1 Tessalonicenses 5

Basil of Caesarea · Comentário Patrístico (catena)

1 Tessalonicenses 5:16

Fo paye and psalmody, howeve, as also, indeed, fo some othe duties, evey hou is suitable, that, while ou hands ae busy at thei tasks, we may paise God sometimes with the tongue (when this is possible, o, athe, when it is conducive to edification); o, if not, with the heat…. Thus we acquie a ecollected spiit—when in evey action we beg fom God the success of ou labos and satisfy ou debt of gatitude to him who gave us the powe to do the wok, and when, as has been said, we keep befoe ou minds the aim of pleasing him. If this is not the case, how can thee be consistency in the wods of the apostle bidding us to "pay without ceasing," with those othe wods, "we woked night and day." The Long Rules q..

1 Tessalonicenses 5:16-18

Then, because he [David] had been delivered from great danger, he sent up this prayer of thanksgiving to God who had rescued him. "I will bless the Lord at all times." Having escaped death, as if he were setting up norms for his life, he molded his soul to an exact manner of living, so that he ceased at no time from praise but referred the beginning of affairs, great and small, to God. "I will not think," he says, "that anything was done through my diligence nor happened through spontaneous chance, but, 'I will bless the Lord at all times,' not only in prosperity of life, but also in precarious times." The apostle, learning from this, says, "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks." — HOMILIES 16

1 Tessalonicenses 5:17

For prayer and psalmody, however, as also, indeed, for some other duties, every hour is suitable, that, while our hands are busy at their tasks, we may praise God sometimes with the tongue (when this is possible, or, rather, when it is conducive to edification); or, if not, with the heart.… Thus we acquire a recollected spirit—when in every action we beg from God the success of our labors and satisfy our debt of gratitude to him who gave us the power to do the work, and when, as has been said, we keep before our minds the aim of pleasing him. If this is not the case, how can there be consistency in the words of the apostle bidding us to "pray without ceasing," with those other words, "we worked night and day." — THE LONG RULES Q37. R.