Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever (Psalm 113:1-2)

God, we praise You.

You alone are worthy of our praise.

We praise You in times of great consolation.

We praise You when we feel suffocated by fear.

We praise You, even when our hearts are aching and destruction is all around us.

We praise You when it is hard to trust.

You are good.

You have not forsaken us.

From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory (Psalm 113:3-4)

When we wake up well-rested, we praise You.

When a new day starts after a sleepless night, we praise You for life.

When we are feeling confident on the way out the door, we praise You for that grace.

In the moments where we feel like we can barely make it through, we praise You.

When we share a meal with friends, we praise You.

When we are so busy we scarf down a quick bite on the subway, we praise You.

When we mess up and say or do something we regret, we praise You for Your awaiting mercy.

When we receive great news, we praise You knowing that all good things come from You.

When work is stressful, we praise You.

When familial relationships are strained, we praise You for never abandoning us.

When we lose someone we love, we praise You for Your resurrection.

When we’re so tired we can barely muster the words to pray, we praise You for the breath You put in our lungs.

When we are up late writing that paper or meeting that deadline, we praise You for how You provide.

When we lie awake in bed worrying about finances or family, we praise You for the way You made our hearts to love.

When we are awake at 4am caring for our crying children, we praise You for the gift they are to us.

You are sovereign over all.

You are faithful through it all.

Who is like the LORD, our God,
who looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor (Psalm 113:5-7)

Lord, You meet us in our darkness.

You are there when our hearts ache of loneliness.

You are there when we feel unloved.

You are there when we are embarrassed or ashamed.

You are there when You seem far away.

You are there when we can’t help but cry.

You are there when we struggle in our faith.

You are there when we shut You out with distractions, sin, or fear.

You are there in seasons of change.

You are there in our mourning.

You are there. You are enough for me, Lord.

I praise You.

When was the last time you stopped and praised the Lord? What if every part of our day became a song of praise for our Lord, even the trying moments? His goodness never changes. Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila. She, like our patron Bl. Frassati, like the seven new saints canonized yesterday, had one thing in common: everything they did was about the Lord. He was enough for them. And no matter what hardships they faced, they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus and praised Him in the good and the storms. God is so worthy of our praise, dear friends! Be encouraged today knowing that He is with you.

“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.”
— St. Teresa of Avila

P.S. This song taught me a lot about praising God in all things!

Originally posted on Frassati Reflections on October 15th, 2018