
35. That the Holy Ghost may cleanse me from vice and sin; *
Let Thy Name, O Jesus, be ever in my heart and on my lips.

V. Every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled.
R. And he who humbleth himself shall be exalted.

O Lord Jesus Christ, meek and humble of heart, Thou who hast given us in the Holy Abbot Benedict a teacher of the twelve degrees of humility by which, as by means of a ladder, Thou raisest the lowly even unto Thyself; grant that we, at his intercession, may descend ever more deeply into the lowliness that draws down Thy grace, and there adore Thee perpetually in the Sacrament where, with Thy glory veiled, Thou abidest humble, silent, and hidden, and this until the close of the age, even as Thou hast promised. Who livest and reignest, God, forever and ever. Amen.