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The tenth petition of the Litany of Humility reaches into one of our most vulnerable wounds:
“From the fear of being despised, deliver me, O Jesus.”
To be despised is to be looked down upon, treated with contempt, dismissed as worthless. Few things cut the heart more deeply. And yet Christ Himself was despised: “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). To follow Him means to share in that rejection.
St. Thomas Aquinas shows why contempt can be spiritually fruitful:
“Virtue is proved in adversity, for it belongs to fortitude to endure hardships patiently.” (ST II-II, q.123, a.4)
Despising tests whether our hearts are anchored in God or in the opinion of men. To fear it is to fear the very test that proves our fidelity.
Eastern Witness: St. Nicholas of Myra
St. Nicholas (4th century), known today as the beloved bishop of generosity, also endured contempt. At the Council of Nicaea, he is said to have slapped the heretic Arius, so zealously did he defend the divinity of Christ. For this, he was rebuked and even briefly imprisoned. Many thought him rash, foolish, and contemptible.
Yet Nicholas bore this with humility, and in time, his zeal was vindicated. Today he is remembered as a defender of truth and a model of charity, while Arius is remembered only for error.
Western Witness: St. Damien of Molokai
St. Damien (19th century), a Belgian missionary, volunteered to serve the lepers of Molokai in Hawaii. At first, he was treated with suspicion and contempt — even by some in the Church. Critics despised him as reckless, impure, and unworthy of trust.
Damien endured this contempt without bitterness. He chose to live among the lepers, sharing their sufferings until he contracted the disease himself and died of it. The world that once despised him came to revere him as a saint.
Despised with Christ
Nicholas and Damien reveal that to be despised for Christ is no loss but a gain. Contempt purifies our motives, forcing us to live for God’s approval alone.
Aquinas reminds us of Christ’s own example:
“The humility of Christ was the cause of our exaltation; by despising honors He taught us to despise them also.” (ST III, q.40, a.2 ad 1)
Thus, to embrace contempt is to walk in the footsteps of the Crucified, whose rejection became the world’s salvation.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, deliver me from the fear of being despised. With Nicholas, may I endure contempt for the sake of truth. With Damien, may I accept rejection for the sake of love. Teach me to prefer being despised with You to being honored without You.
From the fear of being despised, deliver me, O Jesus.
