powerful, most wise, most good, most holy, and of infinite perfection; the Creator of heaven and earth, the first beginning and last end of all things; and that by thy supreme providence thou rulest and governest all things. For all this I rejoice, and give thee praise.
2. And therefore, with great joy, and with my whole heart, I praise, extol, magnify, and worship thee. Oh, that I could praise thee without ceasing; always, and in all places, as much as all creatures, and all who have ever been, are, or shall be ever, extol, magnify, and honour thee; or ever have, or shall be able to honour thee.
3. Nay, further, I desire to offer thee, at the same time, all those praises which could have been, are, or shall be offered thee by the blessed Virgin, by the most sacred humanity of Christ, and which innumerable worlds, and an infinity of creatures, as well visible as invisible, which thy omnipotent hand can create, are able to bring to thee. And I desire to render thee such praises and such honours as thou knowest us to be able to render thee, and are thy due.
But since I fail in the power to do this, I wish at least to bring thee all those honours and praises which thy grace enables me to offer thee, with all the force of the love with which thou lovest thyself: to which I now add, be it what it may, my small additional meed of praise.
4. I congratulate thee, O my God, I rejoice, and am glad with thee, because thou art so great and glorious, that there is no creature in heaven or in earth whose powers are sufficient to praise and magnify thee worthily. But meantime I rejoice, O Lord of all praise, that thou thyself abundantly suppliest all that is wanting to their praises.
VII.
Act of Thanksgiving
In all things give thanks.[1]
Thanksgiving is the open acknowledgment of a benefit received, directed to the benefactor, as a mark of requital.
1. O my most bountiful God, I now acknowledge thee to be most almighty, most merciful, the source of all 1 good. And I confess that, from the moment of my conception to the present day, I
- ↑ 1 Thess, v. 18.
