Quote & Prayer for the Day: Temperance in Eating

[Shin]

'To avoid the fault of taking your food inordinately, you must be careful not to eat with avidity, with eagerness, or with haste. Be not greedy in your feasting says the Holy Ghost.

Your object in eating must be to support the strength of the body, and to be able to serve the Lord.

To eat through mere pleasure cannot be excused from the guilt of venial sin; for Innocent XI has condemned the proposition which asserts that it is not a sin to eat or to drink from the sole motive of satisfying the palate.

However, it is not a fault to feel pleasure in eating; for it is, generally speaking, impossible to eat without experiencing the delight which food naturally produces. But it is a defect to eat like beasts through the sole motive of sensual gratification, and without proposing any reasonable end. Hence the most delicious meats may be eaten without sin if the motive be good and worthy of a rational creature; and in taking the coarsest food through attachment to pleasure there may be a fault.

In the Lives of the Fathers it is related that though the same food was served to all the monks of a certain monastery, a holy bishop saw some of them feasting on honey, others on bread, and others on mire By this vision he was given to understand that the first ate with a holy fear of violating temperance, and were accustomed at meals to raise their souls to God by holy aspirations; that the second felt some delight in eating, but still returned thanks to God for his benefits; and that the third ate for the mere gratification of the taste.

To practise temperance in the manner of eating, you must not perform indiscreet fasts, which would render you unable to serve the Community, or to observe your Rule. Transported with a certain fervor, by which the Almighty animates their zeal for virtue, beginners are often very indiscreet in their fasts and other works of penance. Their rigors sometimes bring on infirmities, which disqualify them for the duties of the Community, and sometimes make them give up all exercises of piety. Discretion is necessary in all things. A master who in trusts a servant with the care of a horse will be equally displeased whether the animal be rendered unfit for use by an excess or by a want of food. St. Francis de Sales used to say to his nuns of the Visitation, that "continual moderation is better than fits of violent abstinence interspersed with occasional excesses. Besides, such abstinences make us esteem ourselves more holy than others who do not practise them."

It is certainly the duty of all to avoid indiscretion, but it has been justly remarked by a great spiritual master (and the remark deserves attention), that the spirit seldom deceives us by suggesting excessive mortifications; while the flesh, under false pretences, frequently claims commiseration, and procures an exemption from what is displeasing to its propensities.

The following are some of the mortifications that are very useful: To abstain from delicacies agreeable to the taste, and in some measure injurious to health. To refrain from the fruits that come first in season. To deprive yourself throughout the year from some particular fruit, determined by lot. To abstain once or twice in the week from all fruit, and every day from a portion of what is laid before you. To deny yourself some delicacy, or merely to taste it, and say with St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, that it is not useful for you.

To leave, every day, according to the advice of St. Bernard, a part of what is most pleasing to the palate. "Let every one," says the saint, "offer at table some thing to God." To check for some time the desire of drinking or of eating what is before you; and to abstain from wine, spirits, and spices. Such abstinence is particularly useful for young persons.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

A Prayer
of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

My dear Redeemer, I am so tepid and full of defects, that I am ashamed to appear before Thee. Had I corresponded to Thy graces, I should now be a seraph by the ardor of my love. But I am more imperfect than ever. How often have I promised to become a saint, and to consecrate myself entirely to Thee? But my promises have been so many treasons. I console myself with the reflection, that I have to deal with infinite Goodness. Do not abandon me, O Lord! but continue to strengthen me, for I desired to amend, by the assistance of Thy grace. I do not wish to resist the love that Thou bearest me; I see that Thou dost wish me to become a saint; and to please Thee, I desire to sanctify my soul.

I promise to mortify my senses, particularly by abstaining from certain pleasures. (Name them)

Ah! my Jesus, I know that to gain my heart Thou hast done too much. Great, indeed, should be my ingratitude if I denied Thee anything, or loved Thee but little. I do not wish to be any longer ungrateful. Thou hast been infinitely good to me; I shall not be ungenerous to Thee as I have hitherto been.

