"Well done, my good and faithful servant." That strikes me as the key theme in this week's readings:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/111608.shtml
Don't we all want to hear, "Good job!" from our spouses, children, parents, co-workers, teachers, bosses? We want to be validated for the effort we put in to our daily tasks.
In our hearts, aren't we longing for God to look at our lives and be pleased with how we have used them? God loves us unconditionally -- because of who were are, not because of what we do. Still, we have the desire to look back at the end of our lives with a feeling of satisfaction at having made the most of what God has given us.
It's not the glamour or magnitude of our deeds that will impress God, but the love behind them. God's eyes twinkle with pride when we act with love. It's love, not any earthly measure of success, that moves our God to proclaim our lives "well done."