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It is also said: in everything give thanks (1 Thess. 5:18). They say: “How can it be that a soul, tormented by misfortunes and, as it were, wounded by a feeling of sorrows, does not cry and indulge in tears, but what is actually hated, gives thanks for it as if it were a blessing? For how can I give thanks while enduring what an enemy might wish for me? The child is stolen untimely, and the mother, who is aching for her beloved, is tormented by illnesses that are worse than the previous pains of birth; How can she, leaving crying, turn to words of thanksgiving? Is this possible? Perhaps, if you consider that the closest Father, the most reasonable Trustee and Steward of life to the child born by her is God. Why don’t we allow the reasonable Master to dispose of His property as He pleases, but we are annoyed, as if deprived of property, and we regret the dying, as if they were offended? And you reason that the child did not die, but was given back, that the friend did not die, but set off on a journey and left you a little further along the same road along which we will need to go. Let the commandment of God live with you inseparably, constantly imparting to you, as it were, some light and illumination for judging matters. She, having previously taken upon herself supervision over your soul and having prepared in it the correct opinions about every thing, will not allow you to change from anything that happens to you, but will make sure that with a prepared thought, like a cliff located near the sea, you will safely and unshakably withstand the blows of strong winds and waves. Why are you not used to thinking mortally about mortals, but accepted the death of your child as something unexpected? When they first informed you about the birth of the Son, then if someone asked you: what was born? – what would you answer? Would you say anything else or that a person was born? And if a person, then, of course, a mortal? What is unusual here if a mortal dies? Don't you see that the sun rises and sets? Do you not see that the moon waxes and then wanes, that the earth becomes covered with greenery and then withers? What is constant around us? What is by nature motionless and unchanging? Raise your gaze to the sky, look to the earth: they are not eternal. For it is said: heaven and earth will pass away: the stars will fall from heaven, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light (Matthew 24:35, 29). Is it surprising if we, being part of the world, experience what is characteristic of the world? Looking at this, when the common fate comes to you, bear it with your eyes closed, not dispassionately and not insensitively (for what is the reward for insensitivity?), but with great difficulty and with thousands of illnesses. At least endure it as a brave ascetic, showing strength and courage not only in striking down opponents, but also in bearing their blows with firmness; and like a wise helmsman, due to his great experience in navigation, not embarrassed by anything, keeping his soul in an upright position, not submerged and overcoming any bad weather... “How,” they will say, “will we show our sociability and love for our neighbors, this is the first and most perfect of blessings, because love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10), when, coming to someone caught in great disasters, we will not cry with him, not shed tears, but give thanks for what happened? To endure one's own suffering with gratitude serves as proof of patience and steadfastness; but to thank God for the misfortunes of others means to rejoice over evil and grieve those who mourn; meanwhile, the apostle also commands us to weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15).” What can we say to this? Shouldn't we remind ourselves of the words of the Lord about what we are commanded to rejoice about and what to weep about? It is said: rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven (Matthew 5:12). And one more thing: daughters of Jerusalem! do not weep for Me, but weep... for your children (Luke 23:28). Consequently, God's word commands us to jump and rejoice with the righteous, and to weep and lament with those who shed tears of repentance or mourn those who live carelessly, because they do not know about their destruction (1). Be careful that we do not make it necessary for ourselves to lose what is most dear to us, remaining insensitive when it is with us, and overly lamenting it when it leaves us. Because if we are not grateful for the blessings given by God, then it becomes necessary to take them away in order to bring us to our senses. Just as the eyes do not see too close a bright color, but require a certain distance in proportion, so ungrateful souls usually, after the removal of goods, begin to feel the past happiness. For, not knowing any gratitude to the Giver while they were enjoying the gifts, after the loss they appease the past. On the contrary, none of us is exempted from the duty of gratitude by any circumstance in life, if we wish to conscientiously consider each of these circumstances. For the life of each of us contains many and not entirely unpleasant subjects for reflection, if only we take the trouble to look at lower states and thus, through comparison with the worst, measure what the good in our hands is worth. Are you a slave? There are others below you. Give thanks that you have an advantage over at least one, that you are not condemned to turn the millstone, that you do not take beatings. But even such a one does not lack incentives to gratitude, because he does not yet have shackles on him, he does not wear stocks on himself. For a prisoner, life itself is a sufficient incentive to give thanks; he sees the sun, breathes the air, and thanks for that. Are you being punished unfairly? Rejoice in the hope of the future. Are you justly convicted? And in this case, give thanks for the fact that here you are being punished for crimes, and are not being kept for eternal torment for sins that were not punished in life. In exactly the same way, a prudent person, in every kind of life and in every occupation, can render great thanks to the Benefactor for the present (1). Show some patience in misfortune, like the courageous Job, do not give in to excitement and do not throw into the sea if you are carrying with you any load of virtue. Keep gratitude in your soul as a precious treasure, and you will receive great pleasure for gratitude. Remember the apostolic saying: in everything give thanks (1 Thess. 5:18) (1). It is a shame for us to bless in happiness, but remain silent in sad and difficult circumstances. On the contrary, then we should be more grateful, knowing that the Lord punishes whomever He loves: He beats every Son whom He receives (Heb. 12:6) (2). One should not remain silent about God’s benefits, but should give thanks for them (4). First one must thank God for the most necessary things for daily bodily needs, and then use them (4). What happens is not what we want; and what the Lord gives we must receive with thanksgiving (6). You might be interested in: