Here, they learn the beauty of joyful praise. (BJRE044)


Here, they learn the beauty of joyful praise.

Get trained in Jesus Youth for our first vocation in life - to praise God

(By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2021)

“Maybe you always went to Church to fulfill your wishes, but not here.” Fr. Marcelino used to train us to participate in a prayer meeting. “Here you come to lift Jesus high, praise Him, and glorify His Name. This is preparing for and getting a foretaste of what you will be doing in heaven through all eternity.” 

This was something quite new and exciting. Of course, we had heard about praising God in an introductory retreat but making it a habit required patient guidance and a circle of friends who lived in that new culture. Before this, prayer was mostly repeating prayers, a counting challenge, or fervently wishing to get something done. Praise practice was so different; it became about celebrating God’s presence.

A brand-new culture of joy in the Lord

The earliest retreat for college youth was held in September 1976 at a college hostel in Kalamassery. Fr. Manakil, a well-known devotional songwriter, was the hostel warden there, and he, too, attended this new retreat. The songs used were so different, and that fascinated him. Our preacher, Fr. Marcelino, would teach many brief, joyful songs of praise before every session. These were never in the mode of the traditional church hymns. The songs mostly repeated words ‘rejoice,’ ‘praise,’ ‘glorify’, and so on. Even before the program was over, Fr. Manakil composed some new songs of praise in the vernacular.  

The best songs of praise are quite special. The usual devotional songs had a certain pattern, tone, and language. These songs of praise were extremely youthful and full of joy. Many of them were words directly taken from the Bible. No wonder singing a few of these songs gave you a lot of joy and inner freedom, helping you to start praising God. Walking around and singing these exciting songs was already a beautiful way of praising.

The next good thing we learned was ‘Free Praise.’ “In a semi-audible voice, say short phrases about who God is, like, Lord, you are great! You are wonderful! I praise you! Love you! King of Kings, Lord of Lords! And so on and on.” We were asked to be joyful, soft, and loving. After practicing a little, this became an uplifting experience. 

Another step was making ‘spontaneous prayers.’ We were asked to pray briefly, thanking God for something that happened or praising God for what he is. I had never heard anyone pray like that before, but many youth responded readily and prayed with simplicity and sincerity. This caught on, and everyone started praying. 

Later, we were also trained to ‘Sing in the Spirit’ and ‘Free Singing’. The Lord gives you a joyful song in your heart, and you sing it out with the others, and that becomes a highly uplifting experience. Of course, some of us struggled initially, but when most others in the group sang joyfully and slowly, everyone joined in. 

I learned early in my renewal journey that youth awaken to the work of the Holy Spirit and its first fruit of praise in a seminar or retreat. Still, formation in the culture of praise happens mainly in a lively prayer fellowship. That formation is a long journey, yet it is worth the effort. A growing habit of praise becomes the greatest asset in one’s life.

Prayer of worrying Vs. Prayer of praise

The words of Pope Francis: “In union with Jesus, we seek what he seeks, and we love what he loves. In the end, what we are seeking is the glory of the Father; we live and act “for the praise of his glorious grace” (Eph 1:6). If we wish to commit ourselves fully and perseveringly, we need to leave behind every other motivation.” (Evan. Gau. 267).

The Bible is full of sentiments of praise and adoration of God, and the word ‘praise’ is used more than 200 times. Liturgy, especially the Holy Mass, is full of orientation to praise. But as a teenager and youth, I heard and grasped that prayer was raising intercessory prayers and increasing the count of rosaries or other prayers. In brief, prayer was all about my wants and the needs of others.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the prayer of praise, “Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately that God is God. It lauds God for his own sake and gives him glory, quite beyond what he does, but simply because HE IS.” (2639)

There is the flip side: in the name of prayer, we go on worrying. These days, there is much discussion about ‘negative self-talk’.  Life experiences often make us anxious, hurt, or upset, and then a monologue begins. This self-talk and overthinking leads to many emotional, physical, and spiritual sicknesses. The word of God cautions us repeatedly against the growing negativity inside. Don’t be anxious (Mt. 6:25), have no anxiety about anything (Phil 4:6), and cast all anxieties on him (1Pet 5:7). The solution Jesus offers is not a prayer that becomes ‘negative self-talk’ but looking at lilies and birds. Instead of seeking these matters, He asks us to praise God, who does everything beautifully (Lk 12:28), and seek his reign. 

This journey from worrying to praise is a daily struggle. When I sit for prayer or go about daily activities, I see that I am ‘grounded’ by my needs and others’ problems. That’s when I tell myself, ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus,’ look at his Glory, and praise him. Leave the rest in His hands. 

Like a kite flying high 

The Church’s liturgy and glorious prayers give us amazing locations and occasions of excellent praise. But to enter my daily life, I needed a simple gathering of friends who would come together to build a castle of praise. In that simple spontaneity, I learned to translate the glorious concepts of the Bible and the liturgy into my everyday situations. 

The best antidote for a troubled youngster's mind is to climb the ladder of praise. However, this may not be achieved through teachings or readings. You need places where friends come together to experience the joy of journeying in spontaneous praise of God. In many Jesus Youth gatherings, they do this through simple songs, informal chat, and shared prayers of praise. I think God that I received good guidance on praising God in a community early in life. This community experience will help transform individual lives into beautiful kites that fly high in the glorious life of the Spirit. 


Topics

    Elements of a prayer group

    Praise

    Charisms

    Community building

    Community Prayer


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