Day 5

The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo

Busy Catholic’s Online Advent Retreat

A Season of Praise

Day 5 – Friday, December 9

Praise God for His Generosity

Today’s Reading

Blessed the one who does not follow the counsel of the wicked,
Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent….
Blessed the one who delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night….

For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.

Fr. Knights Reflection

   Do you think God is generous? God says he will “teach us…lead us…give us what is for our good.”

   All we have to do is delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night.

   And praise him for it. What we praise we will appreciate.

   We need to praise Jesus consciously—for the clarity of his way and the brilliance of his truth. The “crowds” called John crazy for his austerity; they called Jesus a “glutton and drunkard” for eating and drinking normally. They blinded themselves to the good in Jesus’ new law.

   We need to open our eyes to God’s generosity: to the life—divine and human—that he is giving us right now, and to the law that teaches us how to get the most out of life. Praise makes us aware of what we were not noticing.

   We praise God by giving thanks. The Mass declares that it is not only “right and just” but “our duty and our salvation” to give God thanks “always and everywhere.” All day. What we praise we will appreciate. Praise makes us aware of God’s generosity to us. Being aware of his generosity makes us appreciate him.

Copyright by David Knight.  Used by permission of Twenty-Third Publications.

For Your Reflection or Discussion

For what are you most grateful for in the past week? … in your adult life?  How have you praised God for his generosity?

Daily Practice

Keep repeating with praise and thanksgiving: “Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.”

Advent Prayer

Father, all powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When he humbled himself to come among us,
he fulfilled the plan you formed long ago 

and opened for us the way to salvation.

Now we watch for the day,

when Christ will come again in his glory.

And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven

we proclaim your glory
and join in their unending hymn of praise.