A Christian Epistle on Prayer

IV. Thanksgiving.

The fourth kind of prayer or praying of which St. Paul writes is Thanksgiving for all of God's benefits. This is when we bring back to God the Lord the gifts He has granted us, offering them through prayer with praise and honor for His love and goodness—indeed, with heartfelt gratitude. We also ask that He allow us to use these same gifts to His praise. Included in this thanksgiving is all praise of God, as well as the proclamation of the death of the Lord Christ—through whom He has become food for our souls and has won eternal life—together with all other spiritual and bodily benefits from God. That such praise and thanksgiving pleases God the Lord better than any physical work of sacrifice, we find in the 69th Psalm, where the Prophet says: I will praise the name of God with a song, and will highly honor him with thanks; that will please the Lord better than an ox that has horns and hooves. The author uses the imagery of an ox to show that sincere words of thanks are more valuable to God than the expensive ritual sacrifice of animals.

From this, then, come the praiseworthy church hymns: We Praise Thee, O God original: "Te deum laudamus", the Song of Mary original: "Magnificat", and the Song of Zechariah original: "Benedictus", along with all other songs of praise. Likewise, the Blessing and the Giving of Thanks original: "Benedicite" and "Gratias" before and after meals belong to this category, and especially the Psalms of praise and thanks—the beautiful Give Thanks original: "Confitemini": "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is lovely, and his goodness endures forever." This is repeated in many Psalms, such as Psalms 106, 107, 111, 118, 136, 138, etc. To this also belongs that precious Psalm: "Praise the Lord, my soul, and all that is within me, praise his holy name; Praise the Lord, my soul, and do not forget the good things he has done for me." (Psalm 103).