The Catechism states: “Thanksgiving characterizes the prayer of the Church which, in celebrating the Eucharist, reveals and becomes more fully what she is.” (CCC 2637)
St. Augustine said, “What better prayer can we think in our mind, or utter with our tongue, or express with our pen than ‘Thanks be to God’? Nothing can be said more briefly than this, or heard more joyfully, or used more faithfully.”
Jesus cured 10 lepers (Lk 17:11-19) and only one returned to give thanks. The Samaritan who returned thanking God was given a much greater gift than the cure of leprosy. As St. Athanasius said, “Actually, this one was given much more than the rest. Besides being healed of his leprosy, he was told by the Lord, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’”
Pope Francis said that among 10 lepers, “there was one who experienced an additional joy: in addition to being healed, he rejoices at the encounter with Jesus. He is not only freed from evil, but he now possesses the certainty of being loved. This is the crux: when you thank someone, you express the certainty that you are loved. And this is a huge step: to have the certainty that you are loved..... Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us seek to remain always in the joy of the encounter with Jesus. Let us cultivate joyfulness. The devil, instead, after having deluded us — with whatever temptation — always leaves us sad and alone. If we are in Christ, there is no sin and no threat that can ever prevent us from continuing our journey with joy, along with many fellow travel companions.”
Holy Mother Church prays: “Although you have no need of our praise, yet our thanksgiving is itself your gift, since our praises add nothing to your greatness, but profit us for salvation” (Roman Missal, Common Preface IV).
“The prayer of praise is helpful to us,” said Pope Francis. “The Catechism defines it this way: it ‘shares in the blessed happiness of the pure of heart who love God in faith before seeing him in glory’ (CCC 2639). Paradoxically it must be practised not only when life fills us with happiness, but above all in difficult moments, in moments of darkness when the path becomes an uphill climb. That too is the time for praise, like Jesus who in the dark moment praises the Father. Because we learn that, through that ascent, that difficult path, that wearisome path, those demanding passages, we get to see a new panorama, a broader horizon. Giving praise is like breathing pure oxygen: it purifies the soul, it makes you look far ahead, it does not leave you imprisoned in the difficult and dark moment of hardship.”
The Catechism states: “Prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that a dialogue takes place between God and man.” (CCC 2653) St. Ambrose said, “We address Him when we pray, we hear Him when we read the sacred oracles of God.”
Pope Francis said, “Through prayer, the Word of God comes to abide in us and we abide in it. The Word inspires good intentions and sustains action; it gives us strength and serenity, and even when it challenges us, it gives us peace. On ‘bad’ and confusing days, it guarantees to the heart a core of confidence and of love that protects it from the attacks of the evil one. In this way the Word of God is made flesh — allow me to use this expression: made flesh — in those who receive it in prayer. The intuition emerges in some ancient texts that Christians identify so completely with the Word that, even if all the Bibles in the world were to be burned, its ‘mould’ could still be saved through the imprint it left on the life of the saints. This is a beautiful expression.”
The Liturgy of the Hours is a particularly beautiful and practical means for the faithful to praise, to thank God, and to encounter the Word of God regularly.
讚美的祈禱幫助我們
天主教教理說：「感恩是教會祈禱的特徵。每當舉行感恩祭慶典時，教會就更顯示出並更成為其為教會 的本質。」（天主教教理#2637）聖奧斯定說：「我們心中能想到的、口中能說出的、筆下能表達的，還有什麼比『感謝天主』更好的祈禱呢？再也沒有比這更簡短的語句了，也沒有比這更快樂的聽到，更忠誠地使用。」
耶穌治好了十個痲瘋病人（路 17:11-19），只有一個回來感謝。那位撒瑪利亞人回來感謝天主，得到了比醫治痲瘋病更大的禮物。聖亞大納削說：「實際上，這人得到的遠遠超過其他人。除了被治好他的痲瘋病外，主告訴他說：『起來，去罷！你的信德救了你。』」
教宗方濟各說關於這十個痲瘋病人：「有一個人經歷了額外的喜悅：除了得到醫治外，他因遇見耶穌而歡欣。他不僅從邪惡中得到釋放，而且現在確信在被愛中。這就是關鍵所在：當你感謝某人時，你表達確實相信你被人所愛。這跨出了一大步：確實相信被人所愛… 。因此，弟兄姐妹們，讓我們祈求保持與耶穌相遇的喜悅。讓我們培育這喜樂。而魔鬼，則在欺騙了我們之後 — 不論以什麼誘惑 — 總是讓我們感到悲傷和孤獨。若我們在基督內，就沒有罪和威脅能夠阻止我們繼續與許多同行者一起喜樂地前行。」
慈母教會祈禱道：「你原不需要我們的讚頌；我們對你知恩報愛的心願，也是出自你的恩賜，因為我們的讚頌，並不增加你的榮耀，卻藉著我們的主基督，有益於我們自身的得救。」（《羅馬彌撒經書》常年期通用頌謝詞（四））。教宗方濟各說：「讚美的祈禱對我們是有益的。天主教教理這樣定義：『此種祈禱分享心地純潔者的福分，因他們在享見光榮的天主之前，已在信德中愛慕祂。』（天主教教理#2639）。矛盾的是，讚美不僅在生活充滿幸福時應該實踐，而且尤其是在困難時刻，在黑暗時刻當道路變得艱難時，那也是讚美的時刻，就像耶穌在黑暗時刻讚美了父親一樣。因為我們學會，通過那段攀登、那段困難的路程、那段令人疲憊的路程，那些具有挑戰性的障礙，我們能夠看到一個全新的景象，一個更廣闊的地平線。讚美就像呼吸純淨的氧氣：淨化了靈魂，讓你展望遠方，不會讓你被困在困難和黑暗的困境中。」
天主教教理說：「誦讀聖經當以祈禱陪伴，為能形成天主與人的對話。」（教理 2653）聖安博說：「當我們祈禱時，我們向祂祈求；當我們閱讀天主聖言時，我們聽到祂的聲音。」
教宗方濟各說：「透過祈禱，天主聖言降臨在我們內心，我們也常住在其中。聖言激發良好的意向並支持行動；聖言賦予我們力量和平靜，即使在面對挑戰時，也給予我們平安。在『壞』和混亂的日子裡，聖言保證心靈擁有一份自信和愛的核心，去保護免受邪惡的攻擊。這樣，天主聖言就在祈禱中成了血肉 — 請容我使用這個詞：成了血肉 — 在那些接受聖言的人的生命中。在一些古老的文本中，有這樣一種直覺，基督徒與聖言完全融合在一起，即使世界上所有的聖經都被焚燒了，聖言的『模樣』仍然能夠通過在聖人生命中的印記而得以保存。這是一個美麗的表達。」
日課（時辰頌禱禮）是一種美麗而實用的方式，讓信眾讚美和感謝天主，並定期與天主聖言相遇。