Do you like receiving compliments?
Most people do.
Very rare are those who are not happy when congratulated for something.
We usually enjoy the appreciation shown for what we have done.
And what if the appreciation comes from… God?
Yes, God does rejoice in what we do to please him.
You smile?… You doubt?…
The parable of Jesus in today’s gospel (33rd Sunday of Year A – Mt.25:14-30) says as much.
We often focus our attention on the reprimand given to the third servant.
We rush to the conclusion of the story thinking that this is where the ‘message’ will be found.
But personally, I find a message – and as important as the concluding one – in the words of the master to the first and the second 
servants:
“Well done, good and faithful servant…”
A statement that is a real compliment showing genuine appreciation!
It was probably unexpected and rather surprising coming from a master known to be:
“a hard man, reaping where he had not sown and gathering where he had not scattered.”
But the man knew how to recognize goodness and faithfulness when he saw them.
And God knows that also.
God is obviously NOT a harsh master demanding from us what we are unable to give.
In fact, our offerings to him are already his gifts to us!
Whatever we do to please him, he is the one enabling us to do it.
Yes, he is genuinely happy when he sees our good intentions.
He delights in our efforts to carry out what we discover is pleasing to him.
How far this picture of God is from that of a demanding and exacting master.
How remote from our misguided imagining which pictures him constantly checking on us to see where we may go wrong.
Yet, sad to say but… it can take a lifetime to correct our wrong ideas of God…
Saint John Marie Vianney – known as the Curé D’Ars – used to say that God is much more eager to forgive a sinner than a mother would be to take her child out of a fire!
And we fear his judgement, we are afraid of punishment!…
At the end of a day, when we have tried to do our best, it may be good to hear again – this time addressed to us – the words of the parable: “Well done, good and faithful servant…”