Prayer of Detachment

Deliver me, O Jesus
from the desire of being loved,
from the desire of being extolled,
from the desire of being praised,
from the desire of being preferred,
from the desire of being consulted,
from the desire of being approved,
from the desire of being popular.

Deliver me, O Jesus
from the fear of being humiliated,
from the fear of being despised,
from the fear of suffering rebukes,
from the fear of being forgotten,
from the fear of being wronged,
from the fear of being ridiculed,
from the fear that others may be loved more than I.

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
that others may be esteemed more than I,
that in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
that others may be chosen and I set aside,
that others may be praised and I unnoticed,
that others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should.

—John of the Cross (1542-1591)

(h/t Josh)

Filed under: Detachment, It's Not About Me, Prayer