Popular Litanies

The word litany comes from the Greek word for petition. A litany is a list of prayers, usually said for a special intention.

Each line of a litany begins with a petition and is followed by a repetitive response like “pray for us.” You can pray a litany any time, but they are also a great way to pray as a group, with one individual leading each petition and the others saying the response.

The Litany of Humility and the Litany of Trust are two great litanies to incorporate during the Lenten season. Choose one to pray daily or weekly and watch it transform your life!

The Litany of Humility

Humility is essential to spiritual flourishing, and yet, it is one of the most misunderstood virtues. People sometimes think that humility means you are weak and think poorly of yourself. But that’s not true. C.S. Lewis observed: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.”

Humility is truth. It is false to devalue yourself or your talents. That isn’t humility. Humility is acknowledging the source of your talents. God is the giver of all gifts, the origin of all our talents and abilities, and the source of all goodness and every blessing. You can have exceptional abilities and be humble, you can be an exceptional human being and possess deep humility.

Jesus invites us to a life of humility because he is supremely interested in our happiness. Only a humble soul can be led. It takes real humility to quiet our desires, and all the distractions of the world, and listen to the voice of the Spirit. And it takes humility to follow wherever that voice leads.

If you want to grow in Humility this Lent, one of the most powerful ways is to pray the 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.

Amen.

The Litany of Trust

Most people spend a lot of time worrying. We are anxious about so many things. When you are anxious or worried, observe yourself, do you pray? If not, why not? Trusting God is the antidote for worry and anxiety. Prayer is a simple expression of trusting God. Turn your worry into prayer with the simple but powerful prayer: The Litany of Trust:

From the belief that I have to earn Your love, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear that I am unlovable, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the false security that I have what it takes, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear that trusting you will leave me more destitute, Deliver me, Jesus.

From all suspicion of your words and promises, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the rebellion against childlike dependency on You, Deliver me, Jesus.

From refusals and reluctances in accepting Your will, Deliver me, Jesus.

From anxiety about the future, Deliver me, Jesus.

From resentment or excessive preoccupation with the past, Deliver me, Jesus.

From restless self-seeking in the present moment, Deliver me, Jesus.

From disbelief in Your love and presence, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being asked to give more than I have, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the belief that my life has no meaning or worth, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of what love demands, Deliver me, Jesus.

From discouragement, Deliver me, Jesus.

That You are continually holding me, sustaining me, loving me, Jesus, I trust in You.

That Your love goes deeper than my sins and failings and transforms me, Jesus, I trust in You.

That not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to lean on You, Jesus, I trust in You.

That You are with me in my suffering, Jesus, I trust in You.

That my suffering, united to Your own, will bear fruit in this life and the next, Jesus, I trust in You.

That You will not leave me orphan, that You are present in Your Church, Jesus, I trust in You.

That Your plan is better than anything else, Jesus, I trust in You.

That You always hear me and in Your goodness always respond to me, Jesus, I trust in You.

That You give me the grace to accept forgiveness and to forgive others, Jesus, I trust in You.

That You give me all the strength I need for what is asked, Jesus, I trust in You.

That my life is a gift, Jesus, I trust in You.

That You will teach me to trust You, Jesus, I trust in You.

That You are my Lord and my God, Jesus, I trust in You.

That I am Your beloved one, Jesus, I trust in You.

Amen.

Morning Prayer

How do your best days begin? Most people don’t know. They have a hunch, but they have simply never thought enough about it or experimented with it. If you begin each day with morning prayer, you will discover this changes the way you enter into and experience your daily life.

Over time you will become more aware of how praying (or not praying) impacts you, your life, your relationships, your work, your health, your decisions, and every aspect of every day.

How do your best days begin? This Lent, try starting with a simple morning prayer and observe how it impacts the rest of your day!

Heavenly Father,

Amen.

Evening Prayer

There is a moment at the end of each day, when we lay our head on our pillows. Our bodies are tired, our minds relax, and our egos let go. It is a solitary moment. If we listen carefully in that moment, we will discover where we stand. Where we stand with God, where we stand with those we love, and where we stand with our truest self.

No matter what kind of day you just had, spending a few moments with God in evening prayer is a wonderful way to end every single day during Lent…and for the rest of your life!

Heavenly Father,

Amen.

Adoration

Have you ever been to Adoration?

Adoration is a special way to pray to Jesus in the Eucharist. During Adoration, a priest will place the Eucharist in a monstrance—a beautiful vessel that holds the Host. It is a beautiful opportunity to step away from our noisy, busy lives and simply be with Jesus.

Many people encounter Jesus for the first time in their lives in Adoration. This is where they have their first deeply personal experience of Jesus. They may have heard about Jesus their whole lives, they may have been receiving Jesus in the Eucharist every Sunday, but there is something about the experience of Jesus in Adoration that leads people to know Him. This shift from knowing about Jesus to knowing Jesus changes everything.

And once they are awakened in this way, the Holy Spirit leads them to live their faith and participate in all types of ministries. Imagine what might happen if you made an effort to spend time in Adoration this Lent?

Give yourself the chance to spend time in the presence of Jesus and your life will be transformed. It’s simple. It’s beautiful. And it works.

Many parishes have adoration once a month, once a week, or even every day. Check the bulletin of your local parish or search for Perpetual Adoration Chapels near you!

Lenten Prayer for Good Friday

What was Jesus hoping to achieve by dying on a cross? What gave him courage and perseverance to go through with it? There are many answers, but consider this: He hoped his life and death would change what people placed at the center of their lives. What’s at the center of your life? Money, food, drugs, shopping, image, ego, social media, your phone—or the love of God?

This Good Friday, let the death of Jesus rearrange your priorities like never before. Start by taking some time in prayer, reflecting on how he might be inviting you to bring him more fully into the center of your life:

Jesus,

Amen.

Lenten Prayer for Holy Saturday

The most dominant emotion in our modern society is fear. We are afraid of losing the things we have worked hard to buy, afraid of rejection and failure, afraid of certain types of people, afraid of criticism, of suffering and heartache, of change, afraid to tell people how we really feel.

What was the dominant emotion of Jesus’ followers on Holy Saturday? Fear. Fear that they had been misled. Fear that God didn’t have a plan. Fear that God had forgotten them.

We all have fears, too. And sometimes, we let those fears paralyze us.

Today, on Holy Saturday, take a few moments to reflect on the fears that are stopping you from living your dreams, the fears that are making it hard for you to trust fully in God, and pray for the courage to overcome those fears:

Jesus,

Amen.

Lenten Prayer for Easter

What is it in your life that needs to be resurrected this Easter? Perhaps it’s a relationship, maybe it’s your personal finances, perhaps it’s your health, or maybe it’s your career or spirituality. Bring it all to Jesus in prayer on Easter and you’ll be amazed at how he fills you with new life!

Jesus,

Amen.

Want to learn more about prayers that will transform your Lent and the rest of your life? Click here to learn more about Catholic prayer.