Vanity of Human Glory

(St. John Henry Newman - found here)

“Let all Christians carefully ask themselves whether they are not very fond, not merely of the praise of their superiors and friends—that is right—but of that of any person, any chance-comer, about whom we know nothing.

... It is natural to love to have deference and respect paid us by our acquaintance, but the praise of a vast multitude of persons we never saw or shall see or care about: this is a depraved appetite, as unmeaning as it is sinful. It is excusable in heathens, who had no better good clearly proposed to them, but in Christians, who have the favour of God and eternal life set before them, it is deeply criminal, for it is a turning away from the bread of heaven to feed upon ashes.

This love of indiscriminate praise is an odious, superfluous, wanton sin, and we should put it away with a manly hatred as something irrational and degrading. Shall man, born for high ends, the servant and son of God, the redeemed of Christ, the heir of immortality, go out of his way to have his mere name praised by a vast populous?

... Let us seek this praise which comes of God ... Let us seek it, for it is to be obtained; it is given to those worthy of it. The poorest, the oldest, and most infirm among us, those who are living not merely in obscurity, but are despised and forgotten, who seem to answer no good purpose by living on, and whose death will not be felt even by their neighbours as a loss, these even may obtain our Saviour’s approving look, and receive the future greeting, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’

Go on, then, contentedly in the path of duty, seeking Christ in His house and in His ordinances, and He will be your glory at His coming. He will own you before His Father. Let the world record in history the names of heroes, statesmen, and conquerors, and reward courage, and ability, and skill, and perseverance, with its proud titles of honour. Verily, these have their reward. Your names will be written in Heaven, with those of St. Simon and St. Jude, and the other Apostles. You will have the favour of Him whose favour is life. ‘The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant.’ [Ps. 25:14]”
~St. John Henry Newman