Giving Thanks

Dicit sanctus Job: Si bona excipimus de manu Domini, quare non mala tolerabimus? Hoc est si bonis supervenientibus jucundamur, quare non et adversis accidentibus confortemur? Adversa tolerare sapienti virtutis exercitium, insipienti praevaricationis est occasio. Dixi ego frequenter ut in hac vita brevi vitam vobis provideatis aeternam, quod doleo cur hoc facere contemnatis. Cum enim jejunandum dicimus, praeter paucos nemo jejunat; cum eleemosynae faciendae, major avaritia vos constringit. Orare autem et agere Deo gratias, quid sit, plerosque de vobis arbitror ignorare; qui surgentes primo diluculo nonnisi de prandio cogitent: cum pranderint, somno se tradant, nunquam Divinitati gratias referentes, quae illis et prandium ad refectionem, et somnum dederit ad quietem. Utique, tu Christiane, si es utilis, meminisse debes cujus panem comedis, et ei laudem dicere. Dic mihi eum, ut tibi gratias agat, ut benedicat demum de quo ei humanitas sit tributa? Cui si forte gratias non agit, quemadmodum a te denotatur ingratus? Ita ergo et a nobis exspectat qui nos pascit Deus, ut pro praestitis ab eo escis gratias referamus, et saturati donis ipsius laudes dicamus. Haec enim beneficiorum est retributio divinorum, ut cum refecti fuerimus, bene nos confiteamur acceptos. Caeterum, si accipientes divina munera, taciti et immemores fuerimus, tanquam ingrati et indigni eorum subministratione fraudabimur; ut Deum, quem beneficiis non cognovimus, malis ingruentibus requiramus, et adversis stimulemur ad rogandum, quod prosperis gratias non egimus ad fruendum, sicut nunc contingit, ut qui in pace pigri fuerimus ad laudes referendas, modo in tribulatione tredpidi existamus ad pericula deploranda. Sanctus Maximus Taurinensis, Homilia LXXXVIII, De non timendis hostibus carnalibus Source: Migne PL 57.455b-456b

The blessed Job says, 'If we receive good things from the hand of the Lord, why will we not endure evil things?' 1 That is, if we delight in goods bestowed, why are we not strengthened against adversities? To suffer adversity is the exercise of one who is wise in virtue, it is the ruin of the foolish sinner. I have frequently said that in this brief life you should look to the eternal life, whence I grieve that you scorn to do this. For when we tell you that you should fast, no one fasts but a few, when we tell you to give alms, avarice constrains the majority of you. I think that most of you neglect to pray and to give thanks to God, so that you will rise at dawn but only to think of food, and when you have eaten you go back to sleep, never giving thanks to God, who has given food for refreshment and sleep for repose. Thus, you Christian, if you would be useful, remember whose bread you eat, and to whom to give praise. Tell me of one who should be thankful to you, one who has yet to bless you for some kindness given. If perhaps he does not give thanks, is he not named ungrateful to you? Therefore God expects this from us, He who pastures us, that for gifts of food given from Him we give thanks and replete with gifts we speak praise. This is indeed a reward of the Divine benefactions, that when refreshed, we confess what we have received. Otherwise, if having received Divine gifts we are silent and forgetful, we who are ungrateful and unworthy are deceived as to the source of their giving. And then that God, who we do not know by blessings, would we seek Him when evils burst upon us and entreat Him when struck by adversities, when in prosperity we did not give thanks joyfully? So now it happens that we who were sluggish in peace in the giving of praise, stand fearful in tribulation bewailing dangers. Saint Maximus of Turin, from Homily 88, That One Should Not Fear Carnal Enemies 1 Job 2.10