Step 14: Gluttony

“Control your appetites before they control you.”

--St. John Climacus

“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”

--John 6:27

As I sit down to write to you about gluttony I have just come from lunch where I had two pieces of chocolate cake.  Was it good?  Absolutely.  Was it good for me?  Probably not.  Has it imperiled my soul?  Well…

Fasting is one of the spiritual disciplines that has come to be identified with Lent in a special way.  It’s an effective way of reminding ourselves of what we really need to live and where it all comes from.  It is an act of solidarity with the poor and hungry who are particularly dear to God’s heart.  Our physical hunger can inspire and symbolize our spiritual hunger for God.

Overindulgence, on the other hand, can impede our spiritual progress.  On a purely material level eating and drinking too much is just not good for us and it slows us down, makes us sleepy and lethargic.  On a spiritual level, giving in to our every appetite is not good for us either.  It can make us begin to think of luxuries as necessities.  It can lead to self-centeredness and a preoccupation with satisfying our physical desires that distracts us from other more important things like relating to others and attending to their needs or listening to God.

An extra piece of chocolate cake isn’t going to kill me, but a pattern of self-indulgence is something that needs to be looked at.  It’s not just about food.  How much of my energy and resources am I putting into myself and how much am I sharing with God and other people?  A good question to ask after a good lunch.

Prayer:

O God, thank you for giving us everything we need.  Teach us temperance and moderation.  Help us to see the difference between what we need and what we want.  Keep us from overindulging ourselves with luxuries when we could be helping others with necessities, through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

St. John Climacus, pray for us.