Are Our Lives Truly “Well Done?”

A life spent chasing human approval and the secular world becomes a life slowly devoid of Grace.  From our earliest days, we learn to shape ourselves according to the expectations of others, measuring our worth by praise that fades as quickly as it is given.  Yet the Christian heart knows this restlessness well, for it is the ache of a soul made for God but distracted by lesser lights.  When we divide our years between pleasing others and fearing their judgments, we forget the deeper truth: we were created to live coram Deo—before the face of God, to worship and adore Him, and Him alone.

The saints remind us that holiness begins when we loosen our grip on worldly affirmation.  Saint Thérèse of Lisieux teaches us the “little way” of simplicity, where every act is offered to Jesus Christ rather than to the shifting opinions of the crowd.  Saint Francis de Sales counsels gentleness with ourselves, urging us to seek virtue rather than applause.  Their wisdom echoes the Gospel: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth,” for such treasures cannot anchor the soul.

To seek the “Well done” of Jesus Christ is to return to the true center of the spiritual life.  His judgment is not fickle but merciful; not based on perfection of performance but on sincerity of heart.  In His gaze, we find the dignity that no human approval can bestow.  When we live for Him alone, our fragmented life becomes whole.  The anxieties that once governed our days lose their power, replaced by the quiet confidence of belonging to God.

This is the freedom of the children of God: to walk in peace, to serve with love, and to rest in the assurance that the only approval that endures is the blessing of Jesus Christ Himself.

Pacem in terris.

January 19, 2026 – Saints Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum – Martyrs.