< <  

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

  > >

St. Elizabeth of Hungary


Revelation 4:1-11
Psalm 150:1-6
Luke 19:11-28

View Readings
Similar Reflections

basic training

"Day and night, without pause, they sing: 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.' " —Revelation 4:8

We pray each day that God's "will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Mt 6:10). In heaven, it's God's will that we praise Him "without pause" (Rv 4:8). When we pray the Our Father, we therefore pray that we would praise God on earth as He is praised in heaven. Each day of our lives then becomes a day of training in praise, a preparation for our destiny of giving eternal praise to the Lord (Eph 1:3, 12). Daily we can praise God:

  • in all circumstances,
  • with singing (Ps 92:2ff), music (Ps 150:3), and dancing (Ps 150:4),
  • with our family (Ps 96:7),
  • in the Mass, the ultimate joining of heaven to earth,
  • with every breath (Ps 150:6),
  • "seven times a day" (Ps 119:164), such as the Church does each day in the Liturgy of the Hours, and
  • using the spiritual gift of tongues, with which we utter "praise very well indeed" (1 Cor 14:17).

After a life of praising God (Ps 146:2), it will be second nature to us to enter God's heavenly "courts with praise" (Ps 100:4). "Praise the Lord!" (Ps 150:6)

Prayer:  Lord, "let the high praises of God be in [our] throats" (Ps 149:6) and Your praise be always in our mouths (Ps 34:2).

Promise:  "Whoever has will be given more, but the one who has not will lose the little he has." —Lk 19:26

Praise:  St. Elizabeth's life was a gift of praise as she gave up luxury and leisure to live a life of penance and caring for the sick.

Reference:  (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
(Men, come see how the Lord is preparing you to be leaders in the world and the family. You are to be a light to the nations. Equip yourselves with the light of Christ by attending our Men's Retreat, Dec. 4. Call 513-373-2397 or 937-587-5464 to register.)

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 6, 2010

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.