Psalm 106:1
Praise the LORD!
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures for ever!
One of the things the Catholic tradition encourages again and again is praise of God. “It is right to give Him thanks and praise,” we cry in the Mass. And indeed, thanks and praise are frequently linked in both the Scripture and prayer of the Church. Thanks generally tend to be directed to what God has done and given us. We give thanks to God for doing this, accomplishing that, and giving the other. And this is as it should be. It is indeed right to give Him thanks. But the Faith also insists on praise as a great good. Why? Well, not because God needs it. God is completely and ecstatically happy within Himself from eternity to eternity. Our praise adds nothing to His glory and beatitude. But it does add to ours. For in praising we direct our attention not merely to what God does or gives, but to Whom He is. In praising, we fill our eyes with the light of His goodness, not merely because He’s been good to us, but because He would still be supremely good even if He did nothing for us. Today, offer not just thanks to God but praise especially. He is holy indeed and good beyond all bounds of human language to describe.
By Mark Shea
Mark P. Shea is a Catholic author, blogger, and speaker.
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