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The third petition of the Litany of Humility cuts close to the root of vanity:
“From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, O Jesus.”
To be extolled means to be lifted up, celebrated, praised to the skies. Our fallen nature loves this. We long for applause, for others to speak well of us, for our name to be raised high. Yet Christ teaches the opposite: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:12).
St. Thomas Aquinas gives us clarity:
“Glory is the manifestation of someone’s goodness. But the glory which is in man, if he refer it not to God, is vain glory.” (ST II-II, q.132, a.1)
Thus, to desire to be extolled is to seek glory for ourselves rather than directing it to God, who alone is worthy of exaltation. The saints show us that when they renounced exaltation, their true glory shone forth.
Eastern Witness: St. John Chrysostom
St. John Chrysostom (4th century), archbishop of Constantinople, was perhaps the most celebrated preacher of the early Church. His eloquence earned him the name “Golden-Mouthed.” Crowds flocked to hear him. He was extolled in sermons, in letters, and in the streets.
And yet, John himself never sought exaltation. He preached against imperial corruption, called out the vanity of the wealthy, and urged simplicity of life. His plain speaking earned him the hatred of the powerful. Eventually, the Empress Eudoxia exiled him, stripping away every worldly honor.
At his death, his true words rang out: “Glory be to God for all things!” Chrysostom’s greatness was not in being extolled by men but in refusing to crave it, and in directing all exaltation to Christ.
Western Witness: St. Teresa of Ávila
St. Teresa of Ávila (16th century) was both admired and opposed. Her mystical writings, reform of Carmel, and fiery zeal drew many admirers who extolled her holiness. Yet she herself trembled at praise. She once wrote: “I am not a saint, but a wicked woman.”
Teresa often endured suspicion and ridicule, but she considered this a grace: it stripped her of the temptation to glory in herself. She desired only that God be exalted in her reforms, not her own name. Her humility ensured that her exaltation was lasting — not in the courts of Spain, but in the communion of saints.
The Paradox of Exaltation
The saints reveal a paradox: those who refuse exaltation are the ones God Himself exalts. Chrysostom, cast into exile, is now celebrated as a Doctor of the Church. Teresa, mistrusted in her own lifetime, is now revered as one of the greatest mystics of the West.
Their lives prove Aquinas’ teaching:
“The desire for glory becomes sinful when one refers it to oneself rather than to God.” (ST II-II, q.132, a.1 ad 3)
Thus, when we pray to be delivered from the desire of being extolled, we ask to be freed from the poison of vanity and given the grace to echo John’s final words: “Glory be to God for all things!”
Prayer
Lord Jesus, deliver me from the desire of being exalted by men. Teach me to seek not the passing applause of this world but the eternal glory that comes from You alone. With St. John Chrysostom, may my lips always proclaim Your glory, and with St. Teresa of Ávila, may I embrace both praise and scorn as opportunities to humble myself before You.
From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, O Jesus.
