Litany of humility: freedom from the need to be first

The litany begins with the invocation O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me. It then moves through three groups of petitions: desires we ask to be delivered from, fears we ask to be delivered from, and situations in which we ask for the grace to desire that others be preferred to ourselves.

From the desire of being esteemed, 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 fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being rebuked, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, 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 others may be chosen and I set aside, 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.

Closing prayer: Lord Jesus, You washed the feet of the men who would abandon You, and You did not defend Yourself before Pilate. I spend so much energy managing what people think of me. Loosen that grip. Let me do good without needing to be seen, speak truth without needing to win, and step aside without feeling erased. Give me the quiet joy of the servant who knows he is loved by the Master, and that this is enough. Amen.