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The sixth petition of the Litany of Humility confronts one of the most painful truths about the human heart:
“From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, O Jesus.”
Few things wound us more than seeing others chosen before us — at work, in friendships, even in spiritual life. Our pride bristles when another is favored. Yet Christ calls us to rejoice when others are lifted higher, and to prefer them to ourselves: “In humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil 2:3).
St. Thomas Aquinas diagnoses the danger:
“Envy is sorrow for another’s good, inasmuch as it is reckoned to lessen one’s own glory or excellence.” (ST II-II, q.36, a.1)
To desire to be preferred is to live in envy. True charity rejoices in the good of others as though it were our own.
Eastern Witness: St. Seraphim of Sarov
St. Seraphim (18th–19th century) lived as a hermit, yet became known as a man of profound holiness and joy. When people came to him for counsel, he greeted each with the words: “My joy!”
Seraphim never sought preference but treated each person as if they were the most beloved of God. His humility made him incapable of rivalry. In lifting others above himself, he reflected the humility of Christ.
Western Witness: St. Charles Borromeo
St. Charles Borromeo (16th century), cardinal and archbishop of Milan, could have lived in grandeur and privilege. Instead, during the plague of 1576, he walked barefoot through the streets, feeding the hungry and caring for the sick.
He set aside titles and comforts, placing himself last in service. While others fled, Charles remained with his people. He preferred their welfare above his own safety, teaching by example that holiness is found in self-forgetful love.
Preferring Others in Charity
Seraphim and Charles reveal that the antidote to the desire of being preferred is active charity. By lifting others, we ourselves are lifted. By rejoicing in another’s honor, we share in their glory.
Aquinas reminds us:
“Charity rejoices in our neighbor’s good as in our own.” (ST II-II, q.28, a.1)
The saints did not lose by preferring others — they gained the joy of Christ, who made Himself the servant of all.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, deliver me from the desire of being chosen before others. With Seraphim, may I greet each person as my joy. With Charles, may I put others’ needs before my own. Teach me to rejoice in the good of others, knowing that in Your Kingdom, the last shall be first.
From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, O Jesus.
