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The eleventh petition of the Litany of Humility touches a wound that most of us try to avoid at all costs:
“From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, O Jesus.”
Rebukes sting. They expose our faults, or sometimes they unjustly accuse us. We long to be approved, not corrected. And yet, rebukes are often necessary for growth in virtue. Scripture reminds us: “The Lord reproves him whom He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” (Prov 3:12).
St. Thomas Aquinas explains the virtue of patience under rebuke:
“Virtue is tried by opposition, and especially by reproach, which is a sharper injury than loss of goods or bodily pain.” (ST II-II, q.137, a.2)
Thus, to fear rebuke is to resist the very trials that refine us in humility and truth.
Eastern Witness: St. Athanasius of Alexandria
St. Athanasius (4th century) is famous for his fearless defense of the divinity of Christ against the Arians. For this, he endured endless rebukes — from emperors, bishops, and even councils. He was exiled five times, accused of crimes he did not commit, and scorned by those who preferred compromise.
Yet Athanasius never feared rebuke. He remained steadfast, earning the title Athanasius contra mundum — Athanasius against the world. His strength was not in man’s approval but in God’s truth.
Western Witness: St. Joan of Arc
St. Joan of Arc (15th century), the young peasant girl who led France’s armies under divine guidance, endured humiliating rebukes at her trial. Learned judges mocked her, twisted her words, and condemned her as a heretic.
Though terrified, Joan submitted to God’s will, declaring: “About Jesus Christ and the Church, I simply know they’re just one thing, and we shouldn’t complicate the matter.” Her courage under rebuke made her a martyr and later a saint.
Rebuke as Refinement
Athanasius and Joan reveal that rebuke, though painful, is a tool God uses to strengthen His saints. Sometimes rebukes are unjust, sometimes just — in either case, humility receives them with patience.
Aquinas sums this up:
“To bear with reproaches patiently belongs to fortitude, which makes a man steadfast in good.” (ST II-II, q.137, a.2 ad 1)
Thus, we ask Christ not to spare us from rebukes, but to deliver us from fearing them, so that they may purify us in virtue.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, deliver me from the fear of rebukes. With Athanasius, may I stand firm when truth is attacked. With Joan, may I endure unjust rebuke with courage and faith. Teach me to welcome correction, whether just or unjust, as a chance to grow in humility and love.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, O Jesus.
