Giving Glory to God

In the final prayer that Jesus shared with his closest friends and disciples, before his Passion and Death, He prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you.” (John 17:1).  He made it clear that giving glory to His Father was always His highest motive, and the reason behind any choices He would make.  And He missioned his followers to do the same: “Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16)

Sometimes, though, I wonder:  Why would God need me to glorify Him?  After all, His majesty is eternal and immutable, and certainly not dependent on any word or deed of mine.

But then I remember that wonderful little story in the beginning of the third chapter of Genesis, where we’re told how (before the fall of Adam and Eve) God would spend His evenings walking with them in the Garden, and sharing with them their joy, and His, in all the beauty of creation (Genesis 3:1-8).  Why?  Simply because He loved them.  And at the core of that kind of love comes the desire to share all the joy in His heart with them.

So, maybe, God “needs” us to glorify Him, so that we can find the joy and peace that only recognizing the Giver in the gift can help us make our own.

Fr. Mike French, SJ