I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. (Psalm 145: 1-3)

We are called to praise not for the sake of God, but for our own sake. Too often we are preoccupied by worry regarding the future. Too often we are in mourning for that which is past. Too seldom do we recognize the blessing of the here and now.

God is the ground of being, foundation of reality, and source of life. In praising God we may recall and claim the beauty and goodness that is present in the worst of times. In better times we may find the utter joy of living.