The other day I finally listened to Bishop Robert Barron talking with Dr. Jordan Peterson on the latter's podcast. There were several good things that struck me from it and I would certainly recommend listening to it (you can find the video here), but there is one thing in particular upon which I want to reflect at this moment: the idea of right praise.
Bishop Barron mentioned the liturgical nature of the writing of the creation account in the book of Genesis and the reason for its structure: "The end of a liturgical procession is the one who will lead the praise." Of course it was man that was created last of all the animals. Therefore, when God gives Adam and Eve dominion over all the creatures there is far more to it than most of us would think when we hear the word dominion. The dominion indicated is a lordship over the animals, but in order to lead them to praise of the Creator. "All of these things belong in a chorus of praise of the true God led by us," said Bishop Barron. It is our duty to praise God.
When we fail in that duty, much as when the Israelites turned to idols, everything goes wrong. They became enslaved and began to lose their battles and suffered plagues and droughts and so on. It is little different for us.
Right praise is essential for our daily lives. Christ taught us that in the prayer He gave us, praising our loving Father in heaven: "Hallowed be Thy name."
Our daily lives often teach us its necessity in other ways. I have certainly found it so.
Praise began to become a necessary part of my daily life through indirect participation in the Charismatic Renewal. Listening to praise and worship music taught me to raise my eyes above my own struggles to look toward God. One of these songs in particular seized my heart in the midst of some personal darkness and confusion: the song Blessed Be Your Name, which beautifully proclaims a decision to praise God no matter whether things go well or ill from a human perspective and which references the book of Job.
I keep being reminded that the devil's tempting revolves around one primary tactic: to make us look at ourselves instead of at God. Praise powerfully counters that temptation by turning our gaze away from ourselves and toward God.
When I become focused on my struggles, my failure to achieve anything worthwhile, my inability even to accomplish the little duties I see before me, and so on, it is easy to become discouraged. It is easy to feel hopeless. Yet such feelings merely reveal disorder in the hierarchy of my life. I was created not to establish my own little safe world of accomplishments and perfect order, but to give God right praise.
If there are places in your life where you are struggling perhaps you might dare to ask yourself whether the cause is the same. Are you looking at yourself or are you giving God right praise?
God's Providence allows all that is. By His will, including His permissive will, He has brought everything to this moment exactly as it is. Thus no matter how dark the moment it is part of His plan. And we also are part of that plan. We take our rightful role when we choose to fulfill our vocation of leading all creation in giving praise to God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
