Chapter 39: The amount of food to be made available
We must always be careful, however, to avoid excessive eating which might also cause indigestion. Nothing is so opposed to Christian values as overeating, as we can see from the words of our Lord: take care that your hearts are not weighed down by overeating.
(From para. 2 of Ch. 39 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)
I'm always startled by the strength of these words: Nothing is so opposed to Christian values as overeating. I can think of a lot of worse behaviors than overeating, and yet Benedict challenges me to grasp his point. Perhaps he's telling me that any kind of addiction weighs down my consciousness and limits my freedom of spirit. Perhaps he's telling me that the physical heart and the spiritual heart are mysteriously bonded, and that I should extend the utmost care to them both.
These words remind me of a bumper sticker I once saw: Live simply, so that others may simply live. God has given us enough for all our needs. When I take more than I need, I am stealing from somebody else. When I embrace simplicity, I am embracing God's law of fairness. Meditation is for me a practice of simplicity.
ReplyDeleteThis part of the Rule challenges me to consider my sense of "enoughness" in all areas of my life. Where am I weighed down in life? Sometimes, I am weighed down by the good and comfortable, like food, drink, and material comforts. At other times, I can be weighed down by too much worry, work, and anxiety. Too much of anything weighs down my spirit.
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