Who doesn’t need a word of encouragement? Everybody needs it : the child in the home, the student at school, the adult at work, the teacher in the classroom, the doctor or the nurse in the hospital, the priest in the parish, and the President in the White House. Encouragement is as necessary for human growth and survival as oxygen is for the body. Encouragement gladdens the human heart, and inspires us to do better.

Have you ever wondered why the Son of God needed encouragement? Yes, he did need it. We read about it in the gospel of Mark when God the Father uttered these encouraging words to Jesus after his baptism by John in the river Jordan : “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). God, the Father, was speaking directly to His Son. not to the bystanders. It may sound unbelievable that the Son of God needed to be encouraged, but he was tempted like us, and his Father gave him the encouragement he needed. He reminded Him of who He was. The same is true for you. God knows exactly what you need, and when you need it. Reach out out to Him with faith when you need encouragement, and you will receive it.

Encouragement is not just a private matter between you and God. It is meant to be shared among others and multiplied. The lord commands us to encourage one another daily because we need it (Hebrews 3:13). Have you noticed how Jesus encourages us in our struggles, telling us not to lose heart because He has “overcome the world” (John 16:33).

We need to encourage one another because we live in a broken world where so much beckons us toward selfishness and despair. Look at what is going on today in the body politic of our country! How did we get to this point? How could a mob ever imagine it could take over the very seat of American democracy in the Capitol?

When the proper kind of encouragement is lacking, people become unhinged, feeling unloved, unimportant, useless, and forgotten. Sin, that ever present fly in the ointment, breaks bodies down, weakens human resolve, dims human perceptions, and leads people astray. That’s the devils work. God, on the other hand, reminds us of who we are, and lifts us out of this darkness into the light.

Some people confuse encouragement with flattery. They are not the same. Flattery is false praise, usually offered to further one’s own interests. It has been compared to chewing gum; you can enjoy it but don’t swallow it. Encouragement, on the other hand, is real praise, it is a genuine act of support, be it by word or deed, that helps others to be the best they can be.

Encouragement is practical, and there are practical things you can do to ensure you encourage one another :

!. Begin each day by asking the Lord to give you a heart that loves others, and the ability to encourage others by your words and actions.

2. Make encouragement a daily practice. Send someone an encouraging note, call someone on the phone, compliment those you live and work with for a job well done.

3. Always be specific in how you encourage another person. You have no idea what the right word at the right time can mean to someone.

Encouragement of others always benefits yourself because what you do to others you do to yourself.

—Fr. Hugh Duffy