Well this seems like a good opportunity to post the two items which follow the Athanasian Creed on my freepage.
The first is the “Universal Prayer”:
O my God, I believe in Thee; do Thou strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in Thee; do Thou secure them. I love Thee with my whole heart; teach me to love Thee daily more and more. I am sorry that I have offended Thee; do Thou increase my sorrow.
I adore Thee as my first beginning. I aspire after Thee as my last end. I give Thee thanks as my constant benefactor. I call upon Thee as my sovereign protector. Deign, O my God, to conduct me by Thy wisdom, to restrain me by Thy justice, to comfort me by Thy mercy, and to defend me by Thy power.
To Thee I desire to consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings; that henceforward I may think of Thee, speak of Thee, willingly refer all my actions to Thy greater glory, and suffer willingly whatever Thou shall appoint.
Lord, I desire that in all things Thy will may be done, because it is Thy will, and in the manner that Thou wilt.
I beg of Thee to enlighten my understanding, to inflame my will, to purify my body, and to sanctify my soul.
Give me strength, O my God, to expiate my offenses, to overcome my temptations, to subdue my passions, and to acquire the virtues proper for my state.
Fill my heart with tender affection for Thy goodness, hatred for my faults, love for my neighbor, and contempt of the world.
Let me always remember to be submissive to my superiors, condescending to my inferiors, faithful to my friends, and charitable to my enemies.
Assist me to overcome sensuality by mortification, avarice by alms-deeds, anger by meekness, and tepidity by devotion.
O my God, make me prudent in my undertakings, courageous in dangers, patient in afflictions and humble in prosperity.
Grant that I may be ever attentive at my prayers, temperate at my meals, diligent in my employments and constant in my resolutions.
Let my conscience be ever upright and pure, my exertior modest, my conversation edifying and my comportment regular.
Assist me, that I may continually labor to overcome nature, to correspond with Thy grace, to keep Thy commandments and to work out my salvation.
Discover to me, O my God, the nothingness of this world, the greatness of Heaven, the shortness of time and the length of eternity.
Grant that I may prepare for death, that I may fear Thy judgments, that I may escape Hell, and in the end, obtain Heaven, through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Next is 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.
Well who wrote THAT?! Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val?! CARDINAL!? Pope St. Pius X’s Secretary of State?! GREAT HORNY TOADS! Humility?!
Bleh... I’m going to need to add “That I not be such a snarky jerk, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.”
HMMMMMMMMM
Assist me, that I may continually labor to overcome nature, to correspond with Thy grace, to keep Thy commandments and to work out my salvation. Discover to me, O my God, the nothingness of this world, the greatness of Heaven, the shortness of time and the length of eternity. Grant that I may prepare for death, that I may fear Thy judgments, that I may escape Hell, and in the end, obtain Heaven, through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
So when the Lord Jesus Christ asked this Pope why he should be allowed into heaven, what do you think the popes reply was or better yet what should any good Catholics reply be?