I love Thee, O my Spouse; I am sorry for all the displeasure that I have given Thee. Pardon me, and assist me to be faithful to Thee.

O Mary, thou hast always been faithful to God, obtain for me the gift of fidelity to his graces during the remainder of my life.

Amen.

[odhiambo]

"Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep".
 Luke 6:25

[martin]

Thanks for that extract Shin. It really has inspired me to be more diligent and careful not to be eating just for the sake of eating. What better time to put this into practice than this holy season of Lent.
With the help of His grace we can do it. 

[odhiambo]

Thanks for that extract Shin. It really has inspired me to be more diligent and careful not to be eating just for the sake of eating. What better time to put this into practice than this holy season of Lent.
With the help of His grace we can do it.  

Yes, we can!
Sorry martin,  I couldn't help myself; just a little leg pulling  
Hope you don't mind.

[Patricia]

Odhiambo, I like your quote by St. Martin de Porres.

[odhiambo]

Odhiambo, I like your quote by St. Martin de Porres.

Thanks Patricia . I am looking forward to posting something on him on his feast day.

[odhiambo]

In addition to the  Church teaching us  that too little or too much of sleep or too little or too much of food is dangerous, Modern medicine now also teaches us that excessive food leads to many diseases, such as obesity with its many associated problems. All of this is consistent with the teachings of the ancient Church Fathers and monastic's life as you have outlined above Shin

 

[martin]

Yes, we can! Grin
Sorry martin,  Embarrassed I couldn't help myself; just a little leg pulling  Smiley
Hope you don't mind.

I had to think about it a moment odhiambo but finally the penny dropped.   
Yes.. I'll need to give Bob a ring for help. 

[odhiambo]

There are three degrees in eating food:
 temperance, sufficiency, and satiety.
Temperance is when someone wants to eat some more food but abstains, rising from the table still somewhat hungry.
 Sufficiency is when someone eats what is needed and sufficient for normal body nourishment.
Satiety is when someone eats more than enough food and is more than satisfied after the meal.

 (St. Gregory the Sinaite)

[Shin]

Ah, there we have someone who is not one of ours. Gregory of Sinai is Eastern Orthodox, not Catholic.

One has to be careful a bit on the Internet.

[Shin]

I also prefer quoting old and established saints, for a couple of reasons, one being not all the blesseds and venerables are going to be canonized.

 

[odhiambo]

I also prefer quoting old and established saints, for a couple of reasons, one being not all the blesseds and venerables are going to be canonized.

 

oops!  Sorry folks, promise to be more careful from this point on. You are right about the Internet Shin, I thought he was one of ours. His words, though,do they not hold true regardless?

[Shin]

I also prefer quoting old and established saints, for a couple of reasons, one being not all the blesseds and venerables are going to be canonized.

 

oops!  Sorry folks, promise to be more careful from this point on. You are right about the Internet Shin, I thought he was one of ours. His words, though,do they not hold true irrespective?

Certainly seems so!  

I have to apologize too, I was mistaken before too, and repeated a quote of his too in the past.

My deepest apologies. I shall be more careful.

[odhiambo]

I also prefer quoting old and established saints, for a couple of reasons, one being not all the blesseds and venerables are going to be canonized.

 

oops!  Sorry folks, promise to be more careful from this point on. You are right about the Internet Shin, I thought he was one of ours. His words, though,do they not hold true irrespective?

Certainly seems so!  

I have to apologize too, I was mistaken before too, and repeated a quote of his too in the past.

My deepest apologies. I shall be more careful.

I see no fault Shin  You do not want me to forgive you for 'admonishing the sinner' do you?
You are completely forgiven, but continue to be vigilant and correct me always when I stray.

[Shin]

I will try to do so. Please remember me too!

And thank you too very much. 

Thanks be to God, from whom all blessings flow, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady and our life.

May God keep us, and correct us, and help in all ways.  :'(

[odhiambo]

I will try to do so. Please remember me too!

And thank you too very much. 

Thanks be to God, from whom all blessings flow, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady and our life.

May God keep us, and correct us, and help in all ways.  :'(

Amen!