“O my God and Father,
Grant that I praise You and work that all Your creatures praise You.
Grant, my Father, that all sinners be converted,
That all the just persevere in grace,
And all of us reach eternal glory. Amen.”
(St. Anthony Mary Claret).
- Praise the Father and make all creatures praise Him
Our whole life should resound with praise to God on Earth. We should glorify Him and give Him the honor He deserves in everything we do. This should become natural for us. People need to know why life is worth living—and they should be able to see it in our testimony.
Praising God is our duty, and it is not difficult. By glorifying the Father and following His Son, Jesus Christ, we do the greatest thing. Then, with our lives rooted in Jesus—the “image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15)—we will bear witness to the Father. Everything we do in His Name will become praise to His glory.
In the final part of his prayer, St. Anthony Mary Claret’s fervent missionary spirit is evident as he implores the Father to convert sinners. Since they have not praised Him through a life of holiness, may they at least bear witness to His goodness through their conversion. This is their second chance! By doing so, they will be able to fervently glorify the Father by living a life in accordance with their conversion. Our Father grants them this infinitely valuable opportunity, and therefore they have no reason to be discouraged.
However, even the righteous must stand firm in the face of the many temptations that seek to lead them astray. This requires perseverance in God’s grace.
May our Father lead us all safely to eternal life, where we will sing His praises together with all His angels and saints forevermore.