4. Thanksgiving prayer
The prayer of thanksgiving “characterizes the prayer of the Church that, in celebrating the Eucharist, manifests and becomes more and more what she is” (2637).
It is a common type of prayer, but it is not practiced often. We may pray for a specific request, but when God answers our prayers, we tend to forget to thank Him . Jesus pointed out this fault when he healed 10 lepers, but only one came back to give thanks: “How, were not all ten cleansed? The other nine, where are they? Did not anyone give thanks again to God, but this stranger? “(Luke 17: 17-18).
5. Praise Praise
Praise, although similar to blessing and thanksgiving, is a different prayer. It is a prayer “that recognizes in the most direct way that God is God. He sings for himself, gives glory not for what he does, but for what he is “(2639).
The Catechism explains: “Like the inspired authors of the New Testament, the first Christian communities reread the book of Psalms singing in it the Mystery of Christ. In the novelty of the Spirit, they also compose hymns and songs from the unprecedented event that God has realized in his Son “(2641).
This prayer is also found in the book of the Apocalypse, where “the prophets and the saints, all those who were slaughtered on earth to bear witness to Jesus, the immense crowd of those who, coming from the great tribulation, have preceded us in the Kingdom, they sing the praise of glory of Him who sits on the throne and of the Lamb “(2642).
It is a prayer that simply praises God for being God, not in reference to any specific benefit or favor received. The celebration of the Eucharist is often called “the sacrifice of praise.”
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