Do We Have a “Joyful Duty” to Thank God – ALWAYS?

When Dave and I were married in 2015, the processional hymn for our nuptial Mass was O God Beyond All Praising.

My favorite line from the song is:

“And whether our tomorrows be filled with good or ill
We’ll triumph through our sorrows and rise to bless You still
To marvel at Your beauty and glory in Your ways
And make a joyful duty our sacrifice of praise.”

As newlyweds, we had no idea what that really meant until a few years later when our neighbor’s house burned down and damaged ours, displacing our family for an extended period.

A Test of Faith

What began as an idyllic summer day quickly turned into a nightmare, ushering us into the most difficult season of our lives. We faced obstacle after obstacle and became poster children for “Murphy’s Law.” It was a test of faith.

Although St. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 exhorts Christians to “give thanks in all circumstances,” it was hard to “give thanks.” I was sick of hotels, fast food, insurance claims, and inconveniences.

Not only that but knowing how devastating the loss was for our neighbor, who lost everything, made me feel guilty for uttering the smallest complaint. After all, we still had our home.

When tragedy strikes, it’s not uncommon to turn in on ourselves and hyper-focus on survival. A serious illness, death in the family, sudden job loss, or an accident can disrupt both the normal operation of our home and our spiritual lives.

Thank You, Lord!

In the time following the fire, I was challenged by the wisdom of EWTN Foundress Mother Angelica, who faced innumerable sufferings in her own life, to thank God for my challenges and hardships:

“It takes humility to say, ‘Thank You, Lord.’ It takes courage to say, ‘Thank You for my cross. Thank You for my pain. Thank You for the tragedies in my life that raised me up to You.”

It took time and tears, but now I can better recognize the many blessings God bestowed on us during that season. Reminders of God’s promises were all around me: while clearing debris from our flower beds, we were graced by the presence of a butterfly with torn wings. Although she was injured, she could still fly.

And, although my husband and I were focused on tending to our children’s needs, God granted us the grace to accompany our neighbors on their recovery – fundraising for them, donating furniture to them, and even replacing the father’s bible with a replica of the one he had used for decades – the bible used by his father.

In gratitude, our neighbor dug up his rose bush (which would have been destroyed in the demolition) and gave it to us. Whenever I look at the rose bush, I pray for him.

Our Joyful Duty

Fulfilling our “joyful duty” to “give thanks in all circumstances” doesn’t mean we’re always smiling and nothing affects us.

The “joyful duty” we have, as mentioned in O God Beyond All Praising, is for us to make a “sacrifice of praise,” particularly in the hardest times, to choose to surrender to God, trust in His goodness, and maintain hope that He will bring about our good.

As the hymn says, that is how we can “triumph through our sorrows and rise to bless You still.” When we rise to bless the Lord in the hardest of times, our hearts are able to find ways to give thanks.

Staying on Track

When hardships disrupt family life, it can be challenging to stay on track. Our family is grateful for the flexibility afforded by Seton and the team of counselors on standby to assist when trouble comes. We knew a set schedule did not bind us, and we could take a break from our daughter’s lessons to focus on making our home safe to live in again.

No matter what suffering you’ve endured, I hope you’ll join me in honoring our “joyful duty” to give thanks to God in all things this Thanksgiving season and throughout the year!

I’d love to hear how you have exercised your “joyful duty” to praise God during difficult times. You can contact me at debbie@tiredcatholicparents.com

Family photo courtesy of Mystical Rose Photography

I reviewed this EWTN Thanksgiving episode shortly after the fire. It was a perspective that stopped me in my tracks, as I was still dealing with the aftermath of the fire – as though God – or Mother Angelica – was letting me know that good WAS going to come from this! See the full episode of Mother Angelica Live Classics, “Thanksgiving: What Are You Thankful For?” which originally aired Nov. 22, 2011. Peace, Debbie

About Debbie Cowden

Debbie Cowden is the Senior Digital Media Specialist for EWTN Global Catholic Network and co-host of The Catholic Sphere on EWTN. She and her husband Dave have four children and have been homeschooling with Seton since 2019. They are small business owners and the co-authors of The Prayer Book for Tired Parents: Practical Ways to Grow in Love of God and Get Your Family to Heaven, proudly published by EWTN.