Life in Thanksgiving
April 29, 2023 - Saturday, Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Psalm 116:12-17
Psalm 116 belongs to a group of hymns known as the Hallel (Psalms 113-118), a collection associated with the term hallelujah - “praise the Lord”. Those hymns were sung during the celebration of the Passover as an expression of gratitude for deliverance from slavery in Egypt. But, they acquired a deeper meaning when Jesus prayed using them at the end of the Last Supper. We associate “the cup of salvation” (Ps 116:13) with the Eucharist and the phrase that “precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones” (Ps 116:15) points in particular to the death of Jesus, who is called in the Book of Revelation, “the faithful witness” (Rev 1:5). His death was indeed precious and it brought salvation to the whole human race.
The question that the psalmist asks in today’s psalm is worth pondering: “How shall I repay the LORD for all the good he has done for me?” (Ps 116:12). The psalmist is aware that it was the Lord who delivered him from a life-threatening situation by loosing the cords that did not allow him to enjoy the fulness of life (see Ps 116:16). How about us? The contemporary man is never satisfied with what he has. He compares himself with others and complains that he is not as happy, as wealthy, as famous, or as successful as others. He has forgotten to count his blessings. The psalmist’s statement should make us pause and reflect upon the goodness the Lord has done for us. Count your blessings and realise that you also have many things to be grateful for.
How to repay the Lord for his blessings? The psalmist speaks about taking “the cup of salvation” and “fulfilling his vows” (see Ps 116:13-14). Perhaps, the psalmist in the moment of his crisis promised something to God. When the young Jacob after stealing his older brother’s blessing from Isaac had to leave home he spent a night at Bethel where he had a dream about the ladder connecting heaven with the earth. He made a vow there saying that if the Lord would take care of him, give him food, and bring him back home, the Lord would be his God. Jacob would also make a house for the Lord at that place and offer tithes from all that the Lord would give him (see Gen 28:20-23).
How are we going to repay the Lord for his blessings in our lives? I think that the best we can offer is ourselves and a life worthy of our calling as Christ’s disciples. The heroes of faith that we read about in the Bible worshipped God alone and lived in obedience to Him. For us Christians, there is only “one God, the Father”, “one Lord, Jesus Christ” (see 1 Cor 8:6), and one Spirit, “the Lord and Giver of Life” (Creed). Our Triune God is pleased to see us doing good to others because in this way He is glorified (see Matt 5:16).
One of the greatest blessings in our life is faith. There are so many people in the world that do not believe in God. They either have no chance to hear the Gospel or for certain reasons lost their faith. We have this gift and as one of the consequences of faith in our God, the catechism of our Church indicates “life in thanksgiving” (CCC 224). All that we have comes from the Lord (see 1 Cor 4:7) and so let us be grateful and live in thanksgiving for all the good that the Lord has done for us.