Liturgy is a word which simply means ‘worship of God’
Monks are people who feel they have a lot to thank God for - in fact they believe that they have everything to thank God for, because God created them and everything in the world - all those things which give sustenance and fulfilment and meaning to their lives.
Every day and every moment is a gift from God, so we feel the need to thank him frequently for all we have and all we are. We also want to understand God more - not that in this life we can ever fully understand him, but like a friend whose company we enjoy and whose wisdom we appreciate, we want to stay close to him and come to know him better.
Of course, like anyone, we don’t always feel great about life; we see the suffering of many people in the world; the poverty, the war, the injustice, and our own lives can bring us just as much pain and bewilderment as anyone else’s. So we are moved to bring all these bad things to God as well, to ask him to bring healing and peace, and perhaps to come to some enlightenment about why they happen; what they mean in the grand scheme of things; how to recognise God’s love shining through the world, even in its frailty and imperfection.