Many years ago, I heard a man say that he made an entry in his day planner to remind himself to tell his wife that he loved her. He was quite proud of himself for making his wife and their marriage a priority.
I felt sorry for his wife.
The husband saw his wife and his marriage as a job. A duty. A task. Something he could check off and then move on to something else. I bet he didn’t have to remind himself to watch the game on Sunday. Or eat lunch every day. Or play a round of golf.
I took a class this summer called Liturgy of the Word for Children. I was preparing for the exam and part of that preparation meant memorizing important parts of the Mass. In the Mass, we thank and praise God for who he is and what he has done. Thank and praise. I went over the words in my head, trying to commit them to memory. That’s when it hit me. I was like the man who couldn’t remember the most obvious part of marriage.
I couldn’t remember my most important role in the Mass. To thank and praise God.
In the Mass, we lift our hearts to the Lord. For all he has done. For all he will do. For who he is.
As we enter the Liturgy, we proclaim that it is right to give God thanks and praise. Not out of duty. Not because we have to do it. But because our own souls call us to respond to divine love.
So, go ahead. Lift your hearts up to the Lord. For it is right to give him thanks and praise.
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