Thursday March 23, 2023

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“True humility means accepting praise and acknowledging that ultimately the credit goes to God.”

Good News Reflection for:

Thursday of the 4th Week of Lent
Memorial of Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo, bishop
March 23, 2023

Today’s Prayer:

My Lord, teach me to be humble enough to recognize Your work in me and to discover Your image in every brother and sister who waits and trusts in You. Amen.

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Today’s Readings:

Exodus 32:7-14
Psalm 106:19-23
John 5:31-47
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032323.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-march-23-2023

Receive your Father’s praise

How do you feel when you’re complimented? Most of us feel embarrassed. This typical reaction happens either because we fail to realize that it is God our Father who is praising us, or because we don’t believe it’s humble to accept praise, even when the praise comes from God.

In today’s Gospel story, Jesus makes it clear that the only praise that really matters is that which originates from the Father, and such praise is very important.

Praise is good. We were made in the image of a God who values being praised. But because we’re afraid that it’s not humble to accept compliments, we quickly negate the affirmation. Well guess what. That’s telling the people who compliment us that they’re liars. And it initiates the game of “If I say I’m not worthy of your praise, then you’ll try to convince me that I am indeed worthy of it, and I’ll get more attention from you as we drag this out longer.”

What a mess! Pride gets confused with humility. True humility means accepting praise and acknowledging that ultimately the credit goes to God. True humility means affirming those who compliment us by accepting their kind words and good intentions.

Jesus said that the Father’s praise gives testimony about the Son’s worth. Jesus was not implying that John’s affirmation was invalid. On the contrary, he reminded the Jews about John’s testimony precisely because it was very important indeed. But greater than John’s praise was the Father’s. The one who sent Jesus into the world was the best one to judge how well he was fulfilling his calling.

You, too, have been sent by the Father. You, too, have been commission and empowered to give Jesus to the world by using all of the gifts that he has given you and all of the good that is in you. If you’re doing this to the best of your current ability, and if you’re obeying the Father to the best of your awareness, the Father is praising you just like he praised his Son, Jesus.

No less than that!

Can you feel his praise? Oftentimes, we need it most when we are least aware of God’s praise. This usually happens when others put us down.

So, we need to make ourselves available to what the Father wants to tell us. Because we cannot hear his voice audibly, he speaks to us through people — but not the ones who are putting us down! Who is the Father putting in front of you today? You can find them in events at church, and even at work, on the sports field, on Facebook, or anywhere. If they affirm what is true in you, if they encourage you and build you up, it’s the Father himself who’s ministering to you.

Let your Father embrace you with his loving praise: Accept the affirmation of others. And when people tear you down or discourage you, remember that it’s only God’s opinion of you that matters, and he likes you far more than they do!

Reflect more on this topic with our video, “Speaking Truth Boldly” @ https://gnm-media.org/speaking-truth-boldly/.

© 2023 by Terry A. Modica

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