The way to achieve stability in our soul is to beseech God that in each of our undertakings we may have a successful outcome, to give him full gratitude for having provided us with the power to perform what we have done, and to persevere in our goal of pleasing him…. For, unless we adopt this approach, how can we possibly reconcile the two texts of the Apostle Paul, "Pray without ceasing" and "At work day and night” [1 Thessalonians 2:9]? Nonetheless, even though the law requires us to give thanks at each and every moment and both nature and reason demonstrate that thanksgiving is one of life's necessities, we should not overlook the fixed times for communal prayer, for these times have been selected with an eye to the necessity that each has his own distinctive way of remembering God's good gifts.
BASIL THE GREAT The Longer Rules 37
