Sometimes we think that Christians have a monopoly on praising God. We acknowledge the wonderful things that God has done in giving us life and new life through Jesus, who overcame death. Certainly, this is unique to our Christian faith. The inclination to sing the greatness of the Lord, to recite God’s wonderful deeds, is often expressed in the single word “Alleluia.”
We forget that we were once a small sect within the Jewish faith, and that praise was one dimension of the Temple worship. The sacrifice of animals was understood to give glory to God: “See, Lord, we are offering you something that is pure and undefiled, and that nobody else will ever be able to use.” This illustrates the gratuitous nature of praise: we simply acknowledge God for being God without expecting anything in return for ourselves. It is not a
prayer of petition or transaction. Fortunately, this wholesale slaughter of animals ended with the (unfortunate) destruction of the Temple in the year 70. But praise remains an important part of the way Jewish people relate to God.
For Muslims, also, praise of God is key to their religion. The opening chapter of the Holy Quran begins: “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Especially Merciful, All praise is due to Allah,
Lord of all the worlds, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful.” While other aspects of Islam sometimes capture our attention, we should never lose sight that it is a religion of peace and praise.
It is deeply rooted in human nature to acknowledge how small we are in the universe, and how vulnerable we are to forces greater than we can withstand. In God the Creator, our three monotheistic religions find courage and consolation that
the forces created by God are not malevolent towards us. Yet another reason to praise God.
For what reasons do I most frequently praise God? What does my prayer have in common with my Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters? What do I pray specifically about Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension?
Reflections by Peter Knox SJ
