Prayers of Thanksgiving?

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Lief_Erikson

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I feel a keen desire for new words with which to praise and thank our God for all he has done for us, words beyond my own homemade prayers. Do any of you know of prayers of thanksgiving by Christian popes, mystics or saints that might help me?
 
Three prayers come to mind…
  1. The traditional after meals thanksgiving prayer of the Church:

    *We give Thee thanks, almighty God, for these and all They benefits. Who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen. (May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.)
  1. This one begins with a great sense of thanksgiving - After Mass Prayer (St. Thomas Aquinas)

    Lord, Father all-powerful and ever-living God, I thank Thee, for even though I am a sinner, Thine unprofitable servant, not because of any merit of my own, but in the kindness of Thy mercy, Thou hast fed me with the precious Body and Blood of They Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
    I pray that this Holy Communion may not bring me condemnation and punishment but forgiveness and salvation.
    May it be an armour of faith and a shield of good will. May it purify me from my vices and put an end to my evil passions.
    May it bring me charity and patience, humility and obedience, and growth in every virtue.
    May it be a firm defense against the wiles of all my enemies, visible and invisible, and the perfect quieting of all my evil impulses, bodily and spiritual. May it unite me more closely to Thee, the one true God, and lead me safely through death to everlasting happiness with Thee.
    And I pray that Thou will lead me, a sinner to that ineffable banquet where Thou, with Thy Son and Holy Spirit, art to Thy Saints true light, total fulfillment, everlasting joy, and perfect happiness.
    Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
  2. (My favorite) It is an ancient monastic tradition that whenever someone higher than you in the order gives you anything, you reply with:

    Blessed be God!
Then they reply with:
Code: 
 .*..And all His Gifts!*
This practice is done after anyone asks permission to do something or have something as well as when any sort of gift or service is done. Also, one of the most effective times to say this is when you get bad news. For example, when I was in a convent, a deadline for the postulants was moved up to an almost impossible date. While most of us got a little worried or frustrated, one of the postulants raised her arm in triumph and declared boldly as ever: BLESSED BE GOD! It was such a great reminder for the rest of us that absolutely everything is a great gift from God.
 
I know this may not be one that you are looking for… but I always use the “Glory Be” prayer in thanksgiving and praise…

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen.
 
Thanks very much, all of you! I’ll probably print all of these off and use them, scan the website and look up the Psalms too. Thank-you very much :).

“BLESSED BE GOD!”
 
My favorite is Psalm 138. If you happen to run across the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, check out the “General Thanksgiving.” Also lovely.

Betsy
 
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