We Parise You, God

After the fourth responsory, the abbot begins the hymn "We praise you, God." RB80.11.8

Singing eternal praise to God.

Someone asked me recently what my image of heaven was. I must say that since I don't like thinking about death very much, I had never spent much time thinking about heaven (or life after death) much either. It made me stop and realize that if I truly believe that I am destined for eternal life, it might be a good idea to ponder what it might look like.

This morning brings me two instances where the praise of God is mentioned. As I listened, I was struck with the idea that for me that is central to my image of heaven. More than an actual place, it is a state of being in which my total attitude is praise of God and gratitude. I am far from there right now...but there still is time left for me to cultivate this posture within my life.

Here are some practical ways:

• Practice praising God on awaking, thanking God for the gift of life, creation and our many blessings.
• Develop a gratitude list--jotting down small instance of thanksgiving throughout the day. Bedtime would be a good time to review list daily.
• Stopping to say a quick thanks to God throughout the day--rather than stressing over how long the wait is at the grocery store or at the 10th red light I've encountered today.
• Pausing a second before answering the phone to thank God for the gift of the person on the other end of the call.

These are just a few ways in which I can cultivate more gratitude in my life today. In a sense, this practice will not only make my life more enjoyable now but will also prepare me for heaven.

Sr. Catherine, OSB