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The fourth line of the Litany of Humility asks us to let go of one of the deepest longings of the human heart:
“From the desire of being honored, deliver me, O Jesus.”
Honor, in itself, is not evil. It is the recognition of virtue. Yet the craving for honor corrupts the very virtue it is meant to acknowledge. Christ Himself rebuked the Pharisees: “They do all their deeds to be seen by men… they love the place of honor at feasts” (Mt 23:5–6). True discipleship is not about claiming seats of honor but about kneeling in service.
St. Thomas Aquinas puts it precisely:
“Honor denotes the reverence given to excellence. But excellence itself consists in virtue, not in honor. Hence, honor is not the reward of virtue, but a sign of it.” (ST II-II, q.129, a.2)
In other words, honor is like the shadow of virtue. To chase the shadow is to lose the substance.
Eastern Witness: St. Basil the Great
St. Basil (4th century), bishop of Caesarea, was born into nobility and educated in the best schools of the empire. He could easily have sought worldly honor and high position. Instead, he gave his wealth to the poor, founded monasteries and hospitals, and defended the faith against the powerful Arian heresy.
When the Arian emperor Valens tried to intimidate him with threats and promises, Basil replied firmly: “You cannot tempt me with money, for I have none; nor honor, for I seek none.” His courage shows that he was free from the desire of honor. He cared only for fidelity to Christ.
Western Witness: St. Benedict of Nursia
St. Benedict (6th century) also had every opportunity for honor. Born of a noble Roman family, he could have pursued wealth and prestige. Instead, he fled to a cave in Subiaco, desiring obscurity and prayer.
When disciples eventually gathered around him, even then Benedict taught his monks to prefer humility to honor. In his Rule, he warns that the abbot must remember: “He is believed to hold the place of Christ in the monastery, but let him so conduct himself that his actions be consistent with that title.” (Rule of St. Benedict, ch. 2). For Benedict, honor is a burden, not a prize.
Honor Redirected to God
Basil and Benedict both reveal that honor is safe only when it is turned back to God. Basil defended truth without compromise, though it cost him imperial favor. Benedict embraced hiddenness, showing that holiness grows in obscurity. Both remind us that craving honor weakens us, but surrendering honor strengthens us in virtue.
Aquinas gives us the key:
“Honor is not the reward of virtue but its witness. To desire honor for its own sake is to be satisfied with a sign rather than the reality.” (ST II-II, q.129, a.2 ad 3)
Thus, when we pray to be delivered from the desire of being honored, we are asking Christ to purify our motives — to live virtuously for Him alone, whether men notice or not.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, deliver me from the craving for honor. Teach me with Basil to stand firm when honors are offered or withheld, and with Benedict to embrace hiddenness rather than prestige. May my heart long only for virtue in Your eyes, and may any honor given be reflected back to You.
From the desire of being honored, deliver me, O Jesus.
