Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
It often seems that humility and surrender can go hand-in-hand—at least when the Lord is involved. While the connection may not be obvious, it becomes clearer when we take into consideration the popular prayer traditions associated with each: the Litany of Humility and the Surrender Novena.
I was a little offended when my seminary spiritual director in Rome suggested that I start praying the Litany of Humility, a prayer often associated with Cardinal Merry del Val, a Spanish prelate who had served as the secretary of state under Pope St. Pius X. I could understand why a prayer for humility would serve a cardinal at the pinnacle of ecclesiastical authority, but it sure seemed to me that I was already experiencing enough humbling in my life at that time as I struggled with both learning the ropes as a seminarian and mastering Italian. I was reminded each day that even the dogs of Rome understood Italian better than I did. Why pray for more humiliation? I’ve come to love the litany, however—even though I wince each time I pray: “That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it,” or “From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus.”
The Surrender Novena is a more recent addition to my prayer arsenal. A colleague in my bishop support group shared a few years back that the Surrender Novena was changing his ministry as a bishop, and that made my ears perk up. While of more modern vintage than the Litany of Humility (attributed to a 20th century contemporary of St. Padre Pio, Don Dolindo), the novena offers a compelling refrain that asks Jesus to “take care of everything.” It’s a wonderful reminder that we cannot rely simply upon our own strength, talents and abilities (while we are, of course, called to use our gifts well to God’s glory); God wants us to rely more fully on Him.
Both surrender and humility are exemplified by our Blessed Mother and tie in beautifully to the solemnity that we celebrate this Friday: the Assumption. The feast, so important that it is recognized as a Holy Day of Obligation, marks the day that Mary, our Blessed Mother, was assumed, body and soul, into heaven. It was a fitting culmination of a life of full reliance upon the Lord—an extraordinary life that exemplified both humility and surrender. The Immaculate One, uniquely conceived without sin, had a status unlike anyone else’s. Yet, her life was full of humility and surrender. We see that at the Annunciation, as she trusted the angel Gabriel’s words, surrendering to the Lord’s will: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” That reliance was surely tested on that first Good Friday as she witnessed her son tortured and crucified. It was only humble reliance upon God’s grace that could get a mother through that. And finally, in her Assumption, she is carried to her heavenly home by the same loving God who had supported her throughout her life. Surrender leads to exaltation.
Tradition tells us that when the time came for Mary to be assumed into heaven, she was surrounded by the Apostles, just as she was at Pentecost, and they would have witnessed the occurrence of the Assumption.
I love the window at our Basilica that captures that moment, with the Apostles all gathered around the Blessed Mother. I often think that they would have been reminded at that moment of Jesus’ words from the Last Supper discourse: “Without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). Perhaps they recalled how Jesus sent them out among the 72 and called them to trust in our Heavenly Father's providential care, taking no food, no money, and no extra tunic (Lk 9:3). The Assumption would have made it clear to them, as it does for us, that Jesus’s “gift” of Mary from the cross—“Behold thy Mother” —was a gift of the perfect example of what it means to fully rely on God.
As we prepare for this upcoming solemnity, let’s ask that the Surrender Novena or Litany of Humility might bring us closer to the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother, who always in turn leads us to the love that pours forth from the Sacred Heart of her Son.
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Aug. 11, 2025