The prayer of praise

It is hard to make sense of someone who is ashamed to sing the praise of the Lord, yet then lets himself burst into loud cheers over a goal scored by his favorite team. Such is the point of the reflection offered by Pope Francis on the morning of Tuesday, January 28,

during the homily of the Mass celebrated in the Saint Martha chapel.

Pope Francis dwelt on the description of the improvised celebration held by David for the return of the ark of the covenant, as recounted in the first reading of the day’s liturgy (2 Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19).

To praise God “is entirely gratuitous,” he said. “We are not asking for anything, we are not giving thanks. We are praising: you are great. ‘Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…’ With all our heart we say these words. It is also an act of justice, because he is great, he is our God. Let us think of a beautiful question we can ask ourselves today: ‘how is my prayer of praise today? Do I know how to praise the Lord? Or when I pray the Gloria or the Sanctus, do I do it only with my lips and not with my whole heart?’ What does David say to me as he dances? And Sarah, who dances for joy? When David enters the city, something else begins: a celebration. The joy of praise that leads to the joy of the feast.” A feast that then spreads to the family, “each one”—this is the image the Pope offered—“at home eating bread, celebrating.” But when David returns to the palace, he must face the reproaches and scorn of Michal, the daughter of King Saul: “‘Are you not ashamed of what you have done? How could you do such a thing, dancing before everyone, you the king? Are you not ashamed?’ I ask myself how many times we despise in our hearts good people, upright folk who praise the Lord” in this way, spontaneously, as it comes to them, without following formal attitudes. But in the Bible, the Pope recalled, we read “that Michal remained barren all her life because of this. What is the Word of God saying to us here? That joy, that the prayer of praise, makes us fruitful. Sarah danced at the great moment of her fruitfulness, at ninety years of age! Fruitfulness offers praise to the Lord.” The man or woman who praises the Lord, who prays by praising the Lord—and when they do so they are glad to say it—and who rejoice “when they sing the Sanctus at Mass” are a fruitful man or woman. By contrast, the Pope added, those who “shut themselves up in the formality of a prayer that is cold, measured—just so—may perhaps end up like Michal, in the barrenness of her formality. Let us think and imagine David dancing with all his might before the Lord. Let us consider how beautiful it is to make a prayer of praise.”

Source: News.va