p. t. l.
“Through [Jesus] let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise.” —Hebrews 13:15
Our whole life should be a sacrifice of praise. Our good deeds and generosity are primarily sacrifices of praise blending into the cosmic symphony of worship to the Lord (Heb 13:16). We not only worship the Lord in spirit, but offer our “bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, [our] spiritual worship” (Rm 12:1). When we offer praise as a sacrifice, we glorify God (Ps 50:23).
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, bless His holy name” (Ps 103:1). We praise with all our being and all our time. Life can be simply defined as an ever-mounting crescendo of praise. At the end, we just praise our way off the face of this earth and enter the perfect, eternal praise of Heaven.
Ask the Spirit to increase your praise quotient. How much of the day do you praise and worship? How many of your deeds praise Him? Ask God to increase your praise time. Praise the Lord for things you never have included in your praises before. Can you now praise Him in even the most difficult circumstance? Say you’ve had a bad day. You’ve been attacked, stripped, flogged, imprisoned, and chained (Acts 16:22-24). With Sts. Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25), can you still praise the Lord “always and for everything”? (Eph 5:20)
Prayer: “May the God of peace, Who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do His will” (Heb 13:20-21).
Promise: Jesus “pitied them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them at great length.” —Mk 6:34
Praise: St. Josephine was treated brutally as a child by her slave masters. Then a kinder master placed her in a convent for a time. Josephine profoundly experienced the love of God. She eventually became a joy-filled religious sister.
Reference:
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2025, through March 31, 2025. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio May 22, 2024"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.