merit
noun
claim to respect and praise; excellence; worth.
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We are hardened to that and we think we are meriting the approbation of angels when we start a rescue mission for her special class.
From From the Bottom Up The Life Story of Alexander Irvine by Irvine, Alexander