Glorify God

Homily for Saturday of the Fourth Week in Eastertide

The word “glorify” appears frequently in the Gospel of St. John. Glorifying God is the chief purpose for human life. When we glorify God, we recognize, admire, value, and extol God’s attributes and acts. It is a way of honoring God's holy, righteous character, creative brilliance, miraculous works and boundless wisdom. Glorifying God is not to make God greater than God already is, but to acknowledge God’s glory revealed in the created universe. We can glorify God through our actions, words, and thoughts that express reverence, gratitude, and adoration.

Conversely, failing to glorify God means that we admire or value something else more than we value and admire God. Of course, Satan is always trying to prod us into these situations. If, for instance, we are in pain, we may become so angry at God that we fail to allow ourselves to glorify God through our pain. By embracing the pain, we embrace God. On the other hand, pleasure can also cause us to cherish something other than God. Rather than becoming angry with God, we simply forget or turn away from God’s will in our lives in favor of the pleasure.

Ezekiel the prophet wrote of Israel: “And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God. But you trusted in your beauty and abandoned God.” In other words, God gave Israel the great gift of beauty, and instead of leading them to glorify God for the gift, they fell in love with the gift itself. They preferred the gift over the Giver; they dishonored God by not being satisfied in God, but fell in love with God’s good gift.

In St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we find an explanation of how he was able to glorify God in his work among the Gentiles. “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Obviously, St. Paul experienced both pain and pleasure in his work for God. Because he was able to endure the pain for the sake of God’s will and to accept the pleasure of his success, St. Paul is a wonderful example of a man who glorifies God no matter what his situation.

St. John writes in today’s Gospel text that God is glorified when we place our faith in Jesus and the works and the words that God has given him. This is our aim in our lives.