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The ninth petition of the Litany of Humility begins to shift from desires to fears. Here we pray:
“From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, O Jesus.”
Humiliation is the stripping away of honor in the eyes of others. Our nature recoils from it — yet in the school of Christ, humiliation is the path to humility. Christ Himself endured humiliation: mocked, spat upon, crowned with thorns. “He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). To fear humiliation is to fear becoming like our Master.
St. Thomas Aquinas explains the connection:
“Humility regards chiefly the subjection of man to God. Hence it is opposed to the desire to be above others.” (ST II-II, q.161, a.1)
To accept humiliation with patience is to subject ourselves to God’s will. To fear it excessively is to cling to pride.
Eastern Witness: St. Nektarios of Aegina
St. Nektarios (20th century) was a Greek Orthodox bishop who endured slander, jealousy, and humiliation at the hands of his fellow clergy. Though innocent, he was stripped of his position, exiled, and treated with contempt. For years, he bore humiliation in silence, forgiving those who wronged him.
Far from destroying him, humiliation purified his soul. Today he is one of the most beloved saints of the Eastern Church, honored precisely for the humility he learned through humiliation.
Western Witness: St. John of the Cross
St. John of the Cross (16th century) suffered imprisonment and abuse at the hands of his own Carmelite brothers when he sought to reform the order. He was locked in a tiny cell, beaten, and publicly humiliated.
In that dark cell, John composed some of the most beautiful mystical poetry of the Christian tradition. His humiliation became the doorway to his “Dark Night of the Soul,” a profound union with God.
The Gift Hidden in Humiliation
Nektarios and John show us that humiliation, though bitter, can become a source of grace when embraced with faith. It strips us of false pride and roots us more deeply in God.
Aquinas reminds us:
“By humility man subjects himself to God, and by this very fact subjects himself to his neighbor for God’s sake.” (ST II-II, q.161, a.3)
Thus, humiliation is not destruction but purification. When we accept it, we imitate Christ, who embraced the ultimate humiliation of the Cross.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, deliver me from the fear of being humiliated. With Nektarios, may I accept slander with patience and forgiveness. With John of the Cross, may I embrace humiliation as a path to deeper union with You. Teach me to see every humiliation not as shame but as a share in Your Cross.
From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, O Jesus.
