“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Ps 34:1)
Our Father certainly does not need our praise and worship for His own sake, for He is perfect in Himself and lacks nothing. That does not mean, however, that it is not pleasing to Him when His children offer Him heartfelt praise.
For us, praise means entering into the great reality of God, together with all who belong to Him in love. It is an awakening of the soul and a joining in the praise of God that resounds through all ages and rings out perfectly in heaven. We hear that the holy seraphim never tire of singing God’s praise and worshiping Him, for they are completely filled and permeated by His love and glory.
Even on earth, the praise of God resounds in a most worthy manner—for example, when we think of monasteries where monks rise at night to offer praise to God as a sacrifice on behalf of all humanity, much like the seraphim. And what a glorious praise of God is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, celebrated with such dignity!
Our beloved Father has indeed placed praise in the hearts of His creatures so that through it they may ever more recognize His glory, which knows no end. It is their bliss—and also our Father’s joy—when His beloved creature recognizes His goodness and His nature in the particular way God has bestowed it, and responds by praising Him in everlasting gratitude.
Day by day, let us praise the Lord through our lives—through everything we do. This corresponds to the truth of our being and allows our Father to make us a temple of His love.