"Christian monks chant the divine office (communal daily prayer) eight times daily in order to follow the Apostle Paul's instruction to 'pray without ceasing,' and in the words of St. Basil of Caesarea (fourth century), 'to imitate on earth the choruses of angels.' They are also doing what in Latin is called Opus Dei, 'the work of God.' It is not just that Christian contemplatives see themselves as doing God's work, but that God is doing a good work — accomplishing sacred intentions — through our faithful prayers. We never know how this is possible, or often when it happens, but we trust and pray.
Many of the ritual acts of our spiritual lives are performed simply out of reverence, not with the expectation of receiving anything. The Christian's up-and-down, side-to-side movement of the hand in making the sing of the cross has ancient origins — marking the heart and soul in devotion to God in Christ. Gestures like this have the power to form a life around their simple reverence, training us in our capacities for deeper faith, enduring hope, and Divine love."