Catholic Prayers of Gratitude and Thanksgiving to God

Gratitude is at the heart of Catholic prayer: the very word Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” The Catechism teaches that “every event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving” (CCC 2638), and St. Paul writes, “In all things give thanks.” Below are Catholic prayers of gratitude for every day, for answered prayers and for difficult times, the Church’s great hymn of thanksgiving, the Te Deum, psalms of thanks, and simple ways to grow in a grateful heart.

A daily prayer of gratitude

Written for this page:

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this day,
for my life, my family and my friends,
for food and shelter, for work and rest,
for the beauty of the world and the love that surrounds me.
Thank you above all for Jesus, your Son,
who died and rose for me,
for your forgiveness and the hope of heaven.
Help me to notice your gifts today and to share them with others. Amen.

Give thanks in all things

Always rejoice.
Pray without ceasing.
In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all.

A prayer of thanksgiving for an answered prayer

Lord God, you heard my prayer and answered it.
Thank you for (name the grace received).
Like the one leper who returned to thank Jesus,
I come back to give you glory.
May I never take your goodness for granted,
and may this grace draw me closer to you. Amen.

This prayer was written for this page. The Gospel of the grateful leper:

And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God.
And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks: and this was a Samaritan.
And Jesus answering, said, Were not ten made clean? and where are the nine?
There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger.
And he said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole.

A prayer of gratitude in hard times

Lord, it is hard to give thanks today.
Yet I thank you that you are with me in this trouble,
that you have not abandoned me,
and that you can bring good even out of this.
Thank you for the people who help me,
and for the strength to take the next step.
I trust in you. Amen.

This prayer was written for this page. See the Catholic prayer for strength.

The Te Deum: the Church’s great hymn of thanksgiving

Sung since the fourth century on days of solemn thanksgiving, at the end of the year and after great blessings. From Father Lasance’s With God (1911):

We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be our Lord.

All the earth worships Thee, the Father everlasting.

To Thee all the angels cry aloud; the heavens, and all the heavenly powers.

To Thee the cherubim and seraphim continually do cry:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth.

Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory.

The glorious choir of the apostles praises Thee.

The admirable company of the prophets praises Thee.

The noble army of the martyrs praises Thee.

The holy Church throughout the world acknowledges Thee.

The Father of infinite majesty;

Thy adorable, true, and only Son;

Also, the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

Thou, O Christ, art the King of glory.

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When Thou didst take upon Thee to deliver man, Thou didst not disdain the Virgin’s womb.

Having overcome the sting of death, Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.

We therefore pray Thee to help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting.

Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance.

Govern them and raise them up forever.

Every day we bless Thee.

And we praise Thy name forever; yea, forever and ever.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day, to keep us from sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in Thee.

In Thee, O Lord, I have hoped; let me never be confounded.

Psalms of thanksgiving

The psalms are full of thanks. The refrain of Psalm 135 (136 in modern Bibles):

Praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Other psalms of gratitude include Psalm 33 (34), “I will bless the Lord at all times,” Psalm 102 (103), “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” and Psalm 99 (100), “Sing joyfully to God, all the earth.” See how many psalms are there for the numbering.

Thanksgiving after meals

We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, who livest and reignest for ever; and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

See grace before and after meals.

The greatest thanksgiving: the Mass

“The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits” (CCC 1360). The best way to thank God is to go to Mass and, after Communion, to spend a few minutes in thanksgiving. Catholics also have a Mass offered in thanksgiving for a special grace: see the Mass of thanksgiving.

Ways to grow in gratitude

Each evening, name three gifts God gave you that day, as part of your examination of conscience. See St. Ignatius’s daily Examen.
Say “Deo gratias” (“Thanks be to God”) through the day, as the monks do.
Write a thank-you note to someone who has helped you.
Give thanks before and after meals, even in restaurants.
Offer your thanks in the prayers of the faithful or have a Mass said in thanksgiving.

Frequently asked questions

Why is gratitude important in Catholic prayer?

Because everything we have is a gift from God. Thanksgiving is one of the five basic forms of prayer, and the Eucharist itself is the great act of thanksgiving.

What is a short Catholic prayer of thanksgiving?

“Thanks be to God” (Deo gratias), or “We give thee thanks for all thy benefits, O almighty God.”

What is the General Thanksgiving?

The “General Thanksgiving” is a well-known Anglican prayer from the Book of Common Prayer (1662). Catholics have their own great prayers of thanks, above all the Mass and the Te Deum.

How do I thank God for an answered prayer?

Tell him in your own words, return to give thanks as the healed leper did, go to Mass, and consider having a Mass offered in thanksgiving.

More prayers

Texts and sources

Te Deum: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), public domain (Wikisource).
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1360, 2638.
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Luke 17:15–19; Psalm 135:1 (136:1 in modern Bibles), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The other prayers were written for this page.