Meditation for June 21, God Be Praised

St. Magdalene of Pazzi had a revelation of the glory that Aloysius Gonzaga gave to God by his fervent habit of ejaculatory prayers.

How many times a day it happens that I pronounce the joyous exclamation "God be praised," or others similiar, from my awak­ening in the morning when the Benedicamus Domino invites me to a generous, hearty "Praised be the Lord," on through all the Deo Gratias of the entire day, especially in my prayer in choir, until my thanksgiving in Evening Prayer.

Do I put into this expression all it means?

Do I always give it its full value? Or is it not rather a matter of routine, sounds uttered without thinking of them or at least without attaching to them any significance.

I ought to endeavor more than I do to make all the prayers I offer, more meaningful; to make them truly prayers - truly the elevation of my heart to God. Without doubt, in virtue of my general good will and the offering of my whole life to God, even those expressions which are unaccompanied by an explicit inten­tion, glorify God in some manner. But how much richer would the offering be if my heart were more fully in it!

There is one occasion particularly when I will try to give my Deo Gratias its full value and significance, and that is when I meet with suffering. Instead of becoming irritated or writhing under it, I will try to pronounce a cordial and vigorous "Thank you, Lord." "A single God be praised in suffering," the saintly Mother Barat used to say, "is worth more than a thousand in joy."

Blessed be God! God be praised! Deo Gratias in everything, always and everywhere, especially when things go badly or com­pletely awry.
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Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)