Receive your Father's praise

My audio of this reflection is podcast at:http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts/
Good News ReflectionThursday of the Fourth Week in LentMarch 26, 2009
Today's Readings:Exodus 32:7-14Ps 106:19-23John 5:31-47http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/032609.shtmlAudio:http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_03_26.mp3
Receive your Father's praise
How do you feel when you're complimented? Embarrassed? This typical reaction happens because we fail to realize that it is God our Father who is praising us. In today's Gospel passage, 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, i.e., 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, repenting when you slip into sin, the Father is praising you just like he praised his Son, Jesus.
No less than that!
Because we cannot hear his voice audibly, he speaks to us through people. We will hear him if we're listening to what he's saying to us through the people that he's putting in front of us today. If they affirm what is true in us, if they encourage us and build us up, it's the Father himself who's ministering to us. We must not reject his caring words!
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 really matters, and he likes you far more than they do!
Today's step on the Lenten journey: List as many compliments as you can remember receiving in the past couple of months.
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