Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks 

   “Rejoice always; pray continuously; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Jesus Christ.” (1Thes 5: 16 – 18) 

   Strong words from St. Paul.  Words that express the will of God for me; the way I am to live my life.  Heeding these words and living according to them is a challenge at times but to do so is to be on the path that leads to  heaven.

   “Rejoice always.”  How often do I turn to God and rejoice in His love, His mercy, the many blessings He has given me?  Not often enough I’m sure.  It’s quite easy to slip into complacency, to take for granted all that He has done and continues to do.

   “Pray continuously.”  How can I spend all my time in prayer?  Even the religious in cloisters and convents must work as well as pray.  Ora et labora, Latin for “work and pray” is the answer.  When I offer all that I do to the Lord and ask for His guidance and direction in all I do then everything I do becomes prayer.

   “Give thanks in all circumstances.”  It’s hard to give thanks for the difficulties in life, the hardships and the crosses life brings.  Yet all that comes to me in life is the will of God.  This fact gives purpose to even the pain and suffering I may be called to endure.  Jesus, in His passion and death, suffered far greater than anything I might suffer.  To give thanks, even in suffering, is to acknowledge and give thanks for His suffering.  To offer the pains and sorrows of this life to Christ is a way to share in His suffering, which is a noble and good thing.

   “This is the will of God for you in Jesus Christ.”  If these things are the will of God, then I must accept them as such and give all glory and thanks to Him.  I can’t decide that I will thank Him only for the good things in life but resist His will when it may not be to my liking.  I do not know His plans, but I know that His will is the only path to His kingdom.

   Rejoice, pray, give thanks.  Only when I live by these words do I live in the will of God.  Only by the will of God will find eternal happiness in His kingdom.